Welcome to another @lordnigel's travels.
In recent times many people have put Machu Picchu on the MUST SEE travel list when visiting South America.
In this post I will share some photos of this great and magical place before the tourists hit it in record proportions! - it was still full of tourists but some patience and sitting in key spots/angles let me get some pretty cool shots - well I reckon :)
I'm going to share many of my favorite photos plus step you through getting there, should you be considering it a place to visit on your bucket list.
The quality of the photos may be a bit on the lower grade side; the photos were taken on the most expensive camera I could afford at the time - the Nikon D3100 14.2-megapixel DX format DSLR - it had just come out on the market and I spent everything I had to spare.
From a guide and tips point of view, this post assumes you have already arrived In South America and your ready to head straight to Machu Picchu.
There is plenty of info out there about Machu Picchu how it was built in the classical Inca style, and restored starting mainly in the late 70's, so I won't repeat this in this post. Instead I will focus on giving some hidden tips and unique insight - I will try to the best of my ability anyways :) - only the best for Steem.
First thing you do is buy some these... you basically munch these to help with the altitude sickness. They are just lollies and you munch them.
Second thing is grab your bottle of ....this stuff is more popular than Coco Cola in South America.
Third thing grab yourself a local Voodoo doll thingy for protection..lol! just joking, but they sure have some interesting art in South America.
Next you decide will you walk the Inca trail (several days hike). Below is a quick snap shot of part of the trail - you can see the hikers hard at it.
OR will you take the train? It follows the Urubamba River and ends at a small tourist town just below the Citadel of Machu Picchu. In this case (against my Doctor's wishes - I just started some fresh Chemotherapy treatment) I decided to go, but play it safe...I decided to take the train. In hindsight I wish I had done the full Inca trail, but that was then and this is now..anyways. Below is a photo of me on the train, feeling a bit rough :(
The town at the end of the track is partially made up of bars and eateries. It sits on the rivers edge - it is a very beautiful part of the world and the photos just don't give it credit.
After arriving head to the largest local pub for a local brew and catch the entertainment.
If the above place is full, there are many smaller places to visit and a variety of things to eat - checkout this UFO pizza bar place below. When I asked them where they got inspiration for the UFO, they just said it's a representation of one of the ancient gods they worshiped -- not sure if they were having me on? haha.
Once your feed get yourself on one of the many buses heading up to the Citadel. They have to make their way up this windy track to get to the Citadel, this is the track you'll be driving up when you grab the bus. I recall I hiked a bit after we arrived to get this picture, but not far.
Once there there is allot to see and allot of people trying to see it. I recommend making your way up high quickly, either pickup the Inca trail for a view down or at least just head to the highest point/temples so you can get the best photos before the hoards make their way up and block the great views.
There are many great photo vantage points. I tried my best to get lots of angles and I recall trying to get just a few tourists in the shots. this is a shot from the Inca trail (from memory) you can see the majority of the Citadel.
Here are some of my favorites below
I always love taking photos through door ways in these ancient temples.
Of course no @lordnigel's travels is complete without a strong focus on the animals in the area
And just to finish up any guesses as to what this animal was below?
Some of the standouts about Machu Picchu is the way the ancient Inca's designed their temples. I won't give too much away as the tour guides will share the local lore, but I will say you will see some impressive stone water moving systems and crazy sacrificial rocks that line up with star, moon and sun locations
I'm affraid that's it for my latest @lordnigel's travels. I hope people enjoyed and see you for the next post.
Take care.
