Machu Picchu The Incas, despite all of their glory, have remained somewhat of a mysterious civilization. As the Incas left behind no form of official writing, there is still much to be learned about their culture and lifestyle. The Incas used a type of writing called Hopi, which was made of rope. In since these have long decayed, what we know of the Incas has largely come from archeological evidence and even more importantly, the chronicles of the Spanish Conquistadors. Most notable of these is The Royal Commentaries of the Incas - written almost 500 years ago by Garcilaso de la Vega, the son of a Spanish conquistador and Incan princess. Incredibly, one notable item missing from any of these chronicles is any mention whatsoever of Machu Picchu - the extraordinary ancient city ruins located in the northwestern part of the Sacred Valley that draws so many tourists to the region each year like a magnet. For this matter, exactly who built Machu Picchu and what they used it for is still being debated. The popular belief is that Machu Picchu had long since been abandoned by the Incas by the time of the conquest - probably a good thing as the Spanish tour down and built over virtually everything they discovered (I couldn't quite imagine going to so much trouble to see a cathedral located on a ridge). It is also widely presumed that Machu Picchu was used by the Incas as a place of sacrifice due to the numerous findings of bones and burial sites. There are some who postulate that the Incas themselves did not even know about the site. As everything we know is widely about the site is based on speculation, Machu Picchu is considered the most best and also least known of the Incan ruins. Above: the ruins at Ollantaytambo Whatever its origin, Machu Picchu certainly is one of the most stunning sites on earth and should not be missed by anyone traveling within its vicinity. Hiram Bingham was actually searching for the lost city of Vilcabamba - where the last Incan ruler Manco took refuge for almost ten years before finally being killed by the Spanish in 1544 - when he "stumbled" on Machu Picchu. Bingham, refusing to believe that there could possibly be two lost cities of the Incas, understandably thought he had found Vilcabamba until overwhelming archeological evidence proved otherwise. What he did find however has now become one of the most popular tourist destinations on the continent. He also found an ancient transport highway, the Inca trail - which is now one of the most popular multiple-day backpacking adventures in the world. Left: This photo of Hiram Bingham (far bottom right corner) and his expedition crew can be found in the Lima museum . As there are no paved roads leading to Machu Picchu, tourists have two options to get to the sight. The first is to hike the illustrious Inca trail. This would have been ideal but as time was such a constraint, I wound up having to give this a miss. The second option is to take the dreaded "tourist" train. I say this as if you're not careful, this may be the most expensive thing you'll ever buy on your entire stay in the ultra-cheap state of Peru. Taking the train to and from Cuzco can cost about $50 each way. It is also completely unnecessary as one can easily take a bus to the nearby village of Urubamba and transfer to Ollantaytambo and from there take the train to Aguas Calientes (where a fifteen minute bus can be caught to MP) for only $11. This latter option proved ideal. Not only was it the cheapest route but the ruins at Ollantaytambo are quite impressive and well worth the effort. The fortress was one of the Incas last strongholds and a place where Manco Inca initially defeated the Spanish. They were however eventually driven out as Manco fled to Vilcabamba. As I had several hours to kill in Ollantaytambo, I wound up hiking all the way up the mountain that the ruins sit on from where I got stunning views of the city, its ruins and the surrounding valley. Legend has it that Ollanta was an accomplished military general who dared to fall in love with one of Incan ruler Pachacutec's daughters, Cusi Coyllur. As it was unheard of for a royal to marry outside of their class, Pachacutec refused to allow the two to marry; sparking a rebellion in which Ollanta defeated killed the Incan ruler, who died in the fighting. Ollanta however was eventually betrayed by one of his comrades, Rumiñahui - and imprisoned for life. Pachacutec's son and successor however ironically set Ollanta free and even allowed him to marry Cusi Coyllur. They resided in what is now known as Ollantaytambo and there is now a statue of the legendary general sitting in the center of the cities plaza. Above: Climbing Huayna Picchu Bottom left: Lamas at Machu Picchu. After overnighting in the rather unspectacular Aguas Calientes, we woke up as early as 5 am the next day to see the ruins. I had met up with the lads from Santa Cruz (see Cuzco) on the train and we celebrated my 25th birthday with the Lamas (who are actually not supposed to be living at this low of an altitude) and hundreds of other tourists. Twenty five is certainly a landmark year and I must admit that I was beginning to feel as ancient as the ruins themselves. Nevertheless, it was certainly a memorable way to celebrate a birthday of any sort. Your trip to Machu Picchu is not complete without climbing the Huayna Picchu (young peak) that lies behind Mach Picchu. This looks daunting, if not impossible, when looking at it from the opposite end of the ruins. The truth is that there is an expertly constructed path that makes this a safe and easy climb. The views from the top may make your nose bleed if you're scared of heights but they certainly are a spectacular. After returning to Aguas Calientes, I said goodbye to my friends from Santa Cruz before making my way back to Cuzco. LINKS: Cuzco Lake Titicacca Peru Main Bolivia Travel glennstevens.biz