title:Machu Picchu!

Conversation text:

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 mid-morning 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.

Paul: The closest access point to Machu Picchu is a town called Aguas Calientes, which is 5 kilometers away from the ancient city.

Here, travel-weary tourists are offered all the amenities of home: hotels, hostels, restaurants, and even Internet cafes.

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.

(slide text: Aguas Calientes gets its name from the hot springs that are located in the town.)

Paul: 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 l made our way back up the trail to the ancient city.

These ruins are visited by approximately 2,500 people every day.

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

Paul: 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.

(slide text: Machu Picchu was so well hidden by the overgrowth that it was never discovered by the Conquistadors.)

Paul: 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.