Machu Picchu

Wall Niches


SE agricultural zone



Where the population of Inkas lived



Niches in the walls





Steep climb up the southern side of the sacred city

Machu Picchu

Guardhouse



First overall view of area


Rock Orchards

Llamas at Machu Picchu

High view near guardhouse

Ollantaytambo markets

This young boy was polishing stone sculptures and I bought a ceramic roof ornament from him.

These photos are of the markets and the hotel at Ollantaytambo. There is a mother holding her baby in one picture and a market stall with one of the unusual hats she is wearing hanging up as the stall. I don't know the significance of this style of headdress but we also saw a group of young schoolgirls sitting in the back of an open truck wearing these sort of hats. They were very distinctive.

This was the hotel we crashed at after the day tour, which was a pitty as it had nice grounds and I quickly explored them the next morning before we walked a block to the railway station to go to Machu Picchu.

Overnight at Pakaritampu Hotel, Ollantaytambo,Peru

This ancient viaduct ran through the back of the hotel we spent the night at. We were so tired, we had travelled from Australia for 19 hours, then caught a 5 hour flight from Buenes Aires to Lima, Peru and fell into bed by 11pm then had to be up by 3am to have a quick breakfast before getting to the airport the customary 2 hours before the next flight to Cusco. We were met by our guide at Cusco for a full day tour to the Sacred Valley, without the normal 24 hour acclimisation, all because of a train strike on the Monday, which would have left us stranded at Machu Picchu and we would miss our flight back to Argentina. Our changed plans were faxed to us 10 minutes before we left home for the airport. All thanks to our travel agent, Thor Travel Adelaide, and their South American Agents, Vircocha Turismo, who made our journey run smoothly in South America.

Mothers and babies ready for the tourists travelling to Machu Picchu at the station.

Ollantaytampu Inca ruins

These are the extensive ruins above the town of Ollantaytampu. The stone for the temple came from across the valley on the mountain opposite this site and was dragged up three ramps which was amazing because the temple needed to be in a certain place, to face the rising sun and have the light directed to sacred spots, on the dawn of the summer and winter solstice. This is all above 3000 m and at this height above sea level one certainly can feel the exertion of climbing up the steps to these terraces. Way below, outside the precints of the ruins is a busy craft and souvineer market.