Move over Machu Picchu

Marcahuamachuco, an enigmatic 1,600-year-old archeological complex built from stone in the northern Peruvian Andes, is emerging bit by bit from oblivion and could become a beacon of tourism on the scale of Machu Picchu.

Spread over 590 acres (240 hectares) on a plateau more than 12,000 feet (3,700 meters) high in the mountains, the pre-Incan site embodies all the evils that have befallen Peru's archeological treasures.

Though still full of mysteries - who lived here, and why, is unknown - the complex has been plundered of artifacts that might help unlock its secrets, and has long been subjected to the depredations of nature.

But it's still there, groups of sometimes monumental stone building, massive rounded walls that rise 10 to 15 meters , galleries, a rectangular plaza and dwellings, and an urban religious centre with a sanctuary.

“All of it walled in, a fortress of stone on a plateau to defend against invasion,” said Cristian Vizconde, the government's chief archeologist.

Marcahuamachuco - in Quechua, “the people of the men with hawklike headresses” - has been studied by archeologists since 1900.

Parts of the site are still buried under centuries of accumulated earth, masking its true dimensions.

But its splendor was revealed anew in October 2010 when brush was cleared away as part of a major preservation effort by the government in partnership with the Global Heritage Fund, a non-profit whose mission is to protect endangered world cultural heritage sites.

The fund is providing scientific help to study, preserve and make Marcahuamachuco Ä long overshadowed by the far more celebrated Machu Picchu more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) away Ä ready for sustainable tourism. The goal is to get it registered as a world heritage site by Unesco.

“It is the most important pre-Inca centre in the Andes, with its own language, culli (which lasted until the 20th century), with its own gods and buildings unlike any seen in Peruvian archeological sites,” he said.

Even so, the complex remains shrouded in mystery.

“We don't know what culture Marcahuamachuco belonged to. We do know that the stone structures, with walls 10 to 15 meters high, were built between 350 and 400 AD but we don't know when its inhabitants arrived or where they came from,” said Vizconde.

Canadians John Topic and Theresa Lange-Topic, who have studied the complex, believe its last inhabitants left around the 13th century and that when the Incas arrived two centuries later they found only shepherds among the ruins.

“It's not known why they went, possibly because of an epidemic, but it's all a mystery that remains to be solved,” said Vizconde.

Archeologists hope to find clues in burial sites found behind thick walls in an area of the complex called the Castle where priests or nobles may have been buried.

“Those places have been sacked but the few human remains that were left will be analysed with the help of GHF,” Vizconde said, adding that another possible cemetery was found recently and could give up more secrets.

Julio Vargas, a GHF expert on archeological structures, said he was impressed by the size of the buildings and the mortar work used to join stones in a way that has endured centuries of rain, wind and abandonment.

“What strikes me is the incredible transparence of the ensemble: it was very open, as if it were a public message, built to impress, to show the power of a dynasty, I would imagine,” said John Hurd, a GHF advisor.

Hurd said the site is so imposing that it could “break the dependence of the tourism industry on Machu Picchu.”

Tourism could bring work and respect for the ancient ruins in an area where more than 300 other archeological sites are endangered by informal gold mining.

Luis Alberto Rebaza, the mayor of Huamachuco province, which has 150,000 people, calls the site's tourism potential “the great opportunity of my people.” - Sapa-AFP

Magical Machupicchu

IT STARTED with mysterious, mystical Machu Picchu, high in the Peruvian Andes.

One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the citadel was never found by Spanish conquistadors who were plundering the Incan empire about the time Columbus "discovered" North America.

No one is sure why the Incas abandoned the town, fortified with carefully-hewn granite on top of massive mountains, more than 500 years ago.

All experts know, by broken pottery along its steep trails, is that the inhabitants left in a hurry, taking only what they could carry.

They estimate that Machu Picchu, which could have housed fewer than 1000 people, would have taken tens- of-thousands of workers many decades to build.

"Mystery upon mystery," our guide Camila Alfaro Rodriguez said.

"What you have to understand is that Machu Picchu has a few answers, and a lot of questions."

It has been suggested that the town was an Incan king's private hideaway, but the truth is, and it seems will forever be, shrouded in mystery.

The Incan empire lasted less than 100 years, sustained by almost a dozen other South American civilisations that stretched back 200 years before Christ was born.

Its capital, Cuzco, is higher in the Andes. The impressive city's cobbled streets are dotted with churches, Moorish-influenced townhouses and manicured courtyards, mostly built on top of Incan stonework. It is alive with little stores, street vendors and history.

Cuzco is a tourism centre, from which tens-of-thousands of travellers launch their journeys to Machu Picchu, 112km west, down through the Sacred Valley of the Incas.

Some visitors take buses or trains to within 42km of the mystical town, to walk for four days in the footsteps of the Incas on part of the famed Inca Trail. Others pile aboard "expeditioner" trains to Aguas Calientes, the little tourist town at the base of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary, a national park that covers the mountains and slopes around the citadel.

From the town, the citadel is only a 20-minute, exhilarating bus ride around a dozen or so hairpin bends.

But first things first.

In Cuzco, we stayed at the Hotel Monasterio, a former monastery and Catholic university that was built by the Spaniards in 1595.

A few minutes walk from the city's squares, it was converted to a hotel in 1965.

It has more than 100 rooms, no two the same.

Several are "oxygenated" to help guests cope with the altitude.

Each morning, a classical guitarist plays in the garden where guests, if they wish, can take breakfast, including rich coffee grown in the Secret Valley.

Other times, Gregorian chants are softly piped through the cloisters.

In the guest book, Bill and Melinda Gates, who visited in 2008, wrote that this was the most beautiful hotel in which they had ever stayed.

Hotel Monasterio not only has a unique atmosphere, it also has warm, helpful staff.

Like the Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu, the hotel is owned and operated by Orient Express.

Hiram Bingham III was a US academic, explorer and politician credited with unearthing Machu Picchu in 1911.

Bingham, so the story goes, was the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones.

The rail trip from Cuzco to Machu Picchu may be only 112km, but it travels through centuries of South American history.

From the outside, only the train's blue-and-gold livery distinguishes it from three other companies that bring thousands of explorers to the area each day. But inside, the carriages' polished timber, parquetry, brass fittings and classy, frosted glass panels with a HB logo tell another story.

The opulent carriages, built in Singapore, were designed by Orient Express and based on the classic 1920s Pullman cars.

The Hiram Bingham, which carries a maximum of 84 passengers each journey, runs only once a day.

And what a run.

The smiling, super-efficient, uniformed staff, and the selection of the best South American wines and cordon-bleu cuisine that they serve (we had alpaca, guinea pig and Chilean steak and trout in two sittings, all delicious) are the backdrop to the main event.

Hiram Bingham passengers have front row seats to the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas.

The railway line winds along next to the magic Urubamba River, which lures whitewater raft paddlers like bees to flowers.

Rich farmland that climbs tier by tier to impossible angles up the mountains is just across the river.

Then the train snakes into narrow valleys framed by mountains that disappear into clouds on both sides.

A little further along, it cuts into tunnels.

Between courses, you can head to the bar car at the rear of the train, through to the open-air observation deck for a quick photo.

But before you know it, you are at Aguas Calientes, and minutes away from the citadel.

Our guide Camila Rodriguez had already introduced herself on the train.

It was warm and fine on top of Machu Picchu.

Camila led 10 of us through, up and down the city, regaling us with tales of

the Inca kings, Spanish invaders intent on "mining" Incan gold, and Incan life, as revealed through hints uncovered by teams of archeologists still digging on the site.

More than four and a half hours later, it was over.

We had organised to stay a night in Aguas Calientes, taking to the citadel the next day, this time by ourselves.

Five hours later, we came down, almost satisfied, and within the hour we were back on the Hiram Bingham.

A quiet drink in the bar car turned into a full-on party, as all the passengers, Inca Piscos in hand, were joined by two bands and most of the staff.

There was even a chorus of Waltzing Matilda before we were called back to the dining cars for a superb meal.

We all rolled back into the bar car for the last half an hour of the trip.

The music and drinks started flowing again and I leaned over and asked a Brazilian girl exactly what we were celebrating.

She shrugged and laughed.

"It's just the South American way," she said.

It made sense on the train.

Almost two months later, it still does.

No one should miss it.

NEW SEVEN WONDERS

Petra (100BC) Jordan
Christ the Redeemer (1931) Brazil
Machu Picchu (1450), Peru
Chichen Itza (600), Mexico
Colosseum (80), Italy
Taj Mahal (1648), India
The Great Wall of China (started about 400BC), China
- New7Wonders Foundation, 2006

ALL ABOARD

The Hiram Bingham train package includes:

The train journey from Cuzco (Poroy) to Machu Picchu and return
Musical entertainment on board
Water, tea, coffee, Cusquena Beer, Pisco Sour and an excellent wine selection
Brunch on out-bound journey; cocktails and dinner on return journey
Transport to and from Machu Picchu
Admission ticket to Machu Picchu sanctuary
Professional Machu Picchu tour guide for every 14 passengers (our group had 10)
Afternoon tea served at Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge
A stay at Cuzco's Hotel Monasterio can be added.
FIVE REASONS NOT TO WALK THE INCA TRAIL

The trek, known as the Inca Trail, begins in the Secret Valley and ends at Machu Picchu, a four-day walk covering 42km. However, the trail is much longer than this section. It is a web of well-built paths that linked the Inca empire

Altitude sickness can bring the fittest walker to a standstill

Although the walk is rated "moderate", the Incas used steps extensively, and the trail winds high into the mountains. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy it

Machu Picchu is at the end of the walk ... when you need all the fitness you can muster to explore

Unless you have organised an extra day at Machu Picchu at the end of your trek, you could find that you have little time at the citadel (a couple we met walked for four days only to have only two hours at Machu Picchu ... in poor weather)

You will miss the Orient Express Hiram Bingham train

Express train to Machu Picchu

When Hiram Bingham first journeyed to the Lost City of the Incas in 1911, there were none of the amenities enjoyed by travellers along the route today. Indeed, there wasn't even a trail to follow, let alone a luxury train for the journey.

The Yale University archeology lecturer had been lured to Peru by rumours of an abandoned city and untold treasures hidden in a secret valley. A couple of local farmers guided him on a perilous hike through dark forests and along plunging cliff sides. Then, on a July day, they crested the granite mountain that looms high above the village of Aguas Calientes, turned a corner and found themselves staring at the fabled Lost City of the Incas.

Since then, thousands of visitors have also discovered what became known as Machu Picchu. (The name means "old peak" in the local Quechuan language, and refers to the mountain that hid it for so many centuries.) In 1983, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site; in 2007, it became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

It is a magical place that is on many travellers' "bucket lists" - and for good reason. But even after the Peruvian government put in the narrow, twisting highway for the busloads of eager tourists, it was never easy to get there.

Until now.

On a sunny morning in the town of Poroy, on the outskirts of Cusco, the Orient Express Hiram Bingham train is ready to depart for Machu Picchu, its engine throbbing gently and its cars gleaming blue and gold in the sunlight.

A smiling conductor checks our tickets and we step aboard into a world of luxury. Like the historic Pullman cars, this train glows with rich colours, lush upholstery, polished panelled walls and attentive service. It's as if a century has slipped elegantly away.

Then the train's whistle blows and we begin our 3½-hour journey, travelling through narrow mountain valleys and past forests draped in exotic vines dotted with brilliantly coloured tropical flowers. Every once in a while, we glimpse the Inca Trail, the stone path to Machu Picchu that Bingham discovered in 1915. On the trail, hikers struggle manfully in the hot sun and the thin, highaltitude air. As for us, we're being called to the dining car for brunch.

Peru is famous for its cuisine, and as a luxury operator, Orient Express emphasizes the finest local and seasonal ingredients. Brunch is a gourmet meal that starts with a glass of sparkling wine and includes such savoury local delicacies as roast alpaca loin.

We've barely cleared our plates when the train slows and we pull into the village of Aguas Calientes, the nearest community to Machu Picchu, which is 400 metres straight above us. There we board a bus to climb the switchbacks of what has been nicknamed the Hiram Bingham Highway. We try hard not to look down the cliffs that plunge beneath our wheels.

At the top, we meet the guide arranged by Orient Express. He leads us through the ticket booth and along a stone path to the structure known as the Guardhouse. And suddenly we're struck silent, for Machu Picchu lies before us, and nothing has prepared us for its mysterious beauty.

Terraces and stone buildings spread out across a sun-drenched grassy plateau, protected by the iconic sugarloaf mountain known as Huayna Picchu. In the distance, the blue peaks of the Andes line the horizon. A faint mist floats above them, rising from the Amazon jungle that lies just beyond the mountains.

Even now, a century after Bingham's discovery, Machu Picchu remains a mystery. No one knows why the city existed where it did, although some historians suggest that it may have been some sort of religious or educational centre - a sort of Oxford in the Andes.

No one is certain, either, why its inhabitants disappeared. In the 15th century, 1,000 people lived in its 200 buildings; by the 16th, they had disappeared. Some historians believe they were driven out by disease or natural disaster. Whatever the cause, for five centuries only a handful of locals even knew of its existence.

What is certain is that Machu Picchu is a marvel of engineering ingenuity. Somehow the Incas transported heavy stone blocks up the mountainside, then used remarkable masonry skills to fit them together so perfectly they could withstand time, weather and even the onslaught of tourists.

Whatever its origins and purpose, there is no doubt that Machu Picchu is a remarkable site. Its setting is breathtakingly beautiful, and the abandoned buildings hauntingly poignant. But there is something more here, something indefinably spooky, even spiritual, that leaves no visitor untouched.

That may explain the reverent hush in the tea room at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge where we gather for coca tea and sandwiches after our explorations. That otherworldly mood lasts until the bus carries us back to the market in Aguas Calientes where we put our best haggling skills to the test, bargaining for bobbly alpaca hats and vividly coloured Peruvian shawls. And by the time we board the train back to Cusco, a festive mood has gripped the passengers.

We're greeted on board with a welcoming Pisco Sour, Peru's national cocktail of the local brandy called pisco, lemon, sugar, egg white and bitters, followed by a four-course Peruvian feast that includes a velvety spiced pumpkin cream soup, tender "salmon trout," and fine South American wines. And then it's off to the bar car for live music and one more round of Pisco Sours.

By the time we tumble off the train in Poroy, we're exhausted, happy and changed forever. We suspect Hiram Bingham would be jealous.

IF YOU GO:

Getting there: Air Canada offers a direct flight from Toronto to Lima every day except Sundays (www.air canada.com). Alternatively, you can hop aboard Continental Airlines in major Canadian cities and transfer to a Lima flight in Houston (www.continental.com).

From Lima, take a 90minute commuter flight on LAN or Peruvian Airlines (www.lan.com, www.peruvianairlines. pe) to Cusco, where you will board the train.

The Orient Express Hiram Bingham train, operated by PeruRail, departs daily except Sundays from the town of Poroy just outside Cusco. The trip costs about $350 per person one-way, or $600 round-trip, and includes gourmet meals, cocktails and wine, live entertainment, a ticket to the site, the services of a guide while you're there, and the afternoon buffet tea at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge (www.orient-express. com/web/hb/hiram_ bingham.jsp).

Staying there: The Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, operated by the Orient Express, is the only hotel right at the heritage site, a tranquil spot with stunning views located just outside the gates (www. sanctuarylodgehotel. com).

In Cusco, the centrally located Libertador Palacio del Inka Hotel offers all the convenience of a modern hotel and all the charm of the historic mansion in which it is housed (www. libertador.com.pe).

Dining there: The Hiram Bingham train serves a gourmet brunch and dinner, and the ticket price includes afternoon tea in the Sanctuary Lodge.

In Cusco, Chicha Restaurant is Peruvian celebrity chef Gaston Acurio's terrific local outpost, a popular modern room that offers exceptional regional fare (www.chicha.com. pe). And be sure to visit El Pisquerito, one of Peru's top pisco bars (www.elpisquerito.com).

Breathing there: The biggest challenge for most visitors is altitude sickness. Machu Picchu is at an elevation of 2,430 metres; Cusco is even higher at 3,326 metres. The thin air can lead to crushing headaches, nausea, dizziness and even death.

Most hotels pump in oxygen, which helps, and so does drinking lots of water and taking time to acclimatize. The traditional local solution is chewing coca leaves or drinking the coca tea most hotels have on offer all day long.

Before you leave, ask your doctor about the drug acetazolamide, which is available for altitude sickness.

www.machupicchumagico.com

Machu Picchu restricted to 2500 visitors per day

(ANDINA). Peruvian authorities in Cusco said Wednesday that after reaching the maximum number of 2500 visitors per day, access to the famed Inca citadel of Machu Picchu has been restricted to ensure its preservation.

“As an institution, we have internal and external standards to meet. These standards include the recommendations made by Unesco and the Master Plan of Machu Picchu which states that only 2500 people can enter the citadel per day,” said Julio Dueñas, head of Cusco’s Regional Directorate of Culture (DRC).

Dueñas suggested tourists get their tickets in advance via the online ticket system and avoid hiring informal tour operators.

Machu Picchu closed momentarily on Tuesday, July 19, and some 80 visitors, who were accompanied by informal tour guides, could not enter the archaeological site.

"They arrived in the town of Machu Picchu without their ticket. We have an office that sells tickets in this place only if there is enough space, but this wasn’t the case,” Dueñas told Andina.

"Another recommendation made by Unesco is that we can’t sell tickets at Machu Picchu’s entrance door. The office in the Machu Picchu town can only sell tickets for the citadel in contingency plans or if there is enough space,” he reiterated, recalling that this is the first time a situation such as this has happened.

Mick Jagger arrives in Machu Picchu

The former frontman of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, arrived Thursday in the district of Machu Picchu (best known as Aguas Calientes) to visit on Friday the Incan citadel located in the South Andean department of Cusco.


The performer of Satisfaction arrived at 13:05 hours (18:05 GMT). About 50 meters before Machu Picchu’s train station he went down with his family to enter the Inkaterra hotel.

Jagger is also expected to visit Huayna Picchu ("Young Peak"), a mountain around which the Urubamba River bends. It rises over Machu Picchu, the so-called "lost city of the Incas" and divides it into sections.

The 68-year old musician arrived in Lima on Friday, October 7, and was greeted by a group of surprised fans who recognized him at the Jorge Chavez airport in Lima. He was accompanied by a child and his security personnel.

On Saturday he met with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala and his wife Nadine Heredia at the Government Palace.

In recognition of his work as a philanthropist and environmentalist, visiting rock legend Mick Jagger was declared distinguished guest and ambassador of Madre de Dios by Peruvian authorities in this southeastern region.

As the lead singer for the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger is one of the most popular and influential frontmen in the history of rock & roll.

Jagger fronted the Rolling Stones for over 20 years before he began a solo career in 1985.

Machu Picchu 'must see destination'

A new survey has revealed that many British holidaymakers are keen to take a trip to Machu Picchu in Peru.

According to the latest Intel Visual Wonders of the World poll, the Inca site was chosen by voters from all over the UK as one of the "must-see locations".

The poll, which formed part of Intel's campaign to find out what matters most to the UK travellers, revealed that visitors are attracted to the location because of its "breathtaking views".

A comprehensive travel insurance policy could prove useful for those planning a trip to Peru.

Featured in Intel's Seven Visual Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu offers a unique experience for adventure lovers.

Although tourists can take a day trip to the location, trekking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu can be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Tourists can enjoy beautiful mountains and other Inca's ruins while trekking. Hikers who take the Inca Trail may wants to go to the Sun Gate and witness the sun rise over the spectacular site.

Train to Machupicchu

When Hiram Bingham first journeyed to the Lost City of the Incas in 1911, there were none of the amenities enjoyed by travellers along the route today. Indeed, there wasn't even a trail to follow, let alone a luxury train for the journey.

The Yale University archeology lecturer had been lured to Peru by rumours of an abandoned city and untold treasures hidden in a secret valley. A couple of local farmers guided him on a perilous hike through dark forests and along plunging cliff sides. Then, on a July day, they crested the granite mountain that looms high above the village of Aguas Calientes, turned a corner and found themselves staring at the fabled Lost City of the Incas.

Since then, thousands of visitors have also discovered what became known as Machu Picchu. (The name means "old peak" in the local Quechuan language, and refers to the mountain that hid it for so many centuries.) In 1983, it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site; in 2007, it became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

It is a magical place that is on many travellers' "bucket lists," and for good reason. But even after the Peruvian government put in the narrow, twisting highway for the busloads of eager tourists, it was never easy to get there.

Until now.

On a sunny morning in the town of Poroy, on the outskirts of Cusco, the Orient Express Hiram Bingham train is ready to depart for Machu Picchu, its engine throbbing gently and its cars gleaming blue and gold in the sunlight.

A smiling conductor checks our tickets and we step aboard into a world of luxury. Like the historic Pullman cars, this train glows with rich colours, lush upholstery, polished panelled walls and attentive service. It's as if a century has slipped elegantly away.

Then the train's whistle blows and we begin our three-and-a-half-hour journey.

We travel through narrow mountain valleys and past forests draped in exotic vines dotted with brilliantly coloured tropical flowers.

We meander alongside the Urumba River as it rushes through the Sacred Valley. We pass the ruins of Inca cities destroyed during the Spanish conquests of the 16th century.

Every once in a while, we glimpse the Inca Trail, the stone path to Machu Picchu that Bingham discovered in 1915. On the trail, hikers struggle manfully in the hot sun and the thin, high-altitude air. As for us, we're being called to the dining car for brunch.

Peru is famous for its cuisine, and as a luxury operator, Orient Express emphasizes the finest local and seasonal ingredients. Brunch is a gourmet meal that starts with a glass of sparkling wine and includes such savoury local delicacies as roast alpaca loin.

We've barely cleared our plates when the train slows and we pull into the village of Aguas Calientes, the nearest community to Machu Picchu, which is 400 metres straight above us. There we board a bus to climb the switchbacks of what has been nicknamed the Hiram Bingham Highway. We try hard not to look down the cliffs that plunge beneath our wheels.

At the top, we meet the guide arranged by Orient Express. He leads us through the ticket booth and along a stone path to the structure known as the Guardhouse. And suddenly we're struck silent, for Machu Picchu lies before us, and nothing has prepared us for its mysterious beauty.

Terraces and stone buildings spread out across a sun-drenched grassy plateau, protected by the iconic sugarloaf mountain known as Huayna Picchu. In the distance, the blue peaks of the Andes line the horizon. A faint mist floats above them, rising from the Amazon jungle that lies just beyond the mountains.

Even now, a century after Bingham's discovery, Machu Picchu remains a mystery. No one knows why the city existed where it did, although some historians suggest that it may have been some sort of religious or educational centre, a sort of Oxford in the Andes.

No one is certain, either, why its inhabitants disappeared. In the 15th century, 1,000 people lived in its 200 buildings; by the 16th, they had disappeared. Some historians believe they were driven out by disease or natural disaster. Whatever the cause, for five centuries only a handful of locals even knew of its existence.

What is certain is that Machu Picchu is a marvel of engineering ingenuity. Somehow the Incas transported heavy stone blocks up the mountainside, then used remarkable masonry skills to fit them together so perfectly they could withstand time, weather and even the onslaught of tourists.

Whatever its origins and purpose, there is no doubt that Machu Picchu is a remarkable site. Its setting is breathtakingly beautiful, and the abandoned buildings hauntingly poignant. But there is something more here, something indefinably spooky, even spiritual, that leaves no visitor untouched.

That may explain the reverent hush in the tea room at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge where we gather for coca tea and sandwiches after our explorations. That otherworldly mood lasts until the bus carries us back to the market in Aguas Calientes where we put our best haggling skills to the test, bargaining for bobbly alpaca hats and vividly coloured Peruvian shawls. And by the time we board the train back to Cusco, a festive mood has gripped the passengers.

We're greeted on board with a welcoming Pisco Sour, Peru's national cocktail of the local brandy called pisco, lemon, sugar, egg white and bitters, followed by a four-course Peruvian feast that includes a velvety spiced pumpkin cream soup, tender "salmon trout," and fine South American wines. And then it's off to the bar car for live music and one more round of Pisco Sours.

By the time we tumble off the train in Poroy, we're exhausted, happy and changed forever. We suspect Hiram Bingham would be jealous.

Discover Machupicchu

One hundred years ago, an explorer from Yale University made a stunning discovery high in the mountains of Peru. Looking for ruins of the ancient Inca people, Hiram Bingham came upon an abandoned city.

THE WRONG CITY

Bingham was looking for another place, Vilcabamba, the "lost city of the Incas." When he found Machu Picchu (MAHchoo PEE-choo), he believed he had found Vilcabamba.

WELL-PRESERVED RUINS

When Bingham found Machu Picchu, the Inca ruins were in wonderful condition. Even though the city had been built in the 1400s, it had been hidden from Spanish conquerors who had begun to take over the Inca empire about 100 years later. The city's features hadn't been changed or damaged.

AMAZING BUILDING

The Incas who built the buildings and designed the city had great skills. Without any iron tools, they were able to shape the stones so that each one would fit tightly against the others. They probably used round rocks to pound and chip away at the building blocks.

Machu Picchu authorities to evaluate entry of 4,400 visitors in two time slots

The technical committee of the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary Management Unit (UGM), set up on Tuesday, will conduct a carrying capacity study to evaluate the entry of 4,440 tourists, in two time slots, to the Inca citadel, Peru’s top tourist attraction.
This regulation was adopted following the inaugural session of the UGM, chaired by Cusco's Governor Jorge Acurio, and which was attended by Ministers Ricardo Giesecke, of Environment, and Jose Silva, of Foreign Trade and Tourism.

Also at the meeting, held at Cusco's Regional Government office building, were Deputy Ministers Javier Luna, of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Industries, and Claudia Cornejo, of Tourism, as well as Mayor of Machu Picchu Oscar Valencia.

Acurio explained that the committee, made up of 10 experts, will evaluate the carrying capacity in view of the current demand of visitors to Machu Picchu.

He mentioned that the decision adopted by the UGM regarding the number of visitors allowed to enter the ancient citadel will be applied.

After the completion of the report, it will be evaluated if such decision will be applied until having the new master plan of Machu Picchu, which will be created this year by the UGM.

The master plan came into force on June 1, 2005, and allows the entry of 2,500 tourists per day to the Inca citadel.

Top 3 places you want to see before you kick the bucket

We asked people of the Top 3 places they wish to visit before they kick the bucket, and we rounded up an interesting list—some already on our own lists (Machu Picchu! Angkor Wat!), others we’ve been to and swear by as must visits in one’s lifetime (Russia’s bitter, frigid winter; the idyllic, sunshiny landscape of Tuscany), still others we haven’t even considered but have now piqued our curiosity (the cliffside temples of Bhutan, Alaska’s northern lights, the Tibetan alps).

How about you—what’s on your bucket list?
Bhutan to do some soul searching. The Galapagos to see the penguins. Cape Town, South Africa for its magnificent vistas.—Rhett Eala, fashion designer
1. Angel Falls in Bolívar, Venezuela. I’ve always been fascinated by waterfalls because being in the presence of one humbles me and reminds me of the fact that there’s a greater being in this universe that creates wonderful things such as waterfalls.
2. Machu Picchu in Peru. I’m a world history buff and I’ve read a lot about the Lost City of the Incas, so I’ve always wanted to see the actual place. I think I’ll cry the moment I step into the city.
3. Alaska. It has been a childhood dream of mine to see the aurora borealis/northern lights, and my ultimate wish is to finally be able to visit Alaska to see one during my honeymoon (though first things first, I need to find a husband!).—Miles Montecillo, group director, Ogilvy PR
I’d like to go to Paris with my husband, Andy, because, like they say, it’s the most romantic city in the world. Another place I’d like to visit is Prague—my dad says it’s a spectacular place for sightseeing. Lastly, I’d really love to go to Turkey and do some serious shopping in the Grand Bazaar.—Agoo Bengzon, beauty director, Summit Media

1. The Taj Mahal. I’ve always wanted to see a grand monument made because of love, and not ego or desire to show power.
2. Machu Picchu, Peru. Culture and old civilizations amaze me. We were in Angkor Wat two years ago and I was just blown away at how intelligent and creative we human beings are, even hundred of years ago.
3. Kyoto, Japan. Simply for its beauty, grace and authenticity.—Liza Hernandez-Morales, culinary educator/former hotelier
1. Edinburgh, Scotland. One of the oldest, most historic, most romantic and creepiest cities in the world. I’ve always been partial to castles and centuries-old churches; their facades alone tell stories.
2. Savannah, Georgia/New Orleans, the Deep South of the US. Again, more history, especially in New Orleans at the time when the French and African races mixed and created their own story to tell. Their food alone is centuries’ worth of history.
3. Auschwitz, Poland. I’m deeply interested in the history of the Holocaust and I’d like to see the concentration camps, the place where Holocaust survivor and author Elie Weisel took Oprah years ago.—Vicky Tensuan, editor in chief, Blush magazine
1. Egypt. I always had this fascination for Egypt. I want to see the Pyramids of Giza, see the famous tombs and temples, take a boat ride down the Nile, and, yes, see a Sphinx with my own eyes!
2. Greece. My love for Greek mythology has made Greece part of my bucket list. I want to see the Parthenon, the temple of Athena. I want to go to Delphi, Knossos, the Acropolis of Athens and Olympia.
3. Paris, France. I’m a designer so Paris should be on the list. My partner Bobby stayed in Paris for a while when he studied makeup, and I always enjoy his stories of his visits to the Louvre, the Jardin des Tuileries and Marie Antoinette’s home, Château de Versailles. And, yes, like every tourist, I want to go up the Eiffel Tower.—Louis Claparols, fashion designer
1. Russia. I’ve always loved the story of Anastasia as a little girl. Seeing the palaces and old churches would be amazing.
2. Spain. I would love to spend a week by the Mediterranean and participate in their siesta culture.
3. China. I’ve never been to the motherland, so visiting it has always been on my travel list.—Cindy Go, beauty editor, Preview magazine
The Holy Land, not just because of my religion, but also for its rich history, both biblical and political. Greece, for its beauty and romance. Brazil, for the fun vibe and the beaches. It’s also now the hub in Latin America for fashion, the social scene, among other things. I also want to go to South Africa, but I’d save that for last, because I’m thinking I could die in the jungle! I have to see the Holy Land first so that, in case I die, I could tell God I have been to his birthplace. When I have done that, I can go see Greece for its beauty and history. Then I can go have fun in Brazil!—Anna Legarda, country brand PR manager, P&G Philippines
1. Egypt, because I would like to see the pyramids and other cultural sights.
2. India, because of its rich culture.
3. Tibet, because I find the place so mystical and mysterious.—Anna Go Chia, Rustan’s ads and PR manager
Paris, France, to see the Jardin des Tuileries and have lunch at the Eiffel Tower. The streets of Barcelona, Spain, where I can buy fresh ham and baguettes. Cuba, Brazil or Greece, to dance naked and see where civilization came from.—Lourd Ramos, hairstylist and creative director of Creations by Lourd Ramos Salon
My dream destinations are Istanbul, Prague and Greece. I can learn and maybe connect with each place’s history, culture and traditions.—Henri Calayag, hairstylist and creative director of H Salon
India. I’ve always been fascinated by its music, food and culture. Andalucia, Spain, because I love flamenco and I would love to trace my roots (I was told my dad’s lineage is from there). And Greece, for their culture and food! I’d like to see Santorini and sing “Mamma Mia” by Abba while looking out at the sea!—Niccolo Cosme, photographer
Alaska, because I want to see the glaciers. New Zealand because I want to see all the locations in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy; I want to cross things off my bucket list and I know New Zealand offers a lot of outdoor activities. Fiji, because I’ve heard how beautiful and serene the place is.—Cat Ilacad, businesswoman/owner, Posh Nails
Egypt, because of the pyramids but I don’t know if it’s a good time to go. Alaska, because I think the landscape is something you can only see there. And Easter Island because of the ruins!—Divine Lee, businesswoman/blogger/TV host
New York. My girlfriend went to New York for one week, inggit ako sobra! I want to watch “Avenue Q” on Broadway! Liverpool, England. I’m a big Beatles fan so Liverpool should be on this list. I want to see Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, the Cavern and all those other “Beatle” places. Japan. They said it’s like going to another planet.—Jugs Jugueta, musician, Itchyworms
Eastern Europe, Egypt and Russia, because I’m a bit of a history nut and those places intrigue me.—Aimee Marcos, musician/writer
Iguazu Falls. I heard from a friend who’s been there that it’s the biggest thing you’d ever see. And you can feel it from miles away. I’ve always wanted to see Argentina, the other Paris. And I’ve always wanted to be in Vermont in the fall to witness the leaves turn.—Marlon Rivera, president, Publicis; director, fashion designer
Sao Paolo, Brazil because of the beach, the nightlife at the colorful Mardi Gras that can inspire me as an artist. Paris, France—it’s not just the fashion capital of the world, it’s rich in culture and glorious views and the museums are spectacular; my favorite is the Louvre. Discovery Shores in Boracay. It’s really important for me to be able to unwind somewhere a little closer. I’ve gone there a lot of times but it’s still a dream. The food, the service and the killer mojito and the spa treatments you can enjoy in your room make you realize that life is good.—Avel Bacudio, designer/artist
Tuscany has always been my dream place to go because of the natural beauty and charm it has. I love the countryside. It looks peaceful there. My second would be Santorini. I love the architecture and I want to experience the “to-die-for” sunset. And lastly, Turtle Island in Samar, my hometown. It’s a 1.5 hectare virgin island 10 minutes away from our home—very peaceful, raw, you can catch fish and, most of all, the island is free.—Puey Quiñones, designer

The Mystery Tree at Machu Picchu

Not only is Tree Tales fun and educational, but some good friends have been created from communication with other tree lovers. This story shows how lives can intermingle and how wide spread stories can reach. I have a few favorite trees, and on that list would have to be the ginkgo. Tree Tales has shared a few stories revolving around the ginkgo tree and Grace Thomas loves that tree so much that she gave one to her daughter Sue. Sue lives in Minnesota, but that is not too far away for Tree Tales to reach.

Today we have a story from Grace’s daughter who seems to be a traveler and has a few interesting tree pictures. She calls herself a true tree hugger and she sent me a picture to prove it. However, the tree featured today is from the mountains in Peru. The famous site of Machu Picchu situated at the peak of the Andes mountains. Machu Picchu which means ‘Old Peak’ when translated from the Quechua language, is invisible from below, but is surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population that once dwelled there. Water was provided by natural springs.

This site was rediscovered in 1911 by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham. Machu Picchu was a most amazing urban creation at the height of the Incan Empire. The origin and history of the Incas is at best, mysterious, although history has credited the Incas for the construction of this monumental feat.

People have lived here for the past 1000 years much like their ancestors by raising potatoes, maize and llamas. Many endangered species call this area their home, including the speckled bear. Some other animals that live here are the dwarf brockett, the otter, long-tailed weasel, pampas cat, ocelot, boa, the Andean cock of the rock and the Andean condor.

When Sue visited Machu Picchu, of course she was intrigued with the tree. She explains, “Whenever you see pictures of that ruin, you will see this tree. I’ve spent some time trying to find out what kind of tree it is, but I haven’t been able to find it.” Sue said she thinks it is some kind of canopy tree, since there are no branches until higher up the tree. If any Tree Tale reader has an idea to what this tree is, please share your knowledge.

Thank you to Sue McCormick for sharing this tree story with us. Thank you to everyone who reads Tree Tales and please send in your stories and pictures. Hope the rest of the year will be tree-if-ic for you.

Peru: Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail, Nazca Lines read more: http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2011/08/23/machu-picchu.aspx#ixzz1XzQlQtQL

Machu Picchu and beyond

Celebrate the centenary of the re-discovery of Machu Picchu with a tourist-free trip to the ancient site. Janine Kelso hit the Inca Trail.

I feel like I’ve just stepped into an Indiana Jones movie. Perched on a lush-green ridge sandwiched between two mountain peaks and shrouded in swirling mists that lend the site a mythical glow, Machu Picchu is an arresting sight. After undertaking the four-day, 26-mile Inca Trail trek where we grapple with crumbling stone steps and steep gradients with the aid of Popeye-strong porters, we are rewarded at dawn with a sunrise over one of the world’s top archaeological sites. Choking back tears, there are hugs among our group. The trek was challenging, but it was worth the blisters and lack of oxygen for this drop-dead gorgeous view.

Destination guide: Peru

At this hour, the site is gloriously quiet and free from the busloads of snap-happy tourists donning multi-coloured ponchos and hats with earflaps that arrive mid-morning. For now, though, it’s only the llamas that wander between the ancient stones, chomping on the fluorescent-green land speckled with wild orchids.

We meander freely around the labyrinth of pathways that separate the crumbling buildings, but as I step on to a grassy verge to snatch a quick photo with a llama, a pink ribbon adorning its ears, a guard blows a whistle at me. Oops, I’ve strayed off the track.

As we stroll around the fabled ruins, our guide, Alf, gives us a potted history of the place. Built circa 1450 for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, the Lost City was once a plush palace used by noble folk but it was deserted during the Spanish invasion. According to legend, the Incas chose to build their precious citadel here because of auspicious astronomical and geographical factors.

We’re led to the Intihuatana stone, a ritual rock positioned to point directly at the sun during the winter solstice. We are instructed to press our hands to it to “ground ourselves” and feel its hidden energy. I don’t know if it’s the rock itself or the drama of Machu Picchu, but I feel as though I’ve been touched by something magical.

Although a visit to Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail has been on most travellers’ radars for some time, with millions having followed the famous trek, there’s a renewed buzz about the place this year as the ancient site celebrated the anniversary of its re-discovery last month.

With its remote setting 120km from Cusco, Machu Picchu lay forgotten – well, by Westerners anyway – for 400 years until it was unearthed in 1911 by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham – who was apparently the inspiration behind the Indiana Jones character.

Of course, the natives had known about the existence of the site long before Bingham decided to swing by, but they understandably wanted to keep it to themselves. In fact, some Peruvian scholars are fed up with Bingham being hailed a swashbuckling hero, because he looted the site, taking 44,000 skulls, bones and artefacts to Yale University, 366 of which were returned to Peru in March.

After four days of uphill tramping, our burning muscles are in need of some TLC, so once we return to the nearby village of Aguas Calientas, we head to the hot springs from which the town owes its name.

Soaking in an outdoor hot tub filled with toasty sulphurous waters of 38C, far-reaching mountains providing the verdant backdrop, my friend and I are soon joined by two local teenagers, who waste no time in telling us about their ancestors.

“I’m descended from the Incas,” one of them tells us proudly. “We’re a tall and strong tribe.” Standing just over 5ft, he doesn’t look too tall to me but I’m impressed that the locals are so rightly proud of their roots.

Even though we’ve become accustomed to the high altitude, we indulge in a cup of coca tea, the alpine beverage of choice in Peru. Known as “the divine plant” by the Incas, coca leaves increase the absorption of oxygen into the blood. Cocaine is made from coca leaves but drinking coca tea doesn’t result in any unnatural high – or cause any damage to your health. Leaving behind the remains of Peru’s Inca civilisation and the country’s most-visited site, we take a night bus to the dusty city of Nazca where more mysterious legends abound.

We’ve come to see the town’s famous lines, created by a civilisation that existed long before the Inca Empire. Only viewable from the sky, we head to an airfield where we climb aboard a six-seater Cessna.

“I hope you ladies have strong stomachs,” the pilot grins as we get strapped in. “A lady threw up during the ride yesterday.”

With these reassuring words at the forefront of my mind, I clutch a plastic bag and hope my breakfast stays where it is. As the small plane swings from side to side, I feel faintly nauseous but I soon forget all feelings of sickness as a raft of fascinating shapes springs into view.

There’s a giant pair of hands, a monkey, a condor and a humming bird amongst the cartoon-like geoglyphs. Aside from animals, there are perfectly shaped triangles, rectangles and straight lines.

Etched into the dry plains by the ancient Nazca people more than 2500 years ago, the lines were only discovered in the 1920s when commercial airlines started flying over the desert. Following reports by pilots who had spotted the mysterious shapes, North American historian Paul Kosok went to take a closer look and he is now credited as the official discoverer. Created by removing reddish-coloured pebbles that swathe the landscape, exposing the stark-white earth beneath, the lines have been preserved for so long thanks to the desert’s arid and windless climate which has hindered erosion.

After the flight, we head to a small museum by the airfield, which attempts to explain why the Nazca people created these gargantuan shapes. Baffled scientists and learned folk have spent years coming up with a range of weird and wonderful theories to explain their purpose, especially as they can only be viewed properly from the air.

Some have suggested they provided a landing strip for aliens from outer space, while others ascribe the creation of the lines to religious regions allowing the Gods to view them from the sky. As Nazca people were involved in shamanic practices, some think the lines were produced for shamans to fly over after taking psychedelic drugs.

Two hours from Nazca is the tiny resort of Huacahina, once a retreat for moneyed Peruvians and now a hit with young surfer types who want to give sand-boarding a whirl. Sited next to a palm-fringed lagoon, the region is dominated by giant far-reaching dunes that rise up to 300 metres in height.

We take a buggy up to top of the dunes – an adventure in itself as the vehicle keeps breaking down – and then we’re given wooden boards which we strap to our feet.

As I’m not much of a surfer, it’s slow progress as I struggle to work my way along the slope. I change tack and sit on the board, speeding down the hill sledge-like for a real adrenalin rush.

In a quest to escape the tourist hordes, I decide to take a leaf out of Bingham the explorer’s book and attempt to get off the well-trodden track, heading to the pretty town of Arequipa to see the second largest canyon in the world. Forget the Grand Canyon, the Colca Canyon is twice as deep and doubly impressive.

While the Inca Trail is famously well-trampled, a two-day trek into the Colca Canyon provides a step away from the gringo massive. As I stand at the rim at dawn, the mist-cloaked bottomless pit before me seems other-worldly.

As the haze begins to fade, we spot a condor, or Andean vulture, gliding over the canyon from cliff to cliff, riding the thermals, while showing off its three-metre-long inky-black wings. The bird makes a striking sight and soon the canyon is a hive of condor activity, with hundreds of the creatures taking to the sky, thrilling onlookers by flying nearly close enough so that we can reach out and touch them.
It’s no wonder the birds inspired what must be the world’s most overplayed panpipe tune, El Condor Pasa, covered by Simon and Garfunkel. As the sun rises, the birds disappear to hunt for food and we begin our hike.

My heart begins to thump as we begin to descend into the abyss, taking tentative steps, as the path is rocky and slippery. Terraces have been sliced into the canyon’s verdant hillsides, built by the Collagua and Cabana people in the ninth century. Even today, the locals grow their crops in the same way on these huge staircases. Stretching four miles across at some points, the canyon is an impressive
site, all green valleys and mighty rivers, flanked by two volcanoes.

We set up camp for the night and hit the sack at 9pm as the next day will be an early start. Rising at 4am, my legs turn to jelly as we climb uphill for three hours. At last we’ve made it and we celebrate with a hearty breakfast in the village of Cobanaconde, before driving back to Arequipa.

The days of experiencing Peru as an undiscovered destination – as Bingham did 100 years ago – might be over, but my short adventure has proven that it is possible to go places where tourists aren’t cluttering up the sites.

Luxury train to Machu Picchu wins Conde Nast Traveller award

Orient-Express have announced its multiple wins at the Condé Nast Traveller Reader’s Travel Awards.
The luxury travel company that operates hotels, trains, and cruises across the globe dominated the category for Specialist Train Operators, with its Hiram Bingham train in Peru winning top honours in the revered category and the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express placing third.

Condé Nast Traveller readers chose the Hiram Bingham as their favourite in the world, particularly praising its “standard and comfort of cabins” and “pre-/post- train facilities”.

Named after the explorer who rediscovered Machu Picchu 100 years ago, the Hiram Bingham can seat 84 passengers and provides a luxurious service between Cusco and Machu Picchu.

With distinctive blue and gold livery, dark wood paneling and an elegant interior upholstery in warm, inviting tones, the train consists of four cars: two dining cars, a bar and a kitchen car, and reflects the vintage style of the 1920’s Pullman era.

Once on board passengers are treated to an authentic Andean inspired menu, made with seasonal Peruvian ingredients, and can enjoy traditional Pisco sours as the train meanders through the Peruvian landscape.

A live band provides the backdrop to the scenery, playing Andean music along the route.

For the third year running, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has been placed within the top three in the Specialist Train Operators category, a true testimony to the service, iconic journeys, and authentic ambiance that travellers experience on the train as it journeys through Europe.

The annual Condé Nast Traveller Reader’s Travel Awards are one of the most eagerly anticipated awards ceremonies in the international travel industry, with readers asked to write in and vote on their favourite travel companies in categories that range from hotels, spas, airlines, airports and trains.

Voters are then asked to rate their choices accordingly in various categories such as location, ambience and décor, value for money, service, cuisine and environmental friendliness. These votes are calculated as an average on each criterion, which provides the overall satisfaction percentage that decides the winners.

Cusco’s Casa Concha to exhibit Machu Picchu pieces starting October 6

The exhibition of over 360 archaeological pieces from Machu Picchu that were recently returned by the U.S. Yale University will be held at the newly-renovated Casa Concha in the southeastern Cusco region starting October 6, local authorities announced Wednesday.
The rector of Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC), Victor Raul Aguilar, said that the objects will be displayed at the first and second courtyard of the manor house located about half a block from Cusco’s main plaza.

Exhibition, security, lightning and audiovisual equipments donated by Yale arrived Monday to the Imperial city from Lima in four containers.

Visitors will be able to appreciate ceramics, stone and metal objects, fragments of bones as well as a nearly complete skeleton of a male between 23 and 25 years.

"The opening is to take place on 6 October. In the meantime, technicians and specialists will arrive from Yale to finish the installation," he told Andina news agency.

Peruvian family claiming Machu Picchu take fight to UN heritage body

A Peruvian family that used to own Machu Picchu is taking its fight for compensation for the Inca citadel from the country's government to the United Nations' heritage body.

The Abril family has already launched five lawsuits in Peru over the matter since 2004 and believes the compensation due could potentially run into hundreds of millions of dollars.

The family were the owners of the estate that included the archaeological ruins when they were 'rediscovered' by the American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911 and brought to the attention of the world.
Edgar Echegaray Abril, 70, still has the deed of sale dated June 14, 1910, showing that his family paid in gold for the estate where Machu Picchu stands.
In 1944 they sold the estate to the Zavaleta family but the contract stated that the ruins did not form part of the sale as they were being expropriated by the state.
But the expropriation was never formally completed and the Peruvian government has never paid compensation despite long having treated both Machu Picchu and the surrounding land as state property.

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A future in Machu Picchu's past 03 Apr 2011
Fausto Salinas, the lawyer representing the Abrils, is now appealing to Unesco to help settle their compensation claim by putting pressure on Peru's government.
"Unesco must know that the same way it protests to the government when it does not adequately protect Machu Picchu, it also should call its attention to this matter," Mr Salinas said.

"The state said at that time [1944] 'we're going to expropriate,' but the process was never completed, and in Peru, as in international law, if the property is not expropriated from you, you don't lose it." Mr Salinas is also representing the Zavaleta family, which is claiming compensation for 22,000 hectares of land lying inside what is now the Machu Picchu Archaeological Park.
The Peruvian government insists that the land and citadel "belongs to all Peruvians" and that State ownership is recorded in the regional land registry.
But the families claim the registration was carried out improperly in 1997 and is invalid and are now hoping Unesco, which declared the citadel a World Heritage Site in 1983, will help their case.

The number of visitors to Machu Picchu peaked at 858,000 in 2008 but has since been capped and fell to 700,000 in 2010. Around 90 per cent of Peru's tourism revenue is estimated to be linked to the site.

Walking the Inca world Machupicchu

By Mark Adams
The New York Times
Related
Peru's magical Machu Picchu flooded with tourists
If You Go
Peru's remote sites

Isolated Incan archaeological sites such as Choquequirao and Espiritu Pampa can still be reached only on foot. Most reputable trip outfitters in Cuzco can assemble a made-to-order trip, including the Amazonas Explorer company (www.amazonas-explorer.com).
Lima-based Aracari (www.aracari.com) also offers trips throughout Peru, including to remote sites. Seattle-based Wildland Adventures (www.wildland.com) and REI Adventures (www.reiadventures.com) offer Inca Trail and other treks in Peru.

As we neared the end of a very long climb up a very steep ridge, my guide, John Leivers, shouted at me over his shoulder. "It's said that the Spaniards never found Machu Picchu, but I disagree," he said. I caught up to him — for what seemed like the 20th time that day — and he pointed his bamboo trekking pole at the strangely familiar-looking set of ruins ahead. "It's this place they never found."

He was pointing to Choquequirao, an Incan citadel high in the Peruvian Andes that so closely resembles Machu Picchu that it's often touted as the sister site of South America's most famous ruins. Both are believed to have been built in the 15th century and consist of imposing stone buildings arranged around a central plaza, situated among steep mountain ridges that overlook twisting whitewater rivers, with views of skyscraping peaks.

But there's no question which sibling is more popular.

An estimated 3,000 people make their way through Machu Picchu's corridors on a typical day. Between breakfast and lunch at Choquequirao, I counted 14 people, including myself, Leivers and a few scattered archaeologists.

The first known American to see Choquequirao was the young Yale history lecturer Hiram Bingham III, in 1909. Many believed that the ruins had once been Vilcabamba, the legendary lost city of the Incas. Bingham didn't agree and was mesmerized by the idea of lost cities waiting to be found.

Back again

Two years later, Bingham returned to Peru in search of Vilcabamba. In July 1911, just days into his expedition, Bingham climbed a 2,000-foot-tall slope and encountered an abandoned stone city of which no record existed. It was Machu Picchu.

This year, which marks the 100th anniversary of Bingham's achievement, up to a million visitors are expected at Machu Picchu, a sharp rise from last year's roughly 700,000, one of the highest attendance figures ever.

Most of those pilgrims will hear the tale of Bingham's 1911 trip. But few will know the explorer also located several other major sets of Incan ruins, all of which approach his most famous finds in historic significance.

After Machu Picchu — where he lingered for only a few hours, convinced that more important discoveries lay ahead — Bingham continued his hunt for vanished Incan sites. His 1911 expedition turned out to be one of the most successful in history.

Within a few hundred square miles, he found Vitcos, once an Incan capital, and Espiritu Pampa, a jungle city where the last Incan king is thought to have made a final stand against Spanish invaders. A year later he returned, and came upon Llactapata, a mysterious satellite town two miles west of Machu Picchu whose importance is still being decoded.

I wondered if it was still possible to detour from the modern, tourist path and arrive in the same way Bingham had — by taking the scenic route into Inca history. Aided by Leivers, a 58-year-old Australian expatriate who works with the Cuzco-based adventure outfitter Amazonas Explorer, I assembled a trip to do just that.

Rather than start with the most famous ruins, our route began in Cuzco and looped counterclockwise around them, stopping first at the other extraordinary sites. You might call it a backdoor to Machu Picchu.

A typical Machu Picchu package tour lasts a week. But anyone able to stretch that to 2 ½ weeks — and who has sturdy legs — can hike in blissful solitude through roughly 100 miles of some of the world's most varied and beautiful terrain while pausing to gawk at Bingham's greatest hits. (April through October are the driest months to undertake such a trip.)

Best of all, by circumventing the most common approaches to Machu Picchu — the train from Cuzco and the Inca Trail — the backdoor route avoids the Machu Picchu crowds almost entirely.

Wild lands

Though the little-seen wonders surrounding Machu Picchu exist in an area not much bigger than Los Angeles, Peru's crazy-quilt topography and weather patterns have provided them with a grand and amazingly varied setting. My packing list included long underwear and malaria medicine.

Since there were no proper roads to most of our destinations, Leivers had a team of six mules to carry gear and three men to wrangle them, plus a cook. The four men spoke Quechua, the language of the Andes (and Incas), among themselves, and Spanish to Leivers and me.

The zigzagging trail to Choquequirao, our first stop, was only 20 miles long but required crossing a canyon nearly a mile deep. Leivers, who, when he's not giving tours, spends his time hiking alone through the Andes searching for pre-Columbian ruins, described the journey as "a nice walk."

And it was, for the first hour or so, as we hiked a gentle rise toward the 19,000-foot-high snow-capped Mount Padreyoc. After that, the trail plummeted, crossed the Apurimac River, then rose almost vertically for 5,000 switchbacking feet.

For two days I was so focused on keeping up with Leivers' unwavering pace that I hardly noticed the scenery.

And yet, when we finally entered the Choquequirao ruins on the third morning, I knew the effort was been well spent. As at Machu Picchu, beautiful stone terraces led up to a grassy main plaza. The most important structures had been thoughtfully arranged around this green space. We strolled peacefully through gabled buildings, lined with niches designed to hold mummies and sacred idols.

Though Choquequirao was already well-known locally when Bingham arrived, its hard-to-reach location and scale — the main ruins of Machu Picchu are contained in a compact space of perhaps 20 acres, while the structures of Choquequirao sprawl over hundreds of acres — have slowed efforts to reclaim it from the surrounding cloud forest and restore its buildings to something like their original glory.

"Once this is all cleared, Choquequirao will be one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world," Leivers said.

As we departed Choquequirao heading north, Leivers calculated that by the time we reached Machu Picchu, we would have climbed and descended elevations almost equal to walking up Mount Everest from sea level and back down again.

"Trust me, your legs will adapt after a few days," he assured me. And they did, during the roller-coaster four-day walk to Vitcos, about 40 miles on foot.

Incan architects specialized in spectacular entrances, and the path leading into Vitcos was one of their masterpieces: a long, narrow walkway that leads to a majestic stone building, once probably a palace. From that approach, rows of mountains unfold in all directions, giving the visitor the sense of stepping onstage in the world's biggest amphitheater.

But while the stonework of the palace doorways, the site's finest examples of imperial Incan masonry, rivals anything in Peru, what drew Bingham — and me — to Vitcos was the White Rock, an extraordinary carved granite boulder the size of a Winnebago. Abstract geometric shapes were engraved into its eastern face. Its backside was cut into smooth tiers, possibly altars.

Into the jungle

From Vitcos, we started the rough, 30-mile-long trek down — way down — to Espiritu Pampa, once an ancient city in the jungle.

"Up there are the Andes," Leivers said, gesturing backward as we crossed a wobbly suspension bridge. "Down there is the Amazon."

Over the course of three sweaty days, we traversed a marshy basin, climbed to a gap where gale-force winds nearly knocked us over, and passed through a misty, desolate zone dotted with green salt pools and into jungle.

Espiritu Pampa, which the Incas hastily abandoned when attacked by Spanish conquistadors in 1572, has a spooky, frozen-in-time feeling (and it is believed to be the lost city of Vilcabamba that Bingham sought).

Enormous matapalo strangler fig trees loomed over its central plaza, their leaves diffusing the sunlight as it fell on dozens of stone buildings, many of which had toppled into heaps.

Toward Machu Picchu

Leivers promised that Llactapata, one of our last stops before Machu Picchu, would provide an excellent illustration of a theory on Inca life and design.

Over the last 20 years, Johan Reinhard, an anthropologist and National Geographic explorer-in-residence, has developed a theory the Incas laid out their buildings in relation to the paths of the sun and stars, especially those at Machu Picchu that are believed to have been built in the mid-1400s as an estate for an Incan emperor.

Llactapata has been called the "Lost Suburb of the Incas," because it sits directly across the valley from Machu Picchu and, with a decent pair of binoculars, is visible from it.

Leivers showed me how on the morning of the June solstice — the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the holiest dates on the Incan calendar — one corridor at Llactapata aligns perfectly with the Sun Temple at Machu Picchu and the exact spot on the horizon where the sun rises. The Incas were superb engineers; such an invisible axis couldn't have been a coincidence.

After descending on foot into the canyon that sits between Llactapata and the Historical Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, an 80,000-acre preserve that contains the main site and the Inca Trail, travelers can catch a train to Machu Picchu. Or, as Leivers and I did, they can slip in the rear entrance by walking the last six miles.

One's first view of Machu Picchu is a bit like seeing the "Mona Lisa" after staring for years at a da Vinci refrigerator magnet. You know exactly what to expect, and at the same time, can't quite believe that the real thing exceeds the hype. Also like the "Mona Lisa," Machu Picchu is more compact than it appears in photos.

In less than an hour Leivers and I were able to visit most of the ruins that Bingham saw 100 years ago, in the same order he had encountered them: the cave of the Royal Mausoleum, with its interior walls that seemed to have melted; the perfect curve of the Sun Temple; the titanic structures of the Sacred Plaza; and, at the very top of the main ruins, the enigmatic Intihuatana stone, around which a throng of mystically inclined visitors stood with their hands extended, hoping to absorb good vibrations.

On the last morning of our trip, feeling crowd-shy, I asked Leivers if he knew of any place at Machu Picchu that Bingham had seen but that most people never bothered to visit. "I know just the spot," he said without hesitating. "Mount Machu Picchu."

Climbing the 1,640-foot-tall staircase to the top of verdant Mount Machu Picchu gave us a condor's-eye view of the ruins. It let us, like Bingham a hundred years before, savor Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu 100 Years After Hiram Bingham

www.machupicchumagico.com

Travel writers who made the trek to Peru for the 100th anniversary celebration of Hiram Bingham's arrival at Machu Picchu are facing a dilemma, whether or not to put the word discovery in quotes. As more than a few scribblers have rightly observed, the American merely followed native guides to the abandoned city: His revelation was their constitutional.

Writers are hedging their bets so far. The Los Angeles Times is simply running 100 facts about the site while The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal broached the topic through Mark Adams, whose new book Turn Right at Machu Picchu retraces Bingham's steps.

The one voice that has never leaned towards ambivalence in discussing Bingham's achievement is that of the Peruvian government, which has skipped the hand-wringing and headed straight for the party. The light show begins Thursday night.

In bypassing the symposium on the morals of archeology, government officials sent the clear message that it is more pleased that Machu Picchu falls within its border than it is concerned about the Incan legacy. They can join the club.

Of the 657,000 visitors that make their way to Machu Picchu annually, only a handful are, as Bingham was, expert in South American history. Fewer still are archeologists or researchers. Visitors to Machu Picchu are normal people who wish to spend a day or two in the thrall of an amazing place.

In 1922 Bingham, peering around his Harvard PhD, presaged the mountain city's inevitable future, writing: "Whoever they were, whatever name be finally assigned to this site by future historians, of this I feel sure that few romances can ever surpass that of the granite citadel on top of the beetling precipices of Machu Picchu, the crown of Inca Land."

Bingham understood that details would only obscure the view. Discovered, "discovered," or re-discovered, the crucial thing to know about Machu Picchu is that its beautiful.

The Peruvian government is still hosting journalists from around the world, so there will be a few more Machu Picchu stories popping up in your news source of choice. If these stories don't compel you to go, the romantic vistas pictured below should do the trick.

Peru travel experts share Machu Picchu memories

LSD, weed whackers and symphonies at Machu Picchu. Four experienced Peru travelers wrote to LivinginPeru.com with one of thie most interesting Machu Picchu memories. Contributing are writers and fervent travelers Rafo León, Peter Frost, Marisol Mosquera and Katy Shorthouse.

Machu Picchu with strings - Peter Frost

I choose not to recall the time I passed a kidney stone there, or another occasion when a Japanese woman wearing high-heeled shoes, just ahead of me, fell to her death off Huayna Picchu. Notwithstanding these dramas, Machu Picchu has been very kind to me, and I’ll honor her (she is female, of course) with one of my fondest memories.

Back in the nineteen-eighties I was dragging my hot, sweaty boots down the last leg of the Inca Trail past Intipunku, facing that amazing view, when I noticed that something unusual was afoot down on the esplanade.

A crowd, tiny at this distance, swarmed around the eastern terraces, and as I watched, formed up and seemed to settle into place. Then I heard strange noises, formless and eerie, which resolved themselves into the sound of an orchestra tuning its instruments.

The volume swelled as I neared the Watchman’s Hut and coalesced into the opening bars of a classical piece. After a brief hassle with the authorities — who inevitably thought everyone should pay extra for this unannounced privilege but weren’t sure how much they should charge, or whether they should really charge at all, or whether actually a small tip would do the trick — I found myself seated with a group of my trekking clients and other visitors on the terraces below the Temple of Three Windows.

Gathered across the esplanade from us, solemnly attired in black and white on that warm, sunny day, sat the very same Lima Symphony Orchestra that will be playing there — probably on that very same spot — before the incoming and outgoing politicos and assorted dignitaries this week.

Why that spot? Because orchestras know a thing or two about acoustics, and so, evidently, did the Incas. The orchestra and choir had taken their stand within a large recess at the foot of what Hiram Bingham charmlessly named the Industrial Sector. The sound, often wispy and fugitive in open-air settings, leapt at us off the terraces, full-throated in the mountain air.

Inspired by the Incas’ acoustical magic, the musicians surpassed themselves. They were peforming Mozart’s Requiem, a piece that would wring blood from a stone.

Memory is hazy here, but I seem to remember that the performance was followed by a rapt, lengthy silence. Then the audience recovered its senses and remembered to clap.


Trimming the Inca Citadel — Marisol Mosquera
Of the many times that I have been to Machu Picchu, one memory cannot help but stand out.
Around ten years ago, my group and I eagerly awoke to see Machu Picchu at sunrise, one of the privileges of staying right next to the ruins at the Sanctuary Lodge.

In ardent anticipation of the moment, we trooped excitedly past the gates at 6 am sharp; we clamoured to witness the rising mist reveal the most splendid of Inca sites amidst the stillness and quiet of dawn.

Quite contrary to our best wishes, we were greeted not by the tranquil scene for which we had so fervently sought, but by an employee of the INC armed with a very noisy weed whacker; he was trimming meticulously around the edges of the terracing and curbsides to make sure that no blade of grass had been left longer than official requirements.

The noise of his machine droned into the crisp morning air, ensuring that any attempt to meditate and reflect upon this marvellous site was complemented by the cacophonic melody that denotes somebody cutting grass.

We pleaded with the man: “please can you stop?” He was unfortunately not able to comply as this was a very conscientious and responsible employee who was resolute in completion of his job, maintaining the pride and joy of Peru in a tidy and presentable manner (an indulgence which Hiram Bingham in 1911 could surely never have imagined).

In the end, we could not help but defer that this man’s work was of utmost importance; we glumly resorted to soaking up the majesty of Machu Picchu to the grisly soundtrack of a weed whacker.

100 facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu

In July, Machu Picchu, Peru's biggest tourist attraction, will mark its 100th anniversary of rediscovery. Hiram Bingham III, a Yale professor, came upon the vine-covered ruins on July 24, 1911. Here, then, as we lead up to the century mark, are 100-plus facts about Machu Picchu, its country, its history and its players. We will post one each day for the next 100 days.

Feature: Top archaeological digs

You might not have thought about archaeological holidays as the perfect combination of sun and history. Well, you’re not alone. We were rather surprised by the vast selection of archaeology holidays that offer perfect sunshine as well as thought-provoking historical insights. Admittedly, many of us are now looking beyond the traditional beach holiday, instead we look for alternatives that offer adventure and inspiration.

Archaeological tours can range from bargain basement coach trips around the ruins of Greece to exotic adventures around the Mayan sites of Guatemala. As these trips are growing ever more popular with a large group of holidaymakers we thought that it was about time to look more closely at these tours. Who knows, we might actually learn something!

Human history has laid its mark on every region of the world and now we’re finding out how you can explore such marks. There have been colossal wars that have threatened the very ground we walk on. The vast achievements of civilisation from the great Pyramids of Egypt to the classical architecture and culture of the Renaissance have been an inspiration to the future countless times. World tourism now thrives on these sites.

Are these archaeological sites sunny you ask? But yes of course! It’s no coincidence that we call ourselves iWantSun.co.uk!

The ancient world revisited
Surprise, surprise…our dig into (no pun intended) archaeology holidays kicks off with the Pyramids of Egypt. The largest-made structures in the world and one of the most poignant and fascinating symbols of ancient civilization. Numbering around one hundred, the stone monuments located across the Nile valley date back as many as 5,000 years. A visit to the Pyramids is a must for everyone who has ever marvelled at the long history of this unique site.

After the recent unrest in the country, tour operators are slowly returning to the destination and Responsible Travel is offering a holiday that promises an insight into this fascinating ancient civilisation by taking travellers beyond the classic archaeological sites. Places such as Al Fayoum, the impressive workmen’s village on Luxor’s West Bank and the funerary temple of Ramses III are all included in the itinerary.

Work in progress
The north of Peru is only slowly opening up to tourism and doesn’t figure in most people’s idea of a Peruvian holiday. But that is all going to change if the number of sightseeing opportunities is anything to go by – and if we have a say in it! We can assure you that the reason for the lack of tourism in this part of the country is not for lack of things to see and do but more because when you’re up the road, so to speak, from Machu Picchu and Cusco it can easily be ignored.

But as people start to realise some of the unexplored gems there are to visit when you travel the ‘wrong way’ up the Pan-American highway. The north is definitely the place to be for history buffs as the whole sweep of Peruvian history is easily visible here, from pre-Inca Chan-Chan through to colonial Trujillo. While excavations at Huaca de la Luna and Chan-Chan are well underway, in places like Huaca del Sol they haven’t even started. So, here you can be part of a work in progress! The Real Peru is one of the few tour organisers travelling to this northern part of the country.

Once upon a time in Mexico
Although not the largest Mayan site in the region, some of the finest sculptures, architecture and bas-reliefs of the civilisation can be found at Palenque in Mexico. The vast complex in the state of Chiapas is filled with many large palaces and temples that are bound to transport you right back to the Mayan era. Surrounded by dense jungle, a trip to the spectacular temple ruins will also give you a chance to take in the mountainous valleys and visit the waterfalls at Agua Azul.

Last Frontiers is offering adventurous travellers the chance to explore many different aspects of Mexican culture by taking them beyond Mexico City and the excavations at Palenque. The two-week itinerary includes visits to a number of Indian villages, Maya ruins as well as the Caribbean coast.

And since you’re in Mexico why not head off to Cancun for some well-deserved relaxation-time on a sun lounger by the beautiful sea?

Angkor what? Oh, Angkor Wat…
The astounding temples of Angkor in Cambodia have marvelled visitors for several hundred years. A monumental experience and according to the experts, the Angkor Wat is a sight you must witness at least once in your lifetime. And you can do exactly this with Travel Indochina’s five-day tour of Angkor. Yes, five days – gives you plenty of time to explore some of the wonderfully pristine beaches of Cambodia! On this short journey you can watch the sun coming up over the majestic temples, near the lesser used eastern gate, to avoid the crowds of tourists. Also, off the beaten trail you will uncover the ruins of tree-covered Ta Prohm and imposing Bayon, as well as the highlights of Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

This ancient Khmer civilisation dominated Southeast Asia in the ninth to 15th centuries. And this vast complex of ruins reveals just how sophisticated the culture actually was. Prepare to be both astonished and inspired!

It’s all Greek to me…
Greece has been home to one of the oldest civilisations in history and has been inhabited for thousands of years. Every civilisation has left a mark on this land, whether visible to the eye today or not, archaeologists have a very special interest in Greece and all the treasures it holds within – that’s why an archaeological holiday to Greece is the ideal way to discover the world that has been and learn a bit of ancient history! As an increasing number of people are interested in Greece’s rich culture and history, there are even more travel operators helping people to explore the secrets within this country. And Greeka.com is one of those operators!

From the ancient city of Athens, which hosts a large part of the archaeological sites you can visit in Greece, to the famous site of Delphi with the renowned oracle ‘the navel of Earth’, Greece is home to more archaeological sites that you will ever be able to pack into one holiday. So, why not take two Greek archaeological tours?! We haven’t even mentioned the Greek islands which also host many archaeological places, with the most famous being Delos, located opposite to Mykonos Island.

Exceptional new tours of South and Central America

Scenic Tours have just released their new 2012 South America brochure showcasing exceptional journeys which combine luxury land touring with unique cruising experiences.
As many places in South America are only accessible by ship, Scenic Tours have created a range of unique itineraries, taking guests to some of the most incredible places on earth. All ships are like luxury floating hotels featuring fine dining, elegant décor, impeccable hospitality and exclusive private balconies suites. Choose from a luxury wilderness expedition to the far reaches of the Amazon jungle, cruise to the Galapagos Islands - the greatest wildlife sanctuary on earth, explore the majestic beauty of dramatic Antarctica, discover the spectacular Chilean Fjords and Cape Horn, or journey through the famous Panama Canal.
By land, Scenic Tours itineraries offer a unique insight into South America first hand. Guests can choose from a fantastic range of activities, such as an inspiring Peruvian cooking class, a visit to a local Andean village school and exploring the Brazilian Tijuca Forest by jeep. An array of magnificent scenery will also delight the senses and the famous icons of Iguazu Falls, the lost Inca citadel of Machu Picchu and the vibrant cities of Rio and Buenos Aires won’t disappoint.
Each Scenic Tours hotel is selected to enhance the holiday experience, with properties chosen for their luxurious accommodation and amazing location. One such special stay is the Hotel das Cataras by Orient Express. This remarkable hotel is perfectly situated at Iguazu Falls and is the only hotel located within the National Park and offers spectacular views.
Scenic Tours portfolio of luxury journeys range from 20 to 35 days duration and deliver the ultimate touring experience of South America. To celebrate the release of their new 2012 South America brochure, Scenic Tours are offering Partner Fly Free Return including taxes deals to South America on selected tours, hurry offers ends 31 October 2011.

Machu Picchu tests the body and mind

We rode our horses up the adjacent cliffs along grassy hillsides and fields of maize until we arrived at Moray. Moray is a deep, amphitheaterlike structure carved out of the earth. Many researchers believe it to be some form of an Inca crop laboratory. Each leveled terrace is a microclimate all determined by the elevation and angle of the sun. Visitors are allowed to climb down each terrace at leisure and venture all the way to the bottom.

The end of our ride led us to the village of Maras and a personal walking tour by our guide. We were introduced to two researchers who were finding ways to improve irrigation techniques and help farmers in the area be self-sufficient and profitable. Throughout the village we were greeted by friendly Peruvians, including Albizu's father, who were very hospitable and honored we had spent time learning about their culture.

Machu Picchu

The excursion to Machu Picchu begins in the small village of Aguas Calientes. A three-hour train ride from the outskirts of Cuzco takes you to this tiny town nestled between the Andes along a winding river gorge. The only point of entry to Machu Picchu caters to tourists. Colorful restaurants and souvenir shops are stacked on top of each other to create a maze of entertainment along the banks of the river. Backpackers stroll leisurely through steep cobblestone walkways. Michael and I immediately bought two days' worth of tickets to Machu Picchu - one for the afternoon and another to watch the sunrise and see the fog lift the next day.

The bus trip up the mountain to get to the ruins is not for the faint of heart. The unpaved switchbacks are often muddy and have no guardrails to offer protection along steep cliffs. Once you "survive" the bus ride and wait in the entrance line, the ruins are all yours to explore.

Machu Picchu is surrounded by mountains of lush vegetation and is nestled at an elevation of 7,900 feet between steep peaks. The site was abandoned and forgotten, but never discovered by the Spanish. It was rediscovered by American archeologist Hiram Bingham, who was guided to it by local residents in 1911. Researchers believe the area must have been of high importance due to the intricate architecture and massive size of the city. The Temple of the Sun, the only round building in the ruins, was built for astrological purposes. The Intihuatana stone determined precise dates of the solstices and equinoxes. Structures such as the Temple of the Condor, House of the High Priest and Sacristy were used for ceremonial rituals. One must reserve an entire day to truly appreciate each section of the ruins.

Wayna Picchu

On day two of our Machu Picchu exploration, Michael was determined to get me to hike up Wayna Picchu, the famously steep mountain that serves as the beautiful backdrop to Machu Picchu. We heard the climb was difficult and only for the physically fit. After meandering through the ruins in the morning fog and drizzle, I did not want to chance the nearly 1,200-foot climb up to Wayna Picchu. The trail is slippery, muddy and on that morning, cloaked in fog. The trail isn't supported with rails; a few cables are attached to the side of the mountain and are used for support in the steepest areas of the climb.

To add to the scariness of the climb, only 400 visitors are allowed during the day - 200 in the morning and 200 in the afternoon.

No matter how frightened I was, something inside me told me I needed to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Michael was thrilled. He gave me a reassuring hug and we walked up to the entrance. The little confidence I had built up quickly vanished after I was required to sign my name in the thick roster at the gate.

I started to shake. It was our turn to hit the trail after numbers 90 and 91 took the first steps. The hike started out easy enough. A simple walk across connecting trails to Wayna Picchu gave a beautiful view of the path ahead. Then we approached steep, slippery steps, followed by shear drop-offs. I concentrated on each step, dodging hikers coming back down the mountain. I often used my hands and knees to climb, grabbing the cables during difficult turns. I stopped once to sob and once to breathe. After an hour, we were finally to the top. The fog hadn't yet lifted, so we waited for the clouds to move, and for a few short seconds had an amazing view of the ruins.

As I climbed down the mountain with my legs shaking, a feeling of serenity came over me. Perhaps I became one with the spiritual world on that mountain top. I pushed the strength of my mind and body to the limit. My thoughts turned to the amazing Peruvian adventure we had experienced thus far. The friendly and proud Peruvian people drew us into their culture and in turn, changed my life for the better.

Canatur announces the 28th edition of Peru Travel Mart

Peru´s Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) has just released the details of the 2011 Peru Travel Mart (PTM), to be held in Lima between 15-18 May. The event will highlight the relevance of the Centenary of Machu Picchu on July 7th, in terms of expected number of visitors, hotel openings, and general industry developments. According to Peru’s Hotel Society (SHP), hotel investments will reach a historic record in 2011 totalling $482.5 million, a 324.5% rise compared to 2010.

Peru’s Tourism Board coordinator for Asia Pacific, Rosana Guinea says that Peru is undertaking a process of change, and becoming South America´s leading destination in new markets within the Asia Pacific. The country has just released a new global branding image, which aims to establish a brand for Peru internationally, promoting not only tourism, but also commerce and foreign investment.

“The investments and consequent developments undertaken by Peru in the last three years have opened doors for new markets focused on luxury travel or upmarket adventure with a cultural touch. These are exciting times for Peru, and the 2011 Travel Mart will be a good opportunity to showcase what our country has to offer internationally”, said Rosana.

Peru Travel Mart is the country´s most important promotional event, and a key meeting point for the Peruvian tour operators and representatives from all over the world.

“Peru Travel Mart 2011 will showcase new tourism products, and we invite Australian tour operators to join us and learn about new destinations within Peru, which will provide exciting alternatives to their product range”, added Rosana.

Lima, Peru: The 'City of Kings' reigns again

Once a place to leave as quickly as possible, Lima, the capital of Peru, is now showing off its many colonial and pre-conquistador glories, says Hugh Thomson.

Lima must have one of the most fabulous sunsets in the world. It helps, of course, that the city faces due west across the Pacific, so the setting sun can flood into the beaches and pick out the last surfers elegantly essaying a few lines.
Up above on the cliffs, paragliders spiral past the smoked-black windows of the nearby hotels, many of which have infinity pools on their rooftops.
It all seems very Californian. The crowds promenading along the seafront eating ice cream and taking in the spectacle have a prosperous feel. And Lima has been booming in recent years. Even the taxi drivers no longer have anything to complain about.
Peru, like neighbouring Chile and Brazil, has largely missed out on the worldwide recession, helped by strong mineral exports and a surprisingly conservative banking system. The Shining Path years – when the country was terrorised by Maoist revolutionaries – seem a distant memory.

Package touts 100 years since Machu Picchu’s unveiling

This summer marks 100 years since U.S. academic Hiram Bingham brought international attention to the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru’s Andes mountains, and to celebrate the anniversary, Peru’s Libertador Hotels, Resorts & Spas chain is offering a special package.

Book one night at Libertador’s Palacio del Inka resort in the historic city of Cusco and two nights at Tambo del Inka, a new resort and spa in the Sacred Valley of Urubamba, and you get an extra night free at Palacio del Inka.

The “100 Days” package offer also includes a full day tour of Machu Picchu, departing from Tambo del Inka’s onsite train station, as well as a spa treatment at Tambo del Inka in the valley and dinner for two at Palacio del Inka’s restaurant in Cusco.

The offer is valid for travel from June 1 to Sept. 9, for bookings made by July 30.

Rates for the package – including four-nights stay, tour and other amenities — start at $1,034 per person.

Tambo del Inka opened April 2010 as part of Starwood resort chain’s luxury collection, offering 128 rooms and suites, a full-service spa, two heated pools, its own train station to facilitate trips to Machu Picchu and views of the Andes and the Vilcanota River. The designer was Miami-based Arquitectonica.

Palacio del Inka is located in the heart of Cusco in front of the Koricancha or Sun Temple. It offers 254 rooms and suites, the Inti Raymi restaurant, a business center, shops, cafe, gym and other amenities.

To book the anniversary package, use code 100DAYS.