Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25178
Trek the Inca Trail in the Peruvian Andes and reach th e ancient cit,{of Machu Picchu the same way the Incas did over-JOO years ago. Comprising a 21-mile stretch of the Incan Empire's 20,000 road system, the strenuous hike ascends three mountain passes [topp ing out at 13,772 feet) and plunges thousands of feet down hand-hewn stone staircases into fantastical, high-elevation cloud forests. Give yourself a day or two before the trek to acclimatize to the high altitude . Or Just rely on the local remedy of coca leaf tea [coca leaves will also give you the little kick you need to tackle the steep ascents of the trail- it worked for the Inca runners who would sprint 300 miles from the sea to Cuzco, carrying fresh fish for the emperorJ. Even though the Inca Trail was built without the use of iron or the wheel, it is extremely well constructed and in good condition. The trail is punctuated by dozens of ruins from this indigenous civilization that disap- peared mysteriously before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. In the nature reserve surround ing the trail, there are rare orchids, spectacled bears and over 300 bird specie s. The trail culminates at Machu Picchu, a mist-shrouded complex nestled amongst towering Andean peaks and filled with the ruined temples and sacred sites of the sun-worshiping Inca. Get there early enough to watch the sunrise paint the peaks gold and strike the ancient city. The three-day trek from the outskirts of Cuzco is considered one of South America's most magnificent-it is also its most threatened. Having managed to evade discovery by the conquistadores and stay hidden until 1911, Machu Picchu is now firmly on the beaten path and the trail sees 70,000-plus visitors a year, contributing to deforestation, erosion and trash problems. Machu Picchu is especially overrun with tou r ists, from crystal- clutching new agers hoping to be swept up by aliens [as they believe the ancient Inca were) to buses loaded with tour groups. A sacred altar was even damaged in 2000 during the filming of a beer commercial. In recognition of these problems, the Peruvian government is planning to limit the number of hikers and triple the entry fee to the tra il. Of course, the government is also moving forward with plans to build a cable car up to Machu Picchu [cutting a swath through ancient farming terraces) and to build a giant hotel next to the ruins. Get there soon, pack out your trash and don't drink the waterl