After entering Machu Picchu, you will walk about 100 m / 328 feet, and
most likely, although this depends on your guide, you will climb a series of
steep stairs that are separated to the left. This will finally take you to
Caretakers Hut, a restored thatched roof hut where you will see the classic
photographic view of the ruins with Mount Huayna Picchu in the background. The
earlier you arrive, the better, because the photos will get darker as the day
progresses and the ruins fill with tourists.
The Inca Trail ends on the road just below the cabin. If you
follow it, you will find Intipunku or Puerta del Sol. If you leave the cabin
and go down to the ruins, you will soon find the Temple of the Sun and the
Temple of the Condor, depending on the combination of paths you take. The Temple
of the Sun is the only round building in the complex and was probably the site
of astronomical functions. The stone work here is perhaps the best of the
entire complex.
The trapezoidal window, which faces the site, has been
nicknamed the Snake Window. Nearby, there is a series of connected channels and
aqueducts that still work after all these years. It is believed that the Temple
of the Condor is a giant carving of the Andean bird. You have to use your
imagination a bit, but the resemblance does not seem to be an accident. The
rocks at an angle at the top are the wings and the smaller, lighter, below, is
the head.
You can crawl through the narrow space behind it and emerge
from the other side. The Temple of the Three Windows is as follows. It limits
with one end of the Sacred Plaza. The trapezoidal windows, typical of Inca
architecture, face the Plaza below. The House of the High Priest is on the
other side of the Plaza. Connected to it is the most interesting sacristy. The
small room offers an intriguing look at the polygonal rocks used in the
creation of the temple.
Each of the two rocks at the entrance has 32 angles. The
hollow window features on a wall are usually full of tourists shouting at them
to hear an echo. There will be a staircase behind the Sacristy that goes up to
the Intihuatana, or the position of the sun's hook. This is a carved rock
similar to a sundial that served as an astronomical and agricultural calendar.
The shape of the rock, when viewed from an angle, almost
looks like a scale model of Huayna Picchu, which is exactly in the same
position beyond. Huayna Picchu, which means "Young Mountain" in
Quechua, is the peak that looms over the ruins. You can climb a steep, cobbled
path. The promotion gives boasting rights to those who complete it. Personally
I uploaded it on my first attempt in 23 minutes. The record is 17.
My second attempt was much slower and took about 45 minutes.
Average times range from about 45 minutes to an hour and a half. The view at
the top is amazing and you can see the whole site, as well as the excellent
views of the mountains and the valleys that surround it. There are several
buildings and terraces that are being restored.
The road to get there is steep and in some very narrow
places; Passing someone down can be complicated. If you are afraid of heights,
this may not be your cup of tea, since there are many points along the walk
that will probably make you whine. You must log in at the cabin at the
beginning of the tour and close session when you leave. The trail is open from
7am to 1pm. The last round is at 4 in the afternoon.
