World Business Card Collection Project: Machu Picchu, Exploring the Lost City of the Inca Empire.
Machu Picchu was listed in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1983. It is located 75 kilometers northwest of Cusco, Peru, at an altitude of 2400 meters. Machu Picchu was established around 1440 and was once a holiday resort for Inca nobles. The ancient city was fortunately hidden in the mountains and forests, escaping the destruction of Spanish colonial rulers. More than 100 years ago, a university professor discovered this site covered by primitive forests during an investigation. We traveled all the way to Peru in South America just to see the "Lost City" of the Inca Empire. We chose to take a train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, where there are specialized buses to Machu Picchu.
Enter the green valley, and the standard image of Machu Picchu seen online appears before your eyes. The green ruins, the layered mountains, and the scattered house ruins among the mountains are like building blocks, like paintings. Touch the rounded boulder, a stunning stone city that is unbelievable and awe-inspiring. Clouds drift in from the mountainside, covering Machu Picchu in minutes, and then dissipating again. Sit on the mountain, the thick fog floating like white fluff, making your face and clothes damp. When the sun breaks through the thin fog, the blue sky appears, and everything becomes clear. The complete ruins of the ancient city are displayed, including roads, houses, water channels, terraces, temples, and altars, all arranged in an orderly manner. Visiting Machu Picchu requires walking a lot, including irregular stone steps that require holding onto the stones or supporting each other. Hours pass by unconsciously. Later, it rained, and we took shelter and rested in a thatched hut. The rain kept pouring down, and our clothes and shoes were all wet. We were fortunate to see Machu Picchu under the blue sky and white clouds and the swirling mist, and decided to say goodbye to Machu Picchu, change our train tickets, and return to Ouyantai ahead of schedule.
To visit Machu Picchu, train and bus tickets as well as entrance tickets are all required to be registered under real names, and passports will be checked. The Machu Picchu scenic area has a limit on the number of visitors, so tickets must be purchased in advance. There are no shops, toilets, or trash cans in the scenic area, so visitors should prepare in advance. The cost of train and bus tickets and entrance fees for each person is nearly $200. There are various tour packages for visiting Machu Picchu on Ctrip, which will provide a comfortable and easy experience for tourists.
Ouyantai is a must-see when visiting Peru. Whether it is the unique terrain, the ancient plants or the simplicity of the descendants of the Incas, you will be moved. Ouyantai is an ancient town, not big, but there are many tourists. Accommodation and tourism facilities are complete.
Ollantaytambo is a very important place in the ancient Inca Kingdom. It is a major point on the Inca Trail. It takes a lot of effort and time to climb here, but it is a very good experience to stand on a high place and appreciate the surrounding scenery and imagine the life scenes of the people in the ancient Inca Kingdom.
There are not many tourists in Ouyantai, but I like it very much. You can feel the vivid Inca civilization in the locals and their daily life, rather than just cultural relics and old buildings.
This is a large-scale Inca ruins on the Inca Trail, with tall Inca temples and small towns with small bridges and flowing water, which makes people feel the greatness and harmony of Inca civilization. You must visit the Temple of the Sun here, because it is the largest and most majestic Inca Temple of the Sun in the Sacred Valley.
There is the Temple of the Sun near Ouyantai. In the morning, the town is quiet and beautiful, with a small river quietly lying in front of every household. The market in the town opens early in the morning. Watching the busy figures of the locals, I feel particularly touched. I bought a lot of local tropical fruits at the market, which are delicious and affordable. In fact, almost every household in the town grows fruits. I picked some sweet and juicy fruits (unknown) in the farmyard next to an inn. The market is near the square. There are many inns, youth hostels and hotels in the town, which are varied in frugality and luxury. Many tourists choose to stay here. This is also a must-go place to Machu Picchu.
Ouyantai is a small town between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Trains to Machu Picchu basically depart from here. The town itself also has some relics of ancient Inca culture, but with the backdrop of Machu Picchu and Cusco, few people come here specifically, and they basically just transfer here.
Forget the village just below Matchu Picchu as the place is over crowded. Ollantaytambo is the number one place to stay. cute atmosphere, the ancient ruins make for a great day. worth the extra time if you have it.