Style: March 06, 2020

80 STYLE | travel
View of the summit of Wayna Picchu (also known as Huayna Picchu) from Machu Picchu.
A llama at Machu Picchu’s Main Plaza.
into the mountainside to allow the planting and cultivation of
crops such as quinoa, maize and potatoes. These broad terraces
(andenerias) supported by sturdy stone walls also stabilised the
steep hillsides and facilitated drainage. They are now home to
llamas that roam freely around the ruins, much to the delight of
visitors.
The city itself is divided into zones, with around 140 buildings
and more than 100 flights of stone steps – the Sacred District,
where many important temples are located; the District of
Priests and Nobility, where dwellings of superior architecture,
stonework and size are found; and the Popular District, where
those who served the nobles and priests lived in more modest
homes.
The various levels are connected by flights of stone stairs still
in excellent condition after centuries.
For the next few hours we explored the temples, plazas,
dwellings and terraces of the citadel, walking the ancient
pathways and steps the Incas once trod.
A keen reader of information boards, at first I found it odd
there was little signage apart from arrows pointing us in the right
direction. It certainly made for a less cluttered site, but unless
you have a guide and have done some research, Machu Picchu
can be quite bewildering. I had the benefit of both, but the
experience still stretched my imagination to its limits.
The houses are set apart by the style of architecture. The
Casa Del Inka, the Inca king’s dwelling, is a masterpiece of
stonemasonry. The rocks are meticulously carved, polished
smooth and fitted so tightly together you can’t slide a sheet of
paper between them. The walls, like most Inca structures, tilt