Peru 2014 Machu Picchu

A few days before leaving Peru in July of 2014, Pastor Samuel, his sister Rebeca, Gail and myself visited Machu Picchu. It is located near Cusco Peru, elevation of 11,152 feet, (2 hour train ride or 50 miles) in a very remote area. The Spaniards did not  find it to loot and descrate it in the 1400s at 7,970 feet above sea level. The ruins were only discovered in 1911 by American Hiram Bingham and is now the largest tourist attraction in South America. It is still under renovation and was built in the classical Inca style using polished dry-stone walls.

The Incan Empire at it's height included much of the east coast of South America from north of Quito Ecuador to south of Santiago Chile from 1438 to 1533 and was known as the Kingdom of  Cusco before then.

There are many different views. Pastor Samuel took me by the hand and led me up the tall stones to visit most of the ruin.

Even from a distance it is impressive.

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Gail was only in a few pictures because she had fallen on her back and BROKE a rib. We had ridden on a bus with no restroom all night (19 hours) to get to a city close by to catch the 2 hour train ride the next morning at about 4 am. She was very tired and fell backwards over the always uneven pavement in front of our little hotel. No hospital, no doctor, no medicine, just pain. I really did not think she could actually leave the hotel to travel on the train but she is always a trooper. She could not walk on the ruins but sat and looked at them.

She later found a Chilean couple to witness to at the "Burger King" so they called it. She is always drawn to those needing Christ.

Even the train ride to and from the ruins was beautiful.

 Unfortunately for Gail, the 19 hour bus ride back to Ayacucho was very painful. .