At the airport in Lima (Jorge Chavez International Airport), awaiting departure to Cusco
From Lima, we would fly to Cusco, followed by a train and car journey to get to Machu Picchu.
The trio inside the Peruvian Airlines plane to Cusco
In Cusco Airport. Advertisements for garments made from Alpaca fleece, which is soft to touch.
This is Cusco, a significant city in southeastern Peru. Often spelt Cuzco or Quosco.
It is about 3400 metres above sea level, and a jumping off point for travel to Machu Picchu.
At the train station in Cusco
On our way to Machu Picchu
Fish-plate joints on the rail
The church in the background was built on an original Inca place of worship by the Spanish invaders. The Inca construction method made their structures earthquake resistant, so in 1950 during a major earthquake, the spanish carbuncle collapsed and had to be reconstructed, but the Inca component did not.
Alberto, looking like an explorer.
A special flower local to Cusco
The Inca/Spanish church in Cusco
This is the original Inca part of the now church.
The Inca were masters at granite constructions that did not use cement.
This was built later by the Spanish when they converted the Inca place of worship to a catholic church.
The main motivation for the Spanish in Peru was the gold and other precious metals.
There are many locations in Cusco where the original Inca constructions survive. Only mechanical keying held these huge granite stones together.
Cusco is a major tourist attraction and the local people are friendly and helpful.
Notice the way in which the stones are placed, with careful mechanical keying.
There are some small protrusions on the stones which are configured to interact with sunlight. The Inca worshipped the sun.
The beautiful scenary on the car journey from Cusco towards Machu Picchu
Notice the snow-capped mountains in the background.
Stunning cloud formations
It was easy to find vegetarian and vegan food everywhere we visited in Peru
This is a town very near Machu Picchu, from where we would go by a short bus ride up a mountain to Picchu.
We are now in MACHU PICCHU :)
Extremely rugged and mountainous territory
How the Inca managed to construct Machu Picchu in this location inspires awe.
There must have been tremendous forces of nature to extrude these mountains.
Harry, Patricio and Alberto
Harry, Patricio and Alberto
Hard to believe. The citadel became covered by jungle after it was abandoned by the Inca
Close to the clouds
Really close to the clouds
Machu Picchu is at about 2500 metres above sea level
There are about 6000 visitors per day.
In the clouds
Terraces for farming
In the centre is our guide, perfect English and Spanish, deeply knowledgeable.
The Urbamba river.
Living dangerously, at the edge of a precipice.
These are Lama droppings
In the middle is the temple of the Sun
The houses had a sophisticated drainage system to lead the rain water away in a systematic manner.
It takes many hours of arduous walking to see the citadel in all its glory.
As you will see later, the cylindrical protrusios carved integral to the stones were there to tie the grass roofs on to the stone structures.
Notice the sophisticated mechanical keying which made these structures earthquake resistant.
Notice the sophisticated mechanical keying which made these structures earthquake resistant.
Mechanical keying held the structures together without anything cementatious between the stones.
This is the Sun Temple.
The steps indicate the past, present and the future.
Amazing workmanship.
Chinchillas are rodents that are native to the Andes Mountains in South America. They live in colonies and are found at high elevations
Chinchillas
Lama and baby Lama
Calm and peaceful creatures
Luxury Perurail travel back from Machu Picchu, almost all the way to Cusco
A traditional devil in the train, along with a fashion show.
The devil was quite friendly.
