Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/141144
Quito COLOMBIA ECUADOR Iquitos BRAZIL PERU Trujillo Callao SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN Machu Picchu Lima Cusco 0 miles km BOLIVIA Arequipa 0 Nazca La Paz 400 400 CHILE PERU Peru is a country where majesty reigns, rising out of the tropical forests of the Amazon basin and the cities of the Incan Empire to meet the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. The culmination of all this greatness is the fabled Machu Picchu, one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World" that is an incredible collection of temples, palaces, baths and 150 houses. This aweinspiring city in the clouds dramatically sits 1,000 feet above a river, straddled between two mountains, and its near-pristine remains give visitors a glimpse into the engineering genius of the Incas. Many of the mortarless building blocks used for construction weigh at least 50 tons, but they are so precisely placed that even a knife edge cannot be inserted between them! Nearby Cusco, once the capital of the Incan Empire, is now a bustling metropolitan area that's literally built on a strong Incan foundation. While the Spanish eventually constructed a cobblestone city in Cusco, you can still explore the remains of ancient palaces, temples and hilltop citadels. Venture outside of the city to the beautiful Sacred Valley, a series of quaint towns along the Vilcanota River with colonial churches, Incan platforms and other archaeological sites. Vilcabamba was the last Incan outpost before colonists assumed control of it in the 16th century. Lima is the modern capital of Peru in every sense of the word. In addition to being the country's industrial and financial center, it has attracted immigrants from all over the world, and its flavor is distinctly international with touches of Europe and even China. With its subtropical beaches and the Barranco district's clubs and cafés, there's plenty of fun to be had in Lima, but the culture of the Incas is always nearby. Pachacamac is a huge Incan archaeological site near the city, and Lima's museums are probably the best in the country for documenting its prehistoric peoples. Peru 49