Machu Picchu
Mar 25th 2011, 8:13 pm
#1
Dorset to Dunedin
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Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Dunedin SI
Posts: 457
Machu Picchu
Any one been to Peru and in particular Machu Picchu ?
Mar 25th 2011, 8:40 pm
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: Machu Picchu
No, but if you're going I shall be dreadfully envious, I would love to go!!
Mar 25th 2011, 9:01 pm
#4
Dorset to Dunedin
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Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Dunedin SI
Posts: 457
Re: Machu Picchu
Yes i did and watched a Docco on it, how they built the place was amazing , its on my bucket list, just have to find a few more people to bring the cost down , i work for Correction so will ask them all first and see if we can get over 10 , looking at doing the Amazon trip first then onto a 4 day trek on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu .
Mar 25th 2011, 10:34 pm
#5
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Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Whitby Wellington
Posts: 2,440
Re: Machu Picchu
Yes i did and watched a Docco on it, how they built the place was amazing , its on my bucket list, just have to find a few more people to bring the cost down , i work for Correction so will ask them all first and see if we can get over 10 , looking at doing the Amazon trip first then onto a 4 day trek on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu .
Mar 25th 2011, 10:51 pm
#6
Democracy advocate
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 12,460
Re: Machu Picchu
Yes i did and watched a Docco on it, how they built the place was amazing , its on my bucket list, just have to find a few more people to bring the cost down , i work for Correction so will ask them all first and see if we can get over 10 , looking at doing the Amazon trip first then onto a 4 day trek on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu .
Mar 26th 2011, 1:12 am
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Australia-Ireland and now New Zealand(Hamilton)
Posts: 35
Re: Machu Picchu
Yes,have been to Peru and Machu Pichu.What would you like to know?
Mar 26th 2011, 1:23 am
#8
Queen of the Underworld
Joined: Dec 2007
Location: In NZ!
Posts: 4,785
Re: Machu Picchu
I have and it is an amazing place to visit. I did the 4 day Inca Trail to get to Machu Picchu but also travelled through the southern part of the country down to Lake Titicaca. The Inca Trail was hard work in places but fun, I made an effort to get fit before I went so that coping with the altitude was not as arduous as it would have been. All that hard work gone to waste now...
I would suggest seeing more of Peru whilst you are there eg Nazca lines, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, Arequipa. I personally found being in the Amazon the least captivating, too hot and humid and well just river and jungle. All depends on what you want to see and do of course but I found the places I mentioned above more interesting than the Amazon.
I did a three week tour which was organised through an adventure tour company. I had limited time and even more limited Spanish so was not going to go it alone! A lot of the taxi drivers, shop owners and sellers on the street do not speak English so a little bit of Spanish is handy. I picked up quite a bit whilst there.
Feel free to PM me for more info
I would suggest seeing more of Peru whilst you are there eg Nazca lines, Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, Arequipa. I personally found being in the Amazon the least captivating, too hot and humid and well just river and jungle. All depends on what you want to see and do of course but I found the places I mentioned above more interesting than the Amazon.
I did a three week tour which was organised through an adventure tour company. I had limited time and even more limited Spanish so was not going to go it alone! A lot of the taxi drivers, shop owners and sellers on the street do not speak English so a little bit of Spanish is handy. I picked up quite a bit whilst there.
Feel free to PM me for more info
Last edited by Persephone; Mar 26th 2011 at 1:28 am.
Mar 26th 2011, 7:13 am
#9
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 231
Re: Machu Picchu
Its a great place and definately worth the 4 day walk- although from what I gather lately, there is alot of talk about limiting the number of tourists entering due to the damage to the environment.
Peru is awsome and even with little/no Spanish, its not so hard to move around on your own.
United Mice is a good company to help organise the trek up the mountian, and as has been said above, give yourself plenty of time to acclimbatize to the altitude. I struggled the first day of the walk, but after that was fine. As was also suggested- you really ought to see more of the country as there are plenty of places of interest. There are many ruins and with some research you could find other multiday treks that would take you to equally intersting places without adding to the environmental impact caused by the likes of me!
Enjoy!
Peru is awsome and even with little/no Spanish, its not so hard to move around on your own.
United Mice is a good company to help organise the trek up the mountian, and as has been said above, give yourself plenty of time to acclimbatize to the altitude. I struggled the first day of the walk, but after that was fine. As was also suggested- you really ought to see more of the country as there are plenty of places of interest. There are many ruins and with some research you could find other multiday treks that would take you to equally intersting places without adding to the environmental impact caused by the likes of me!
Enjoy!
Mar 26th 2011, 9:31 am
#10
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Joined: Jun 2010
Location: Porirua, Wellington
Posts: 207
Re: Machu Picchu
We did a week-long charity trek in Peru which culminated at Machu Picchu - although we didn't do the Inca trail (we got the train the last bit).
Some iconic settings are a disappointment when you see them, but Machu Picchu is everything you think it will be and more.
We climbed the mountain facing it and it was simply amazing. It's a beautiful country with many differnt microclimates - the hour spent watching humming birds among a field of orange flowers will stay with me forever.
We even had a munch on some guinea pig = tastes like chicken!
Some iconic settings are a disappointment when you see them, but Machu Picchu is everything you think it will be and more.
We climbed the mountain facing it and it was simply amazing. It's a beautiful country with many differnt microclimates - the hour spent watching humming birds among a field of orange flowers will stay with me forever.
We even had a munch on some guinea pig = tastes like chicken!
Mar 26th 2011, 9:58 am
#11
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Location: Frenchs Forest, Sydney
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Re: Machu Picchu
Mar 26th 2011, 10:45 am
#12
Joined: May 2005
Location: Abu Dhabi
Posts: 962
Re: Machu Picchu
machu picchu...
is that a children's animated character - like a hard-knock "macho pingo"?
is that a children's animated character - like a hard-knock "macho pingo"?
Mar 26th 2011, 11:40 pm
#13
Queen of the Underworld
Joined: Dec 2007
Location: In NZ!
Posts: 4,785
Re: Machu Picchu
Some iconic settings are a disappointment when you see them, but Machu Picchu is everything you think it will be and more.
We climbed the mountain facing it and it was simply amazing. It's a beautiful country with many differnt microclimates - the hour spent watching humming birds among a field of orange flowers will stay with me forever.
We even had a munch on some guinea pig = tastes like chicken!
We climbed the mountain facing it and it was simply amazing. It's a beautiful country with many differnt microclimates - the hour spent watching humming birds among a field of orange flowers will stay with me forever.
We even had a munch on some guinea pig = tastes like chicken!
We climbed Huayna Picchu which is the big mountain at the back if you look at the usual view of Machu Picchu [taken from the Sun Gate]. It's worth doing and gives you a different perspective on the place. It is however not great if you're scared of heights-you have to sign in and out in case you fall off as it's a near vertical climb up the side.
I also tried guinea pig, tasted good but a bit fiddly to eat and is not a good choice for anyone who has a problem with their food looking like it did when alive
