Machu Picchu (in Quechua: Machu Pikchu – "Old Mountain” is almost 2,500 metres - roughly about 8,000 feet – above sea level. This so-called The Lost City of the Incas" is situated on a mountain ridge above Urubamba (or the Vilcanota has it confusingly becomes), about 50 miles north & west of Cusco.
It’s widely thought that Machu Picchu was built as some sort of a country estate for Cusi Yupanqui, who was Pachacuti, probably the most successful military Inca (1438–1472). It’s probably the most familiar icon of South America. The Incas started building the estate around AD 1400 but it was abandoned around the time the Spanish attacked the Incas.
It was apparently known locally but completely unknown to the outside world before its discovery in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham, (the reputed basis of Indiana Jones) and the man who the train to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is important not just as a cultural site but as a sacred place, containing the Intihuatana, (the "The Hitching Post of the Sun"), the Temple of the Sun, and the ‘Room of the Three Windows’.
During our visit the weather was rather chilly and misty (cloudy) but the site was not very crowded. It was an impressive place - probably over-hyped and much anticipated - but still a fabulous place. Most of the views we took pictures of, whilst not as good as the famous images, nevertheless would be very familiar, thanks to the iconic photos you see of Machu Picchu. Best of all, (for me anyway), was the Temple of the Sun ....
We stayed the night at the Inkaterra eco hotel, which is about 12 acres, and in cloud forest. The Spanish colonial-style hotel has rooms - each slightly different from one another – spread throughout the grounds; all of which have great views out over a colourful garden perched on the edge of the valley overlooking the Vilcanota River. The gardens are incredible with over 372 species of orchid, native palms, ferns, begonias, fruit trees and medicinal plants.
They even have the Spectacled Bear rescue reserve. This bear (known as Tremarctos ornatus, commonly called the Andean Bear and locally called ukuko, jukumari or ucumari) is seriously threatened and this centre tried to rescue and return orphans
or zoo damaged animals.
I spent a great morning, Saturday 17th April, from very early, bird spotting in the cloud forest garden of the hotel. The highlight was seeing the Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata). We saw two males compete for a female - watched the outcome and gazed on as the new couple settled in with each other.
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