peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

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Machu Picchu CAROLYN MCCARTHY CAROLYN MCCARTHY This great This great 15th century 15th century Inca citadel Inca citadel sits at sits at 2430m 2430m on a narrow on a narrow ridge ridge top above top above the the Río Urubamba. Río Urubamba. Traditionally considered considered a political, a political, religious religious and and administrative center, center, new theories new theories suggest suggest that it that was it was a royal a royal estate estate designed designed by Pachacutec, by Pachacutec, the Inca the ruler Inca ruler whose whose military military conquests conquests transformed transformed the empire. the empire. Trails Trails linked linked it to it to the Inca the capital Inca capital of Cuzco of Cuzco and important and important sites in sites the in jungle. the jungle. As invading As invading Spaniards Spaniards Intihuatana Intihuatana never never discovered discovered it, experts it, experts still dispute still dispute ‘Hitching ‘Hitching Post of Post the Sun’, of the this Sun’, exquisitely this exquisitely carved carved rock rock was likely was used likely by used Inca by astronomers Inca astronomers to predict to predict solstices. solstices. when when the site the was site abandoned was abandoned and why. and why. It’s a rare It’s survivor a rare survivor since invading since invading Spaniards Spaniards destroyed destroyed At its At peak, its peak, Machu Machu Picchu Picchu was thought was thought intihuatanas intihuatanas throughout throughout the kingdom the kingdom to eradicate to eradicate pagan pagan to have to have some some 500 inhabitants. 500 inhabitants. An An blasphemy. blasphemy. engineering engineering marvel, marvel, its famous its famous Inca walls Inca walls have have polished polished stone stone tted tted to stone, stone, with with no mortar no mortar in between. in between. The citadel The citadel took took thousands thousands of laborers of laborers 50 years 50 years to build to build – – today today its cost its of cost of construction would would exceed exceed Western Western Agricultural Agricultural a billion a billion US dollars. US dollars. Terraces Terraces Making Making it inhabitable it inhabitable required required leveling leveling the site, the channeling site, channeling water water from from high high Sacred Sacred Plaza Plaz mountain mountain streams streams through through stone stone canals canals and building and building vertical vertical contention contention walls walls that became that became agricultural agricultural terraces terraces for for corn, corn, potatoes potatoes and coca. and coca. The drainage The drainage system system also helped also helped combat combat heavy heavy rains rains (diverting (diverting them them for irrigation), for irrigation), while while eastfacinfacing rooftops rooftops and farming and farming terraces terraces took took east- advantage advantage of maximum of maximum sun exposure. sun exposure. The site The is site a magnet is a magnet to mystics, to mystics, To Hut To of Hut the of Caretaker the Caretaker of of adventurers adventurers and students and students of history of history alike. alike. the Funerary the Funerary Rock Rock While While its function its function remains remains hotly hotly debated, debated, the essential the essential grandeur grandeur of Machu of Machu Picchu Picchu is is indisputable. TOP TOP TIPS TIPS » Visit » Visit before before mid-morning mid-morning crowds crowds » Allow » Allow at least at least three three hours hours to visit to visit » Wear » Wear walking walking shoes shoes and a and hat a hat » Bring » Bring drinking drinking water water » Gain » Gain perspective perspective walking walking the lead-in the lead-in trails trails Temple Temple of the of Three the Three Windows Windows Enjoy the Enjoy commanding the commanding views of views the plaza of the below plaza through below through the huge the trapezoidal huge trapezoidal windows windows framed framed by three-ton by three-ton lintels. lintels. Rare in Rare Inca in architecture, Inca architecture, the presence the presence of three of windows three windows may indicate may indicate special special signicance. signicance. CAROLYN MCCARTHY CAROLYN MCCARTHY
Wayna Wayna Picchu Picchu This 2720m This 2720m peak peak with ladders, with ladders, caves caves and a small and a temple small temple can be can climbed climbed in in a 45- to a 90-minute 45- to 90-minute scramble. scramble. Take care, Take care, the steep the steps steep are steps are slippery slippery when wet. when wet. Purchase Purchase a coveted a coveted permit permit ahead with ahead with admission. admission. CAROLYN MCCARTHY CAROLYN MCCARTHY Central Central Plaza Plaza This sprawling This sprawling green area green with area grazing with grazing llamas llamas separates separates the ceremonial the ceremonial sector of sector Machu of Machu Picchu Picchu from the from more the mundane more mundane residential residential and and industrial industrial sectors. sectors. Entrance Entrance to Wayna to Wayna Picchu Picchu trail trail Principal Principal Temple Temple Residential Residential Sector Sector a Industrial Industrial Sector Sector House House of the of the High Priest High Priest Ceremonial Ceremonial Baths Baths Fountains Fountains ns ns To Main To Main Entrance Entrance To Agricultural To Agricultural Terracesraces Terracesraces Temple Temple of the of Sun the Sun Royal Royal Tomb Tomb This off-limits This off-limits rounded rounded tower is tower best is viewed best viewed Speculated Speculated to have to special have special ceremonial ceremonial from above. from above. Featuring Featuring the site’s the nest site’s stonework, an work, altar an and altar trapezoidal and trapezoidal windows, windows, it may it may Temple Temple of the Sun. of the Though Sun. Though off-limits, off-limits, visitors visitors nest stone- signicance, signicance, a natural a natural rock cave rock sits cave below sits the below the have been have used been for used astronomical for astronomical purposes. purposes. Temple Temple of the of the can view can its view steplike its steplike altar and altar <strong>sacred</strong> and <strong>sacred</strong> niches niches from the from entrance. the entrance. Condor Condor Check out Check the out condor the condor head carving head carving with with rock outcrops rock outcrops that that resemble resemble outstretched outstretched wings. Behind, wings. Behind, an offlimits cavity limits reaches cavity reaches an off- a tiny underground a tiny underground cell that cell may that only may be only be entered entered by bending by bending double. double. CAROLYN MCCARTHY CAROLYN MCCARTHY CAROLYN MCCARTHY CAROLYN MCCARTHY
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Peru Cuzco & the Sacred Valley (Cha
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193 Regional Cuisine Sunday lunch w
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premier South American destination,
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works from the escuela cuzqueña (C
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199 E F 6666 G 6 #e 0 0 0.1 miles 2
Page 11 and 12: dramatically curated pre-Columbian
Page 13 and 14: colonial paintings of the escuela c
Page 15 and 16: 66 Plazoleta Limacpampa Av Tullumay
Page 17 and 18: crowded, multilingual affairs. Due
Page 19 and 20: in the rainforest. Tapirs, capybara
Page 21 and 22: START PLAZA DE 211 ARMAS FINISH SAC
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Page 25 and 26: Breakfast is not included. The othe
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Page 35 and 36: 225 THE LUCKY TOAD Ever wondered wh
Page 37 and 38: Artesenal Cuzco (Map p204; cnr Avs
Page 39 and 40: Interbank (Map p198; Av El Sol 380;
Page 41 and 42: Transportes Gallito de las Rocas (%
Page 43 and 44: 233 MORE RUINS TO EXPLORE Take any
Page 45 and 46: served temples. A path leads up the
Page 47 and 48: 237 COMMUNITY TOURISM IN THE SACRED
Page 49 and 50: oLas Chullpas CABINS $$ (%20-1568;
Page 51 and 52: some wonderful mountain views and a
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Page 57 and 58: area uphill of the souvenir market;
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Page 71 and 72: 261 YELLOW RIVER LODGE A cozy, lazy
Page 73 and 74: 263 BE SAFE IN THE JUNGLE In recent
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peru-8-cuzco-sacred-valley

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