Machu Picchu & Galapagos Tours Packed With Adventurous And Sacred Quests






by Cody Gardella


Machu Picchu is a well preserved Inca ruin that reveals the core of their empire. There are many different ways to visit it, from walking varying Inca trails to travelling by train from Galapagos, Lima or Cuzco. The best Machu Picchu tours will give travellers a good amount of time to visit the site after the crowds have dispersed and they can view it in relative privacy.

The Inca tribe's skill with stone masonry is displayed at these ruins. The stones are so tightly packed together that a credit card can't be inserted between them. Aesthetically beautiful, its most impressive feature is the fact that it's survived earthquakes perfectly. It was built on top of two fault lines and is said to move with tremors to avoid breakage. The buildings return to their positions when the quake has passed.

Engineers say most of the ruin is underneath the ground. It has deep foundations and drainage systems that are believed to have been made from crushed stone. It can be reasonably expensive to see the site for people taking one day trips. A 90 minute walk along the Hiram Bingham route affords viewers a free viewing, though.

Tour operators often take visitors to the area, stay at a lodge or hotel over night and allow guests to return for a morning's leisurely viewing when there are no crowds. Including a visit with a tour package is another way to make savings. In the area there aren't any signs to give travellers information about the ruins. There is, however, a museum hidden away at its base, half an hour's walk from Aguas Calientes.

Galapagos introduces an entirely different kind of fascination. This group of islands close to Ecuador has varying habitats for the wildlife and plants in the area. They each have their own ecological and geographical significance as well as histories.

Many of the island shores have a large population of marine iguanas. Darwin saw them on his visit and gave them the name 'imps of darkness' because he thought they were hideous. They're the sole ocean lizard in the world. This fact played an important role in the development of Darwin's theory of evolution. They sparked the idea that they'd adapted to their island environment, which played an important part in forming his later writings.

It's often best to view the area on cruise ships due to the high number of islands. Naturalists are often provided to tell visitors about the wildlife in each ecosystem. The cluster is geologically young and forms one of the most active volcanic areas around the globe. Fifty eruptions have shaken them over the last two hundred years. They have left some interesting consequences for tourists to see.

The volcanic activity has created a harsh landscape on some of the islands. Only one of them, however, appears to be noticeably absent of animals. The other local creatures show fascinating adaptations to the desolation. Some of the optimal scuba spots are in Galapagos' seas. The best Machu Picchu tours should always feature some time visiting these interesting and gorgeous areas luxuriously.




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