MACHU PICCHU, Peru -- Not to diminish the accomplishments of all those fine civil engineers and architects of the past 3,000 years... but from this mountain-top perch, high in the Andes on the edge of the Peruvian rainforest over-looking a raging Urubamba river -- a straight 500 metres drop -- Machu Picchu, I humbly suggest, trumps them all.
First revealed by Yale University professor Hiram Bingham in 1911, this mostly undisturbed, 600-year-old Inca village -- home to 900 or so residents who either were killed by smallpox or fled to the rainforest ahead of 16th century Spanish invaders -- was recently voted one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" in an internet poll of one million-plus users.
But as impressive as the other six "Wonders" are -- the Great Wall of China and Roman Coliseum among them -- Machu Picchu is more than location, location, location. More than a steal-your-breath away experience. No, this feels as close to heaven and its creator as I might ever get.
It was a hallelujah moment then, when in 1983, UNESCO declared the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, a world heritage site. This sacred settlement, its homes, temples and tiered potato and grain fields -- born out of super-sized chunks of granite -- certainly required protecting. A year or two earlier, Peruvian authorities pulled down one of Machu Picchu's rock columns just so a helicopter carrying the visiting King and Queen of Spain could land on site.
The Royals' other options were a pretty, 90-minute train ride along the banks of the Urubamba river, from Ollantaytambo, or (heaven forbid) a four-day hike up the 1,500-year-old Inca trail to Machu Picchu. Apparently, their Highnesses were on a tight schedule.
Today, rail or hoofing it are a tourist's only options -- the level of train service up to you. Celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz, or just plain folks with money to burn, catch the Orient Express-owned Hiram Bingham luxury coach to Aguas Calientes, jumping off point for a 15-minute, white-knuckle bus ride up the mountain to the gates of Machu Picchu.
Those who crave a physical challenge, climb the Inca trail, which while taxing, includes a few perks. Canadian-owned Gap Adventures, for instance, supplies hiking groups with two guides and a personal chef. Porters, many direct descendants of the Incas, haul your gear -- clothes, tents, food and cookware -- the entire route.
"It's a four-day, three-night excursion, across 48 km of relatively high altitude terrain, from a low of 2,800 metres (above sea level) to a high of just over 4,000 metres at an area called 'Dead Woman's Pass,'" explains Gap Adventures Aaron Sapra as we ride the tracks to Aguas Calientes in one of PeruRails' Vista cars, complete with glass ceiling to better enjoy the view.
"It does require a reasonable level of fitness and activity," Sapra continues. "But on that fourth and final day -- at 7 o'clock in the morning -- you arrive at Inca Machu Picchu and enter through an area called the Sun Gate, just as the sun is rising. The reward is second to none."
Believe me, those famous picture-perfect postcards of Machu Picchu, don't do the Incas' achievement here justice. To experience Machu Picchu live, as the sun climbs over the Cloud Forest, revealing this surreal of places in all its emerald splendour -- is a bucket-list experience. A picture may be worth 1,000 words, but a thousand photos could only begin to tell this story.
The story of Machu Picchu, and South America's once 18-million strong Inca civilization, is inspiring, too. It all began about 80 km west of here, in Cusco -- today a dusty but vibrant city of 350,000, two miles (yep, two miles) above sea level.
Breathing, sleeping, let alone jogging, is at first a challenge at this altitude. A cup of cocoa leaf tea may help some visitors adjust to Cusco, but mostly you just get used to it. Besides, if the Incas could roll five-tonne boulders down the side of one Andes mountain and up another, then grind those rocks into smooth, multi-sided blocks so well connected, they could withstand the worst earthquakes, then what do we spoiled tourists have to complain about?
The original Cusco was actually designed, rather roughly, in the shape of a puma, its head -- or Sacsayhuaman -- built into a ridge above the city. It served as a fortress and weapon depot against potential enemies.
The Incas would, however, prove no match for invading conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his Spanish army which eradicated their empire during the mid-to-late 16th century, destroying Cusco and rebuilding it in the image of typical towns in their homeland. The Incas would have the last laugh, when the next earthquake to hammer the region reduced the occupiers' ornate Spanish cathedrals to rubble, leaving only the Inca foundations on which they were built intact.
Substantial remnants of Cusco's Inca Sun Temple -- the most sacred spot on the Inca map, and where recent escavations uncovered the bones of children used as human sacrifices -- is the Andes' number two attraction. There are many others.
The ancient settlement of Ollantaytambo, near the end of the lush and agriculturally rich Sacred Valley is the best surviving example of Inca town-planning. Many of its narrow streets are still in use today. Only 15 minutes from the train station to Machu Picchu, virtually every tour group stops at the busy frontier town.
Same for Pisac, where thousands of Incas are buried in honeycomb fashion, in the side of steep mountains, a ravine away from their former temples, terraced growing fields and residences.
We visited all these interesting places before our trip-ender to Aguas Calientes, where the unofficial "First Wonder of the World" awaited at the top of Machu Picchu Mountain.
MEET THE LOCALS
Gap Adventures' tours of Machu Picchu and the Andes include an exclusive stop at the Peru Women's Weaving Co-Op in tiny Ccacaccollo.
Located high in the mountains and overlooking the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the co-op was created by Gap six years ago. There, alpaca and llama wool is sheared, dyed and weaved into colourful scarves, mittens, socks, dolls and blankets. Many of the women working in the co-op are married to the porters, cooks and guides Gap Adventures employs on their famous Inca Trail treks.
IF YOU GO TO PERU
TRAVEL TIPS
-- While shops and restaurants accept U.S. funds, most items are priced in "soles." Bring U.S. dollars to exchange for "soles" when you arrive at Lima's airport. The rate is approximately 2.6 soles per dollar. Warning: A Canadian loonie nets only 2 soles here.
-- Always wear sun screen. Peru's UV rays are among the world's harshest.
-- I enjoyed my stay at the three-star Tupac Yupanquie Palace, two blocks from Cusco's main square and surrounded by excellent restaurants (Incanto Ristorante is terrific). Bonus -- a hotel room or restaurant meal in Peru costs half what you'd pay in Canada.
-- Aguas Calientes, base camp for Machu Picchu, is pricier than Cusco. The Andina Hotel is nice, provided you ask for a room on the "river" side. Otherwise, the train traffic will keep you up at night. Same goes for all hotels along the strip.
-- Any time of year is good for visiting Machu Picchu but it receives the most sunlight in July and August, the middle of Peru's winter. It rarely gets cold -- light jacket weather mostly. November to March is the rainy season.
-- There are numerous walking trails in Machu Picchu, including a hike up Huayna Picchu, the gorgeous mountain cropping above the famous Inca site.
-- Don't drink the tap water. I ignored the warning and regretted it.
-- Almost everyone I met, including street vendors, spoke English.
-- Pictures. Natives living in the Andes tourist regions are used to receiving a few soles (a dollar) for their photo. Otherwise, they might duck or cover their faces.
GETTING THERE
-- Air Canada offers direct flights from Toronto to Lima three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday). Flight time is eight hours. From there it's a 50-minute conneting flight to Cusco. Lima and Cusco are in the same time zone as Toronto.
-- Gap Adventures (1-888-800-4100), in partnership with Air Canada Vacations (1-877-274-2228), offers several tour packages, including the 22-day Absolute Peru and 10-day Inca Discovery. The four-day Inca Trail excursion is about $800 and includes meals. Gap Adventure tours of Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Amazon rain forest can be completed in as few as 10 days.
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