Pic(k) of the week 44: Machu Picchu - The lost city of the Inca

October 30, 2019

Pic(k) of the week 44: Machu Picchu - The lost city of the Inca

Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has been on my bucket list for quite some time. I’m clearly not alone as it is the number one reason people visit Peru. Having said so, this great South-American country has of course much more to offer.

Most archeologists believe Machu Picchu was built as an estate for Inca emperor Pachacuti in the middle of the 15th century; more than 550 years ago! It was eventually abandoned about 100 years later at the the time of the Spanish conquest. While known locally, the Spanish didn’t know about Machu Picchu and it was American historian Hiram Bingham who (re)discovered the place in 1911.

Since the Inca didn’t have any written language, people don’t always agree what the main purpose of Machu Picchu was. Most tends to think along the lines of a Royal refuge. National Geographic who first wrote about the place after Bingham discovered it, list 5 different possible purposes in a interesting read here.

Today, one can hike the Inca trail to Manchu Picchu from a few difference place; the longest taking 4 to 6 days. Alternatively one can take a train from Ollyantambo (about 1h30 outside Cusco) to Aguas Calientes to then catch a bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu. Tickets for train and entry to the site need to be purchased before the travel dates are numbers are limited. High season JUL-SEP, tickets often sell out months in advance.

It doesn’t matter how one travels to Machu Picchu, the first sight remains something very special!

The image below, is one of the first images I made of the Lost city of the Incas just after opening time at 6am at the sun started hitting the city.