Above, the fruits of Chief's photographic labours, and the classic Machu Picchu shot as the sun comes up.
These pics are a mixture of Chief's and Vics...
Hello again! We have just come back from a 5-day trek through absolutely stunning surroundings to see the old Incan city of Machu Picchu. Everyone has heard of the place and most have seen the classic picture, and it is understandably one of the top tourist attractions in the whole continent. The reputation is indeed justified, and it was especially satisfying to see it in perfect weather, after fairly strenuous trekking for 4 days, and starting as the sun came up on the incredibly impressive landscape in the area.
I will be putting some photos up as they are uploaded. Otherwise Cuzco is not my favourite city - of course it has some interesting Incan ruins and colonial architecture which makes it essentially a picturesque town, but the sheer volume of tourism takes the edge off the enjoyment for me, and the volume of tourists is also far greater than any other place i have been of comparable size in South America - because of the mix of types of tourism from backpacking through to week long tour parties journeying solely to see Machu Picchu, the main parts of the city have a very difficult to surmount "Us and Them" feel separating the locals from the (mainly) white western component. Every tourist is treated in the same way and there is no chance to get beyond the stereotypes. Anyway, it is still a nice city with plenty to offer outside of the main tourist San Blas area... More soon,
Rob
No comments:
Post a Comment