Discover 5 fun facts before visiting Machu Picchu
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to consider the following before you decide to pay this castle in the sky Machu Picchu a visit.
- Don’t go if you are NOT a fan of Mysteries
- Don’t go if you are NOT a fan of Mother Nature
- Don’t go if you are NOT a fan of Ancient Civilizations
Made up your mind? OK, now, buckle up, these 5 facts will definitely add some spice to your Machu Picchu trip.
Fact #1
Against common belief amongst movie fans, Indiana Jones never set foot in Machu Picchu; then, do you know there’s a real Indy?
Many movie fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark may remember the famous opening scene where Indiana Jones began his adventure in Peru jungles, but the real shooting location of that scene was actually in Hawaii.
Don’t be disappointed, you will be more interested in the real professor Indy. His name is Hiram Bingham, and he was a Hawaiian professor/ explorer/ politician, fascinating triple identities don’t you think? How Hiram rediscovered Machu Picchu was purely by accident though. In 1911 when a local farm boy took him to the 2,000 meters high Machu Picchu, he was actually trying to locate Vilcabamba, the last refuge of Incas before they surrendered to the Spanish flag.
It’s been over 100 years since Machu Picchu was first unveiled to the world. Despite archaeologists’ diligent works, there are still so many unsolved mysteries about this ancient site. For example, why did the Incas abandon this brilliantly designed palace in the first place, why did the Spanish troop never find it, or how could the Incas transport so many heavy stones to the mountaintops and cut them so precisely that not a single paper can be fit between two stones… Anyone has an Indy soul to solve them all?
My Take: when paying the lost city Machu Picchu a visit, do spend some time walking around its neighborhood. You never know, who says you can’t be the finder of the long-lost Inca treasure? Or you may accidentally hit a button when wandering around the sacred site and find yourself fallen into a hidden temple with a mysterious ark.
Fact #2
While many know about the famous Machu Picchu face, little do they know there’s a gigantic hidden condor to be discovered!
Many travel lovers must fall for this famous Machu Picchu portrait once, as the ancient shrine seems to be surrounded and protected by a divine Inca spirit. Be that as it may, don’t miss another tour highlight nearby. Even though it may take a bit more time and sweat.
That is, the famous nose tip, Huayna Picchu (or Wayna Picchu).
What’s so special about Huayna Picchu, you may ask. Well, for one, you’ve come so far to this river deep mountain-high Inca trail, why not walk a bit further and treat yourself to a different view of the famous castle? After all, the hike takes less than 3 hours while the experience is certainly a lifetime.
For another, the hiking route is totally doable for hiking newbies. Trust me, mountains and I don’t usually cross paths. But with the help of some simple gear like hiking shoes or trekking poles, I completed the trek all by myself!
Lastly, Huayna Picchu peak is the one and the only high point where you can have a bird’s-eye-view of the whole Machu Picchu citadel! When you make it to the top, I bet you will be just like me, all you can think of is WOW. You forget all the steep paths and narrow stairs, simply hold the Incas in high esteem, as they could construct the whole castle in the shape of their sacred animal, Andean Condor, so as to worship this messenger of heaven.
My Take: remember to pace yourself when climbing Huayna Picchu as there is a 6-hour time constraint for your stay in both Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. Speaking from personal experience, with the breathtaking view and ancient ruins on top, you will need all the time you can spare.
Fact #3
Best season to visit this UNESCO attraction? The rainy season may not always be so bad!
People often ask, what’s the best season to visit a certain country, in Peru’s case, the answer is usually the dry season from April to September. Despite being so close to the equator with only two seasons, Peru is not as hot as you may think. The average temperature in Machu Picchu is around 11°C~25°C (52°F~77°F), making it suitable for trekking in the either wet or dry season. What really matters is the rainfall. For me, I had my worry as my visit was in Jan; yet, it turned out to be quite a wise decision.
Firstly, even in the wet season, it doesn’t rain all day every day in Machu Picchu. More often is that it rains in the afternoon. Given you and the majority of the visitors will arrive in the morning, your seven wonder expedition is still safe.
Secondly, as tourists won’t usually come in the low season, the travel quality will no doubt be greatly improved. You can even take some solo shots in the ruins with no crowd in the background, yeah! Plus, everything will be so much cheaper at that time.
Thirdly, you’ll have a chance to catch some rare rainbows in the sacred land. I was thrilled to grab a glimpse of the foggy Inca citadel accompanied by my very first double rainbow. There it was, stretching Andes mountains ridge and beautiful Urubamba River Valley in the background. At that very moment, it was divine and enlightening, as if I were touched by a distant Inca spirit.
My Take: the only major downfall of visiting Peru in the wet season (October to March) is that the rain may impact your flight to Cusco. I would suggest buying travel insurance upfront, having flexible pre-booked tours, and reserving at least 2 days for Machu Picchu in case 1 day is of heavy rain.
Fact #4
While there’s no Inca left on the sacred site, today Machu Picchu is inhabited by some cute residents, whose name is Llama!
Just like you can not see a kangaroo when visiting Australia, or can’t go to Africa without saying hi to a giraffe. In Peru, what you must meet, is the lovely Llama (or their relatives from the same camelid tree Alpaca or Vicuñas). When you arrive at Machu Picchu, you are in for a treat. Cuz you get to observe these cute residents real close as they wander freely on the terrace.
You can find a lot of websites telling you how to distinguish Llama, Alpaca, and Vicuñas in Peru. My view is that you just need a little imagination. The chubby faces go to Alpaca with a bit goofy look, long-pointed elf-like ears belong to Llama, and the last slender Bambi-shape cousin is Vicuñas.
My Take: save some fruits from breakfast before your expedition. Apples would be nice, that way you can feed these cute llamas or Alpaca while taking some close shots. Oh, remember to slice your fruits. Otherwise, they can have the whole apple in just one bite and quickly move away to the next target!
Fact #5
The Inca people had their own constellations system and it showed everything is connected!
Take a guess of what the two round-shape thingies below are for? Machu Picchu’s rediscover Bingham thought it’s a kitchen tool for grinding crops like corn. I thought it was some remaining foundation of ritual purpose.
Did you get it right? It’s actually a set of “water mirrors” for observing the stars. So the above room is serving as an astronomical observatory, how cool is that! Many ancient civilizations have their own constellation system and the Incas were no exception. What makes Inca constellation unique is that it was the only culture that divided the stars into two groups.
The first group of constellations comprised of inanimate gods or animals, using the connect-the-dots fashion that we are familiar with. And the second group gets more interesting, they are the “dark constellation”. It means they are formed by the dark spots in the Milky Way. Inca people depicted these interstellar gas and dust as the earthly animals Incas knew about; such as the Serpent, the Llama, the Fox, and the Partridge.
By monitoring the movement of these sacred spirits in the sky, as well as sun and moon, the Incas were able to draft a calendar system that was crucial in their day-to-day agriculture and herding activities. Machu Picchu is the very illustration of the Incas’ everything-is-connected beliefs, as it’s a site for not only performing religious ceremonies but also for doing agricultural experiments and observing the stars that outline Inca astronomy.
My Take: Incas were truly full of imagination. My guide showed me photos of those sacred animals in the Milky Way background. I get to say, it’s way harder to picture them compared to the Greek constellation! I just secretly wish that maybe someday I could camp in the ruins of Machu Picchu and observe the amazing Southern sky with my naked eyes.
This is my first post, I visited Machu Picchu on the first day of 2020. It got pretty tense as the COVID-19 outbreak started when I had just begun my trip. Even so, I felt super lucky to still be able to go abroad this year. Who knows when can we travel without fear again or what will be the new normal for us travelholic in the many years to come.
One thing I did know for sure. As a South America first-timer, I felt totally awed by its amazing landscape, exotic cuisine, and mysterious ancient civilizations. Visiting Machu Picchu was a bucket-list checked. It opened the door to a world that I knew so little in the past. I am staying put for now, but my restless soul is so ready to explore all the unknowns in the world!
I came, I saw, I shared!
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