Machu Picchu

By Will Richards

Location Machu Picchu is located in Peru next Lima and the Amazon.

Physical and Human geography features The Inca Trail has ten seperat climatic zones, from deserts to tropical Andean cloud forest; home to exotic plants and animal life. The trail is covered with over 400 varieties of orchids, begonias, trees, and bushes as well as a varied collection of fauna including the condor, pumas and miniature deer. • Stunning scenery with the snowy peaks of the Andes (over 6,000 metres),  fast flowing rivers and deep valleys.

  Inca Trail • Machu Picchu, the 'Lost City of the Incas' is the best-known and most

spectacular site in South America. Machu Picchu are quechua (indigenous Indian) words that mean "old" and "mountain". •  Hiking the "Inca Trail". This was the Royal Highway that led pilgrims and officials of the Empire to the Sacred City of the Incas. The Trail is paved with blocks of stone, It has stone stairways, tunnels and wooden bridges. The trek is 32 kilometres long starting at kilometre 88 of the railway and ending at the Holy City.

• The nearby town of Aguas Calientes has thermal (hot water) baths. • Pisac is the main craftwork centre on the high plains. The main square is

small, with a colourful market on Sunday mornings. • Rafting trips can be taken down the Urubamba River

HistoryHiram Bingham, explorer, adventurer and professor of South American history. He first crossed the Peruvian mountains in February 1909, the wettest month of the year, making his travels very hard. Therefore, his visit to the ruins of Choquequirao set forth his interest in the Incas. In 1911 he came back from his journey with the Yale Peruvian Expedition which was actually intended to visit the Urubamba River and surrounds, to find the last capital of the Incas.

The Site

Why Its a Good Place for Building a SettlementMachu Picchu is a good place for building a

settlement because its high in the mountains away from any attack or surprises. The colony wouldn’t have to worry about any unexpected attack. They would have a great view everyday. They would be able to see over the clouds when they wake up in the morning and see the rain fall down on the people below.

Why Its a Bad Place to LiveThere are many reasons why its a bad reason

to live. There is thin air(low oxygen). People would get sick of this and might die because any aid would be a 3 day walk away. There would be few supplies for them if any attacts were made or if there would be any blockages in the pathway.

Why I Think The Incas left Machu PicchuI think that the Incas left because there were

two many going ill and dyeing because of the oxygen. They could of been annoyed with the amount of time it would take to get supplies to there homes.

Why they went thereI think they went there because it would be

very useful for attacks against them and they would most defiantly win. It would be a good place for the royals. It is also beautiful which would also add to the list of why they went there.

Part 2The Impacts of Tourism on Machu Picchu

How Tourism affects the local people of Machu Picchu

300,000 tourists a year make there track though to Machu Picchu. There are many tourists that look for adventure and see the incredible historic structures. But there is a risk of landslide erosion which could send the amazing historic structures down to the river of Urubamba. The social costs could lead overloading of porters leads to health problems. Also May lead to the loss of traditional values and culture through imitation of visitor behaviour or cultural diffusion resulting from normal, everyday interaction.

Social benefits will encourages civic involvement and pride. Will learn new languages and skills.

The Benefits of Having a strong tourist industry to the local peopleBusinesses are working with Machu PicchuThe cultural groups are working with the

government and are getting funding.The local council and government who

benefit from there taxes. Tour operators

The negatives of having strong tourist industry to local peopleThere are no quite places for reflection.Travellers aren’t able to book the trip 1

month in advance but 6 or more.Tourists destroy and pollute the natural

beautyPoorly planned tourists can destroy historic

buildings.The workers are unemployed in winter.The land is sacred to some people of Picchu

and we are trespassing on this sacred land.

What is being done to try and preserve this site?The people of Peru are attempting to

preserve this site. The nongovernmental organisation Yachay Wazi, based in Cuzco, have campaigned for there heritage for Machu Picchu but that was in 2001 and now in 2010 there has been nothing done. In 2005 the authorities of Peru have made a 130 million plan to preserve the natural beauty. There will also be a 2500 tourist daily limit.