TRIPS TO MACHU PICCHU

MACHU PICCHU

THE DISCOVERY

Hiram Bingham, a historian professor at Yale University, was told about the existence of some Inca buildings that awakened his interest. When he came back to Peru, in 1911, in search of Vilcabamba, known as the last stronghold of the last Inca, he was led by a local peasant to the zone and in July of that year they reached Machu Picchu. Although covered by thick vegetation, the stone-built walls showed their splendor and the expeditionary knew , from the beginning, of the importance of the finding which today is a true global wonder. Today, it has become a true SEVEN WONDER OF THE WORLD and likewise designated a WORLD HERITAGE SITE by the UNESCO in 1983.

Machu Picchu (Old Mountain in Quechua), is an impressive sight as it rises out of the midst of a group of green covered mountains in southern Peru, 7,874 fasl in a steamy, semitropical region. The beauty touches the visitors senses and the mysteries surrounding it keep people asking yet unsolved questions.

Why was built in a hidden spot of the South American jungle? What did Machu Picchu really mean to the Incas? How was it possible for them to move gargantuan stones that fit perfectly one to another to construct such immense walls? These are just some of the questions that tantalize the imagination of scientists and tourists as they seek to unravel its mysteries, so much so that there are even those who believe supernatural intervention was needed to explain the perfection of architecture.

Nevertheless, what really matters of Machu Picchu is that it holds a different meaning for every person. This is, perhaps, the reason why so many people are convinced that mystical energies flows from its stones, like a huge fountain capable of reviving the most exhausted of travelers.

Trips to Machu Picchu, and then a tour of this wonderful citadel