Interchange video book 2 (Unit 11. Two brothers in Peru)

Paul: For as long as I can remember, my brother
and I have been traveling together – through

good times, bad times, and even the very weird
times.

This is Derek, and I’m Paul, and on this
trip, we’re going to Peru to see the ancient

Incan city of Machu Picchu!

Derek and I started our Peru adventure in
Cusco.

From there, we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu
Picchu.

Finally arriving just before dinner, we got
our first glimpse of the ancient site.

Well, here it is, Machu Picchu.

After a grueling trek, and donating a pair
of sunglasses to the Inca gods somewhere along

the trail, we finally made it.

Now, to see it this empty right now is really
rare.

By midmorning tomorrow, it’ll be covered
with literally thousands of people.

We’re going to hike back up in the morning,
see if we can get the Sunrise, and see what

Machu Picchu’s like first thing in the morning.

The closest access point to Machu Picchu is
a town called Aguas Calientes, which is 6

kilometers away from the ancient city.

Here, travel-weary tourists are offered all
the amenities of home: hotels, hostels, restaurants,

and even Internet cafés.

However, it should be noted that large tour
groups will often come into town and rent

out entire hotels.

So we suggest either booking a room a few
weeks ahead or arriving in town on the earliest

train to make sure you have a place to stay
the night.

Although Aguas Calientes is a relatively new
town, ancient techniques are still used by

local craftsmen in the town’s ongoing construction.

There’s also a great open market in town
where local fruits and vegetables are available,

to ensure you won’t run out of energy exploring
Machu Picchu.

Rising early the next morning, Derek and I
made our way back up the trail to the ancient

city.

These ruins are visited by approximately 2500
people every day.

We wanted to get there early and see as much
as we could before the hordes of visitors

arrived.

There are basically two ways to get to Machu
Picchu from Aguas Calientes.

You can take one of the many buses that leave
from the center of town, or you can take a

steep, winding trail all the way to the top.

Machu Picchu, which means “Old Peak,”
was constructed around 1450.

However, as the empire collapsed under the
Spanish, it was abandoned, roughly one hundred

years later.

Machu Picchu was forgotten by the outside
world.

In 1911, the site was rediscovered by explorer
and historian Hiram Bingham with the help

of some local residents.

He started the huge job of clearing away hundreds
of years of forest growth from the city.

When Hiram Bingham came across this site,
the overgrowth was unimaginable: trees, rocks,

shrubs covered the entire area.

But, luckily for them, it looks like the Inca
invented the riding lawnmower.

The construction of Machu Picchu is still
a mystery.

Human remains were found on the bottom of
the mountain, but nobody knows how many people

died building the city.

And nobody knows if some kind of rope was
used to climb up and down.

But we do know that the Inca were master builders.

Machu Picchu is comprised of approximately
200 buildings.

Most of them are built out of blocks of stone.

The blocks were cut with bronze or stone tools,
and they were smoothed with sand.

The blocks fit together perfectly without
mortar.

Even a knife blade can't be forced between
the stones.

There are many theories about Machu Picchu’s
actual purpose.

Some say it was a defensive retreat for the
Inca elite; others believe that it was the

estate of an Inca emperor.

Either way, it is obvious that the Inca valued
their environment.

Nature’s image is carved into the surroundings
throughout the city.

Towering 1,200 feet above Machu Picchu lies
Huayna Picchu, which means “Young Peak”

in Quechua, the native Inca language.

Derek and I decided to climb Huayna Picchu
for a different view of the ancient city.

If you decide to make this trek, you won’t
be disappointed.

The peak is dotted with temples and terraces
that look down on Machu Picchu.

With heavy hearts, we finally left Machu Picchu
and took the train back to Cusco.

As our trip came to an end, Derek and I agreed
that Peru is an amazing country, and we are

sure to be back soon.