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Our Journey to Machu Pichu: We woke at 7 am. After drinking some coca tea (which has a mild caffeine-like effect), eating some brekkie and cleaning our air filters, we met our tour-organizer-lady in the courtyard of the hotel. A quick taxi took us to the local bus stop where the lady put us into a collectivo (like a taxi) to Ollantaytambo. In order to get to M.P., you can hike the Incan Trail (but this is only allowed with a licensed guide and trips sell out about a year in advance) or take a train up to Aguas Calliente (not reachable by roads) which is the closest town to the ruins. The train tickets from Cusco sell out, but the second stop in the train, Ollantaytambo, generally has tickets available for next-day trips. We caught our train around 10:30am. The trip was pleasant and took about an hour. Out of the train's window, the scenery changed from low shrubsto jungle as we approached the area of the Andes where the Amazon begins. Once in Aguas Calliente, a clean tourist-packed town, our tour guide huddled us together, filed us into a bus, and sent us up the switchback dirt road up to the ruins.
Then: wow.
I'll try not to be too "tour guide-y", but here's the gist: Nobody knows what the deal is with these ruins. Though known by the local indigenous people, they were not "discovered" until 1911 by an American explorer. No bodies were found on the site. The architecture is clearly Incan, but the use and story of the city are all conjecture.
The architecture is beautiful. Beautifully cut, dry-stacked (without mortar) large stones trace presumed residences for nobles and complex terraces into the hillside. The "sundial" (actually thought to have a relationship with stars rather than the sun) marks the ceremonial center of the Andes. Legend says that all the energy of the mountains is concentrated at this spot (see Derek trying to absorb some energy). The Incan temples have three windows signifying the three basic principles of the Inca: do not lie, do not steal, and do not be lazy (cleverly simple, really). An aqueduct still functions, bringing a stream of fresh water into the city through a series of trenches.
But really, the beauty is in seeing. Quit reading. Look at the pictures!