Machu Fleece-you

We went to look around Machu Picchu today. Its probably the most famous tourist attraction in the Andes.

Machu Picchu is an Inca city that was abandoned after the Spanish conquest and lay hidden under the jungle until it was rediscovered by an American at the begining of the 20th Century. As the Spanish didn´t know about it they didn´t have the opportunity to deliberately knock it down, so it is in a lot better condition than most of the other Inca remains!

Incredibly Steve and I woke up at 5am this morning to try to see it at dawn before the tourist hordes. Only to discover about 200 people queuing at the bus stop already to go there. It was definately worth the early start though. The setting is really beautiful with cloud forest all around and you get a really good feeling for what the city would have been like.

However if anything could detract from Machu Picchu then the industry that has sprung up around it would. It seems calculated to get the most money out of you while annoying you as much as possible. Half way through the day we went to try to get a coffee at the cafe near the site only to discover that you had to buy a ticket for a minimum cost of $24 per person before being allowed through the door. Not great if trying to travel on a budget.

The town near the ruins Machu Picchu Peublo is also a pretty dispicable place. It is a kind of shanty town for tourists where you can be over charged for inedible pizza in many different locations and thats about it.

Next move is to Bolivia!