Machu Picchu Things to Do Tips by AKtravelers

The best thing we did was schedule two and a half days to visit Machu Picchu. This allowed us plenty of time to stand and stare at the wonderful vistas. Since we weren't rushed through on a tour, we could walk at the pace we wanted, duck out of the rain when we desired and enjoy the late afternoon light without stress. We noticed that many people on tour groups arrived at 10:00 a.m., zipped through the ruins and were gone by 2:30. We were happy not to be among them. In fact, we noticed that the crowds thinned out considerably after 3:00.
Especially if you are planning a visit during rainy season (as we did), allow yourself at least two days at Machu Picchu and more time if you want to climb Huayna Picchu.

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It is impossible to visit Machu Picchu and not see the Llamas. There are about ten of them and they amble around the pack in a more-or-less coalesced group. There are at least two babies among them. While Llamas are not naturally found at this low altitiude, they're not completely out of place here. The Incas used llamas as pack animals, so there were plenty on hand hauling goods during the Inca times. They were also a source of food and fiber (the textile kind). It's altogether appropriate that they be here to greet you, since the Incas can't be.
But be careful (cuidado!). The llamas are wild animals. Treat them with respect, because you never know how they'll react.

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As you enter and leave Machu Picchu, you won't be able to miss the Inca terraces. What isn't obvious is that it has recently been discovered that these terraces stretch all the way to the river.
According to the guidebook we have, it is believed that theses terraces were not enough to support all the people that must have lived at Machu Picchu. I don't know if the new discovery changes that thinking at all or not. However, what I do know is that you have to take everything stated by a guide or a guidebook with a grain of salt. There is still amazingly little known about Incan society and much written and said is educated speculation based on only partially uncovered evidence. This is what makes history and archeology fun, but it won't satisfy those looking for hard facts.
For the record, my guidebook insists only 55 people per year could be fed from the terraces, so, therefore, they must have been used for ceremonial foods. But the next excavation could change that.

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Huayna Picchu is the beautiful, verdant conical mountain tha forms the backdrop of most iconic Machu Picchu phots. Few people know that it, too, has Incan ruins, and that it is possible to climb up to those ruins in less than an hour.
You will be amazed at the determination and engineering skills of the Incas when you see the slopes of the mountain that they had to overcome to complete this construction. You will also enjoy the unique view of Machu PIcchu (and the road leading up to it) that you get from these ruins. This hike is a must-do for anyone in even moderately good shape. Of course, the better shape you're in, the more you'll enjoy it, so I recommend doing some cardiovascular training starting a few months before your trip. That being said, it is worth all the sweat and breath.

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Of course, once you reach the Huayna Picchu ruins, you are almost at the top so you should keep going. Not just for the view -- frankly it doesn't change much -- but for the feeling of accomplishment and to see one more Incan item. It is shaped in the form of an arrow and it points south -- just like several other similar stones all around Machu Picchu. It's a great place to sit for photos and it also helps with your orientation.
While on the top, you will encounter people from all over the world. There were about ten people lounging at the summit, from places as diverse as Ireland, New Zealand, Argentina, France and Hungary. No matter where you're from, if you wait long enough, you'll probably encounter someone that you can ask in your native language to take your photo.

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So, where did the Incas get all the stones from which to build Machu Picchu? If this question bothered you, you get to answer it soon after you descend toward the ruins or come up the stairway of the fountains. This is the quarry that produced much of the granite used in the construction. The Incas used hammerstones, bronze and iron tools to create those perfectly fitting rocks. They were obviously excellent stoneworkers.

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If you've visited any of the rest of Machu Picchu before coming upon the Sacred Plaza, you will immediately recognize it as special. There is a clear difference in the grandiosity of the architecture of the Sacred Plaza compared to very other place in Machu Picchu. It is surrounded on three sides by important-looking buildings and the fourth side has an onubstructed westerly view of several mountains and the Urubamba River.
On the east side is the Temple of Three Windows, which has a commanding view of the central square through its bigger-than-normal windows. On the north side is the Principle Temple, which is notable not only for its height and depth, but also that part of the wall is settling (an unusual flaw in the otherwise impeccably constructed Machu Picchu). In the center are two stones that were apparently put there for a purpose, but no one knows why now.

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On the eastern side of the central green (as we would call it in New England) is a concentrated area of houses and public buildings. Unlike the western section, which housed the nobility and surrounds the Sacred Plaza, most of the buildings in this area have a more mundane function. None of them are connected to an aqueduct, which also indicates a lesser importance. However, this makes it interesting in its own way and it certainly should not be skipped.

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Above the Sacred Plaza is another plaza-like area of great importance to the Incas. It's called the Intiwantana and it is the highest developed point inside the Machu PIcchu city walls. In the center of this plaza is the Intiwantana stone, which is also erroneously known by some as a sun dial because of the carving protruding from one side. Rather than being a functional timepiece, this stone has a spiritual significance lost over time. From the stone, you get a view of all of the sacred mountains, but that's about all you can discern.
While we were here, we saw several people put their hands on or near the stone as if to absorb some energy emitted by the rock. There are several spiritual tours that come to Machu Picchu for some reason. Suffice it to say tthat we also put our hands near the stone and nothing happened except thattey got a little wet.

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One of the most fascinating temples in Machu Picchu is the Temple of the Condor, which is a small public area in the Eastern Urban Sector. The condor, South America's largest bird, was sacred to the Incas and still inspires awe among the people of the Andes (in fact, the song "El Condor Pasa" which you'll here everywhere, was written in the 1940's). This temple honors the condor in an abstract way, by using the natural rock formation as the wings and implanting a triangular stone in the ground for the body. Most interesting are the white semi-circular stones placed around the condor's head to indicate its ruff.
Warning: this place is frequented by tour groups, so I wouldrecommend holding off on a visit until the late afternoon, when all the one-day, Cusco-and-back tours have departed. However, there is a good side to the tours as well -- you can get a free narrative if you listen in on the guide. We caught guides speaking in French and English and they both said about the same thing.

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