The Incredible Machu Picchu - 26th April 2009

So after our third and final night of the trek, it was finally time to get to Machu Picchu. A 4 o'clock start meant we would be arriving at the sun gate nice and early, and see the sun rising along the way.

This part of the trek continued in the same lairy manor in which the previous day had finished: huge dropoff cliffs to one side meant that any dodgy step and you could be a gonna! We set off while it was still dark so so people were being pretty damn careful with those first few steps of the day.

But as the sun started to come up and light the way, you again realise the absolutely mesmerizing scenery that is all around. As we ascended that last short stretch before arriving at Machu Picchu the views are simply sensational.

We came through the sun gate, but alas, Machu Picchu could not be seen, as there was a low level of cloud right across the valley. The relief at reaching the end of the trek was huge, but with still no sighting of the so called lost Inca city, it was a little deflating compared to expectations.

We waited around half an hour for the clouds to life, but they didn't seem to be budging so we started to make our way down to the main part of the site. And as we descended into the city, the clouds ascended from it. And wow, that deflated feeling soon disappeared as the clouds did.

Although some of the spiritual appreciation of what Machu Picchu represents may be lost on me, the sheer scale and the view of one of the most photographed archaeological sites in the world was awesome. For us, 3 and bit days of tough walking was paying off.

Photos, postcards and videos will never do this justice and it does have to be seen to be believed. The surrounding terrain does make you think that the Incas were a mad bunch to be attempting to build any sort of structure up these mountains. But believing that the higher they were, the closer to the gods they were this is what they set out to do, and then build an entire city in some of the most challenging terrain.

For me, one of the most amazing aspects of the whole thing was considering the fact that this city lay lost in the overgrowth of these mountains for 500 years, until Hiram Bingham re-discovered it by accident in 1911. When Hiram metaphorically stumbled upon Machu Picchu, he took the mummys, gold and other treasures back to America, which are now on display in Yale. I've got a sneaky feeling he may have pocketed a couple of things for himself too, which would be worth a fair bit I expect.

Apparently this is not the most famous lost city of the incas, and that still remains lost. In a bid to launch a new career I've been considering an Indiana Jones route to discover this lost city. I couldn't find it on Google earth though so swiftly moved on.

As you approach Machu Picchu from the Inca trail route, you come down to the site via the guard house, from which you see the view of the ruins that makes a million postcards. The city lies there in between the mountains of Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu. After the obligatory photo stops, we descended into the city to start to explore.

Our guide was fantastic. Apart from the spectacle of the city, it was critical that we had someone there who could explain in detail exactly what was going on in the design and construction of the city, and our guide did exactly that. He gave us a bit of a walking tour around some of the key points within the city, explaining their relevance to Inca history, before we had the rest of the day to wonder around the site.

It was a tough few days getting here, but I wouldn't change that for anything. Tourism may one day get the better of Machu Picchu, unless the Peruvian authorities begin to take a tougher stance on the growing numbers. Maybe I will come back here, possibly as soon as later in the year, but who knows – it may be a once in a lifetime experience? So to see the site now, and learn a little about the history of these indigenous South American is quite special, and something that will stay with me forever.