What an amazing place! In preparation for today, I read "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" and watched a DVD series on Incan history. Despite that, I wasn't prepared for this incredibly beautiful site.

The trip from our hotel involved a 15 minute bus ride from the Hacienda del Valle hotel, an hour PeruRail train ride that followed the river and often paralleled the Inca Trail, and, finally, a bumpy bus ride up the mountain that included many switch backs. My first view of the site was one of recognition...pale colored ruins and green terraces nestled against a mountain peak.

We got there fairly early so it wasn't crowded. Juan guided us through the site for several hours, bringing it to life for us. I really mean that. Unlike visits to other ruins, I could easily image the Incans going about their work and rituals here.

Having seen it, I now understand enormity of the task to construct this place. The stonework is so tightly fitted without mortar that, as the guide says, you can't slide a credit card between the blocks. The stone used to build the huge complex was moved to the site from 25 miles away. The Temple of the Condor impressed me. It consisted of two huge pieces of rock rising up to resemble wings, another that kind of looked like the body, and carved stone on the ground that represented the head and eye. We saw a viscacha montane sitting on a wall. At first we thought it was a rabbit, but took a pic and identified it later. Llamas roamed around at will.

The isolation of this ancient retreat for the Inca king really is amazing. It backs up to the mountain and the river goes three quarters of the way around it. It is really "in the middle of nowhere".