The Big M: Machu Picchu

What the Incans built, they built to last. Some six hundred years ago, using nothing but geometry, they built a city of stone called Machu Picchu. It has survived earthquakes, abandonment, and rediscovery; it has outlasted the Incan Empire itself by more than 400 years.

Once abandoned by the Incans, the city lay hidden for centuries. Only the local Quechuans knew of its existence, and they apparently saw no reason to tell the Spanish about it. The outside world only learned of its existence in 1911 following its rediscovery by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Following in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus, Hiram was actually looking for something else when he found it.

The city of stone perches on a mountain top, surrounded by towering peaks and lush vegetation.

Though the thatched roofs have disappeared, the stone walls remain intact. There are ghostly outlines of temples,

houses,

archways and windows,

stairways,

terraces,

and bridges.

Together, they provide ample evidence of Incan life at the height of their power more than five centuries ago.

It’s an amazing place, richly deserving of its reputation as one of the modern Wonders of the World (TM). It is also a wonder of tourist economics. Though hidden away atop a mountain, each day some two thousand people make their way to the ruins. Obviously, such high levels of traffic may cause significant damage over time, Incan engineering notwithstanding. As a result, the Peruvian government has taken measures to control traffic through the time honoured tradition of monopoly, limiting the supply of transportation into the site and jacking up the price. Your average visitor now spends a couple hundred of dollars to make the trip, with maybe half of that going directly to the state railroad, and the rest spent on access fees, buses, food, shelter, and the omnipresent happy hour drinks available in the Machu Picchu town site. (Apparently every hour is happy hour in Machu Picchu.)

By my (very) rough calculations, the visitors spend some US$160 million every year going from Cusco (the nearest big city) to Machu Picchu and back; if you take into account the economic multiplier effect, the overall impact on the local economy may be twice that much. Admittedly, this is nothing compared to your average Disneyland, but it is a tremendous boost to a developing economy like Peru’s. I don’t know if the government spends this windfall wisely or not, but if it did, it could ensure that the site — and others like it around the country — remains both a literal and metaphorical treasure trove for future generations.

It goes to show that sometimes a little market inefficiency can be a good thing, at least from a certain perspective. Though I can personally attest to how frustrating it is to pay for the privilege of waiting for the train to Machu Picchu, the system provides a powerful financial boost to a country that could use it, and may help to ensure the site’s preservation as well.

Unfortunately, pictures don’t really do justice to Machu Picchu. Still, I’ve compiled a small collection of the approximately 300,000 pictures we took during our visit last week in the slideshow below. Hopefully they provide a little glimpse into Machu Picchu’s majesty and mystery.