TRAVEL AND TOURS

"In the variety of its charms and the power of its spell, I know of no place in the world which can compare with it. Not only has it great snow peaks looming above the clouds more than two miles overhead, gigantic precipices of many-colored granite rising sheer for thousands of feet above the foaming, glistening, roaring rapids; it has also, in striking contrast, orchids and tree ferns, the delectable beauty of luxurious vegetation, and the mysterious witchery of the jungle."



Since MACHU PICCHU discovery on July 24, 1911, by north american Hiram Bingham, it has been considered one of the world's supreme architectural and archaeological monuments, due to its extraordinary splendour and harmonious structure.

MACHU PICCHU is at 2,400 (m.a.s.l), in the province of Urubamba, department of Cusco, It amazes us because of the way its stone building and terraces are spread over a narrow and uneven mountain top, bordering a 400 meter cliff side of the Urubamba River canyon.

MACHU PICCHU is a citadel veiled in mystery, and to this day archaeologists have not uncovered the history and function of this city of stone. The site has an area of about one square kilometer, and stands in a region that the Incas considered to be magical, due to the meeting of the Andes mountains with the Amazon basin.

Perhaps, MACHU PICCHU mysteries will never be fully explained as, so far, we only have hypothesis and conjectures. For some, it may have been an advance settlement for planned further expansions into the forest. Others believe MACHU PICCHU has been a nunnery where young girls (acllas) were trained to serve the Inca and the Willac Uno (HIgh Priest). This theory derives from the fact that of the 135 bodies discovered while exploring the site, 109 were female.

The surprising perfection and beauty of MACHU PICCHU's walls, built by joining stone to stone without using any cement or adhesive whatsoever, has inspired many myths that try to explain how the city was constructed.

One legend says that a bird by the name of Kak'aqllu knew the formula for softening rock but by command of the ancient Inca gods had its tongue torn out. It is also said that there was a magic plant which could easily dissolve stone.

Nonetheless, mysteries and myths aside, the real magnetism of MACHU PICCHU, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, lies in its squares, aqueducts and watchtowers, its observatories and in its sun clock, evidence of the knowledge and skill of the city's Andean builders.