Is Machu Picchu really in Peru?

We are back from the unavoidable visit to Machu Picchu. We could not really travel through the whole of Peru without paying a visit to this world famous site. We almost did not go, because we suspected that it was a lure for tourists; it unfortunately proved right. 

First of all, there is no easy way to get there. There are three options: the Inca Trail, five days of trekking through the Andes; or taking the outrageously expensive train (Swiss prices); or taking three different buses and walking the remaining 11.5 kilometres. We were not so keen on walking for five days; we have no problems paying Swiss prices provided employees also get Swiss salaries: in Peru, the average salary is USD 513 a month, more than ten times less than average salary in Switzerland; so we went for the third option. It took us one day to get there and one day to come back. The good thing about this is that we enjoyed stunning sceneries on the way, bucolic views of farms and fields with snow-capped mountains towering at more than 6’000 meters in the background. Simply gorgeous. 

Secondly, there is a huge buzz on the Internet about tickets being sold in limited numbers for each day and that we should get our tickets weeks in advance. We bought our tickets in Cusco two days before going… entrance fee is USD 43 per person. In addition we have to pay USD 10 for a twenty minutes one way bus ride from the nearby village going by the ridiculous touristy name of Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly Aguas Calientes); if you do not take the bus, you have to walk two kilometres and climb 1’768 steep steps up to the entrance of the site. We paid more for the two of us than for the American The Beautiful yearly pass giving us unlimited access to all National Parks in the United States. Give me a break!

And finally, yes, the archeological site is beautiful: relatively well preserved ruins of an ancient Inca capital perched on the top of a mountain, with stunning views of the surroundings. But because it is swarming with people, it feels like an amusement park. By the way, bottles of water there go by Japanese prices… I admit we may be a bit blasé because of the many fantastic places we have seen on our journey, none of them nearly as famous as Machu Picchu, but so much nicer. Tourism is the second industry in Peru after mining. They should be careful not to over milk the cash cow, it may dry up pretty fast! 

Tomorrow we will head towards Lake Titicaca and the Bolivian border. More stunning sceneries of altiplano and mountains to enjoy!