WEBVTT 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:05.009 Paul: For as long as I can remember, my brother and I have been traveling together – through 00:00:05.009 --> 00:00:09.520 good times, bad times, and even the very weird times. 00:00:09.520 --> 00:00:14.850 This is Derek, and I’m Paul, and on this trip, we’re going to Peru to see the ancient 00:00:14.850 --> 00:00:17.260 Incan city of Machu Picchu! 00:00:17.260 --> 00:00:20.690 Derek and I started our Peru adventure in Cusco. 00:00:20.690 --> 00:00:24.840 From there, we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. 00:00:24.840 --> 00:00:29.660 Finally arriving just before dinner, we got our first glimpse of the ancient site. 00:00:29.660 --> 00:00:33.680 Well, here it is, Machu Picchu. 00:00:33.680 --> 00:00:39.750 After a grueling trek, and donating a pair of sunglasses to the Inca gods somewhere along 00:00:39.750 --> 00:00:41.220 the trail, we finally made it. 00:00:41.220 --> 00:00:45.250 Now, to see it this empty right now is really rare. 00:00:45.250 --> 00:00:50.020 By midmorning tomorrow, it’ll be covered with literally thousands of people. 00:00:50.020 --> 00:00:53.420 We’re going to hike back up in the morning, see if we can get the Sunrise, and see what 00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:55.990 Machu Picchu’s like first thing in the morning. 00:00:55.990 --> 00:01:01.800 The closest access point to Machu Picchu is a town called Aguas Calientes, which is 6 00:01:01.800 --> 00:01:04.309 kilometers away from the ancient city. 00:01:04.309 --> 00:01:11.530 Here, travel-weary tourists are offered all the amenities of home: hotels, hostels, restaurants, 00:01:11.530 --> 00:01:13.170 and even Internet cafés. 00:01:13.170 --> 00:01:18.720 However, it should be noted that large tour groups will often come into town and rent 00:01:18.720 --> 00:01:20.470 out entire hotels. 00:01:20.470 --> 00:01:26.080 So we suggest either booking a room a few weeks ahead or arriving in town on the earliest 00:01:26.080 --> 00:01:29.580 train to make sure you have a place to stay the night. 00:01:29.580 --> 00:01:35.250 Although Aguas Calientes is a relatively new town, ancient techniques are still used by 00:01:35.250 --> 00:01:38.770 local craftsmen in the town’s ongoing construction. 00:01:38.770 --> 00:01:44.740 There’s also a great open market in town where local fruits and vegetables are available, 00:01:44.740 --> 00:01:50.240 to ensure you won’t run out of energy exploring Machu Picchu. 00:01:50.240 --> 00:01:55.560 Rising early the next morning, Derek and I made our way back up the trail to the ancient 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:56.670 city. 00:01:56.670 --> 00:02:01.880 These ruins are visited by approximately 2500 people every day. 00:02:01.880 --> 00:02:06.580 We wanted to get there early and see as much as we could before the hordes of visitors 00:02:06.580 --> 00:02:08.119 arrived. 00:02:08.119 --> 00:02:12.309 There are basically two ways to get to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes. 00:02:12.309 --> 00:02:17.090 You can take one of the many buses that leave from the center of town, or you can take a 00:02:17.090 --> 00:02:20.230 steep, winding trail all the way to the top. 00:02:20.230 --> 00:02:25.790 Machu Picchu, which means “Old Peak,” was constructed around 1450. 00:02:25.790 --> 00:02:31.290 However, as the empire collapsed under the Spanish, it was abandoned, roughly one hundred 00:02:31.290 --> 00:02:32.319 years later. 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:37.489 Machu Picchu was forgotten by the outside world. 00:02:37.489 --> 00:02:44.099 In 1911, the site was rediscovered by explorer and historian Hiram Bingham with the help 00:02:44.099 --> 00:02:45.419 of some local residents. 00:02:45.419 --> 00:02:53.959 He started the huge job of clearing away hundreds of years of forest growth from the city. 00:02:53.959 --> 00:02:58.090 When Hiram Bingham came across this site, the overgrowth was unimaginable: trees, rocks, 00:02:58.090 --> 00:02:59.450 shrubs covered the entire area. 00:02:59.450 --> 00:03:06.230 But, luckily for them, it looks like the Inca invented the riding lawnmower. 00:03:06.230 --> 00:03:09.379 The construction of Machu Picchu is still a mystery. 00:03:09.379 --> 00:03:13.930 Human remains were found on the bottom of the mountain, but nobody knows how many people 00:03:13.930 --> 00:03:16.239 died building the city. 00:03:16.239 --> 00:03:20.870 And nobody knows if some kind of rope was used to climb up and down. 00:03:20.870 --> 00:03:23.779 But we do know that the Inca were master builders. 00:03:23.779 --> 00:03:28.310 Machu Picchu is comprised of approximately 200 buildings. 00:03:28.310 --> 00:03:31.500 Most of them are built out of blocks of stone. 00:03:31.500 --> 00:03:36.889 The blocks were cut with bronze or stone tools, and they were smoothed with sand. 00:03:36.889 --> 00:03:39.930 The blocks fit together perfectly without mortar. 00:03:39.930 --> 00:03:44.900 Even a knife blade can't be forced between the stones. 00:03:44.900 --> 00:03:48.909 There are many theories about Machu Picchu’s actual purpose. 00:03:48.909 --> 00:03:53.650 Some say it was a defensive retreat for the Inca elite; others believe that it was the 00:03:53.650 --> 00:03:56.469 estate of an Inca emperor. 00:03:56.469 --> 00:04:00.349 Either way, it is obvious that the Inca valued their environment. 00:04:00.349 --> 00:04:05.680 Nature’s image is carved into the surroundings throughout the city. 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:12.010 Towering 1,200 feet above Machu Picchu lies Huayna Picchu, which means “Young Peak” 00:04:12.010 --> 00:04:15.379 in Quechua, the native Inca language. 00:04:15.379 --> 00:04:20.609 Derek and I decided to climb Huayna Picchu for a different view of the ancient city. 00:04:20.609 --> 00:04:23.930 If you decide to make this trek, you won’t be disappointed. 00:04:23.930 --> 00:04:30.240 The peak is dotted with temples and terraces that look down on Machu Picchu. 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:36.060 With heavy hearts, we finally left Machu Picchu and took the train back to Cusco. 00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:41.740 As our trip came to an end, Derek and I agreed that Peru is an amazing country, and we are 00:04:41.740 --> 00:04:42.620 sure to be back soon.