Machu Picchu

The last three days found our adventurers subverting the rising tide of tourism, sticking to their mantra(there must be a cheaper way), and taking a lesser trodden route to the most popular destination in South America. After spending a few hours on the internet, the dashing hero and his beautiful wife set out for that alternative way to those fabled ruins. Unfortunately, even the most famous "lost city of the Incas" has become a tourist trap that even the most dashing and the most beautiful adventurers must work to fight off the aggressive tactics of the commercial industries. There was a cheaper way, and surprisingly it wasn't all that difficult. All it took was a day's worth of bus rides with awful music and a few mini-van rides that had vertigo inducing cliffs(100 plus meter drops) without any guard rails. Yes, the adventurers are quite something.

To put it simply, the tourist industry of Machu Picchu is there for a reason. It is amazing. The aspect that I found most interesting about the ruins was the fine craftsmanship of the stonework. The walls of the temples and the royal enclosures were so finely constructed that even after a half a millenium they are still standing and still beautiful. The lost city was one of the last Incan strongholds as the Spanish conquest moved through South America. There are a few of these cities scattered throughout the mountains hidden from their invaders, Machu Picchu being the most famous.

Machu Picchu had a few temples, a royal enclosure, an astronomical observatory, agricultural areas, a guard house, 2 separate urban areas, and a central plaza. At one time, it was a fully self-sustaining community. All of this remains virtually hidden until the very moment you come upon the city on the mountaintop. We highly recommend a visit to this area of the world. Between the the beautiful city of Cusco and the endless Incan ruins, you can have yourself a nice little vacation.