[Orange GTX]

I may be wrong but this may be the first ever write up on Machu Picchu on TBHP. A well deserved thumbs up for that.
Even though a world famous site, most Indian travelers (including myself) prefer to go to States, Europe, Australia etc.
But you are different than the 'Also ran'
Thank you for sharing and keep exploring the relatively unseen sites.
Kudos.

[behaln]

Excellent travelogue buddy. Completely different from the regular ones. South America is indeed very tourist friendly. I have been to Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. Very warm people. Although I am a vegetarian, I never had any problems procuring veg food.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by invidious

Wow. You almost get the feeling of being there. It is amazing how much South America is like the Indian subcontinent in terms of infrastructure. Shame it is a pain to fly there, not to mention the tickets cost an arm and a leg. Still, what a wonderful travelogue. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Although the landscape looks like India and many people look similar, their infrastructure, cleanness, adherence to the rules and overall development is FAR ahead of India. Their income levels are far higher as well. Argentina and Brazil have per capita GDP of over 12,000 $ while Peru is over 6,000 compared to around 1800$ for India.

[Kumar R]

Originally Posted by govigov

May I ask a few questions? Is one day enough for visiting this place? Can we club this trip with anything else in this near area? Any risks/scams (apart from the usual) that one needs to be aware of while on a solo trip?

I believe one entire day is needed to appreciate Machu Picchu at a gentle pace, typically arriving at 0900 and leaving at closing time of 1700 - meaning two nights in Aguas Calientes is necessary. The ruins are poorly documented onsite - there's no labelling, minimal signs and even with guides it's not always possible to understand - the absolute opposite of the handy detailed booklet that visitors to Pompeii (Italy) are handed with their tickets.

There are two-three small towns on the Santa Maria - Cusco route (28B) that you can visit as soon as you are done with MP. There's Ollantaytambo which also has some Inca ruins and theres Huyro that has some great views of the forests. The road between Santa Maria and Cusco also includes the famous 4300m high Malaga Pass (see images 15-17 of my post) where you can stop for a day and hike the trails.

As re scams - Peru is a very safe country with no hustling, fleecing and India-type unpleasantness greeting the unwary. Taxis can be difficult to hire without preparation as to the market rates, especially from the airport. On long bus journeys, especially in Ecuador and Colombia it's a good idea to keep your belongings in your lap and fastened securely to your body/seat, and avoid aisle seats towards the front.

Forex conversion in remote areas can be at disadvantageous rates and in the touristy places everything from water to biscuits is expensive but these are not scams. A more relevant danger is miscommunication and language barriers when seeking directions or guidance. Unlike India very few people understand English and I carried an offline Eng-Esp translator app which was very helpful. South Americans love to bargain and opening prices at markets can be touristy (I enjoyed this). It's possible to get scammed as regards quality of alpaca wool if you're buying that stuff, I spent time learning how to spot high quality alpaca - it irritates the sensitive skin of the forearm - and even made friends with a couple of Peruvians to help me with purchases in Lima

Originally Posted by invidious

Shame it is a pain to fly there, not to mention the tickets cost an arm and a leg.

I know! Conversely it's very very cheap from the U.S. - my onward ticket to Lima from New York was about $170 (no check-in luggage) purchased 6 weeks in advance, return was $195 (from Ecuador). If you already are in North America its very economical to visit these countries. The tricky things are the crossborder flights within S. America which have very high taxes making them uneconomical for short distances.

My last videos for this thread

#1 A view of the inside of the ruins - there was a sudden burst of rain at this time (the biggest unavoidable risk of Machu Picchu is rain and fog).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3t7PBdXlvU

#2 Our guide demonstrates some acoustic effects of the construction of the sacred plaza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVF1KKZjKl8

#3 The last leg of my collectivo journey from Santa Teresa to the hydroelectrico

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dctP55vPoFY

[Bomi]

Excellent write-up. Thanks for sharing. The pictures brought back old memories of my visit to the ruins of Nalanda University, near Patna. Sadly, those were not well maintained 20 years ago, when I had visited. I wonder what is the state today.

[agspins]

Very well written Travelogue. Machu Picchu has been one place i want to visit in this lifetime. I have been attracted to the place since school days.

[Samba]

It was an amazing read dada. Enjoyed reading it thoroughly. The pictures are beautiful. Thanks for gifting us this awesome travelogue. It made my Sunday.
Edit- Rated 5*.

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by Kumar R

... The next morning was unpleasant - I was stiff everywhere and my knees were swollen and tender. Going for a bath required me to hobble down stairs slowly and despite the hearty breakfast it took me 30 minutes to gingerly walk down the 0.75 km.

It's simply an epic travelogue! I don't have enough words to appreciate your Herculean efforts to reach Machu Picchu using an unusual route. Kumar, you have a unique style of writing. Your tendency to often describe the mundane details makes it quite pleasurable to read. Keep traveling and keep writing!

Cheers,