Everybody who gets to visit Machupicchu is inspired by the great beauty it offers to its visitors and Hiram Bingham was not the exception. As evidenced by his writings, Bingham was genuinely inspired by the beauty of the region he was exploring. You too can be inspired by such experience and start dreaming about going on one of our tours. Together with our travel experts you will be able to personalize these travel packages according to your own needs.
The beauty of Machupicchu according to Hiram Bingham
According to Bingham, “I had entered the marvellous canyon of the Urubamba below the Inca fortress of Machupicchu. Here the river escapes from the cold plateau by tearing its way through gigantic mountains of granite. The road runs through a land of matchless charm. It has the majestic grandeur of the Canadian Rockies, as well as the startling beauty of the Nuuanu Pali near Honolulu, and the enchanting vistas of the Koolau Ditch Trail on Maui, in my native land. In the variety of its charms the power of its spell, I know of no place in the world which can compare with it (the region of Machupicchu). Not only had it great snow peaks looming above the clouds more than two miles overhead; gigantic precipices of many-coloured granite rising sheer for thousands of feet above the foaming, glistening, roaring rapids, it has also, in striking contrast, orchids and tree ferns, the delectable beauty of luxurious vegetation and the mysterious witchery of the jungle. One is drawn irresistibly onwards by ever-recurring surprises through a deep, winding gorge, turning and twisting past overhanging cliffs of incredible height.
Above all, there is the fascination of finding here and there under swaying vines, or perched on top of a beetling crag, the rugged masonry of a bygone race; and of trying to understand the bewildering romance of the ancient builders who, ages ago, sought refuge in a region which appears to have been expressly designed by nature as a sanctuary for the oppressed, a place where they might fearlessly and patiently give expression to their passion for walls of enduring beauty.”
Bingham brought the world’s attention to the beauty of Machupicchu
Other people saw and even lived at MachuPicchu before Hiram Bingham even set foot in Peru, but had neither the means nor the opportunity to bring this great beauty “The Lost City of the Incas” to the attention of the outside world. Hiram Bingham himself found two families living at the ruins and was led to the main plaza by a young boy. As early as 1894, a local farmer called Agustin Lizarraga led one Luis Bejar Ugarte to the ancient city. This same Lizarraga took his friends Gabino Sanchez and Enrique Palma on a treasure-seeking trip to the ruins on July 14, 1901, visiting all the accessible parts of the then uncleared site. When Bingham arrived at the ruins he found the rock that the three friends had signed with their names and the date of their visit. In his later writings, however, he downplayed this discovery.
The three treasure hunters met Anacleto Alvarez (whom Bingham later encountered) who told them that he had been living among the ruins for 8 years, where he grew his crops of corn, yucca, sweet potatos and sugar cane on the fertile soil that the Incas had carried up from the river valley to build MachuPicchu’s magnificent 300 meter high series of terraces!
Experience the best at the beauty of Machupicchu
Wouldn’t you also like to experience the best at the beauty of Machupicchu? Contact our travel experts who will be pleased to help you arrange a travel package for your next vacations in the beautiful citadel of Machupicchu. Make reservations of your hotels and much more with us. Take some time visiting our website and be inspired to travel with family or friends and see you in Machupicchu or any of our varied destinations of Peru.
