Machu Picchu

Map Of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu was built around 1450, at the height of the Inca Empire. The construction of Machu Picchu appears to date from the period of the two great Incas, Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui (1438–71) and Tupac Inca Yupanqui (1472–93). It was abandoned just over 100 years later, in 1572, as a belated result of the 

Spanish Conquest

Machu 

Although the citadel is located only about 80 kilometers (50 mi) from Cusco,

 the Inca capital, the Spanish never found it and consequently did not

 plunder or destroy it, as they did many other sites. 

Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle grew over the site,

 and few knew of its existence 

   

Love at first sight. Walking up to Machu Picchu for the first time

My First Glimpse of Machu Picchu: 6:14am

After about an hour tour of the grounds with Juan Carlos, he bid us farewell and I split with the girls to hike up Huayna Picchu (or Waynapicchu, is the big mountain you see behind Machu Picchu). The 35-minute hike was steep and intense, but the view down was breathtaking. You could see Machu Picchu and all it’s dramatic surroundings. I sat up there for about an hour watching the fog roll in and out, just trying absorbing and appreciating the moment.

The year at Machu Picchu is divided between wet and dry seasons, with the majority of annual rain falling from October through to April. It can rain at any time of the year

Machu Picchu is situated above a bow of the Urubamba River, which surrounds the site on three sides, with cliffs dropping vertically for 450 metres (1,480 ft) to the river at their base. The area is subject to morning mists rising from the river

Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since its discovery in 1911, a growing number of tourists visit Machu Picchu, reaching 400,000 in 2000. As Peru's most visited tourist attraction and major revenue generator, it is continually threatened by economic and commercial forces.

 In the late 1990s, the Peruvian government granted concessions to allow the construction of a cable car and development of a luxury hotel, including a tourist complex with boutiques and restaurants

View from the Homestay

Great experience if tourist get to Machu Picchu