Robin Treks Peru 2006

Ok, so I'm off to Peru in September 2006, but where am I actually going?  What awaits me there?

Peru

Situated in South America, on the western side, Peru as a country is roughly three times the size of California.  Split by the hugely imposing barriers of the Amazon River and the Andean Mountain Range, it is a country which is rich in diversity of culture.  The country's captial is Lima and it is here that I will first land on South American soil before departing for the trek. 

Machu Picchu

Hidden high in the mountains, this Inca refuge was hidden from the world until 1911 when it was discovered by explorer Hiram Bingham who was actually searching for the ruins of Vilcabamba.  Unknown to Bingham, he had stumbled across his intended target 100kms west of what would become known to the world as Machu Picchu.  Translated as 'Ancient Peak', the name was first used by the locals to describe the mountain above the saddle ridge on which the ruins stood.  Bingham was still convinced that he had found the final refuge of the Incas, but with the discovery of a further city north of Cusco (the one Bingham had bypassed thinking it was too small) doubts began to form.

Bingham continued to excavate for the following four years, discovering a major Inca highway which is now known as the Inca Trail.  Further ruins were uncovered in 1941 by the Viking Fund Expedition under the leadership of Paul Fejos, a mere 3 miles south of Machu Picchu, making it clear that Machu Picchu wasn't just a lost city but a lost region!