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Situated 8,000 feet above sea level on a mountain ridge above Urubamba Valley in Peru is the magical engineering wonder, pre-Columbian Inca site Machu Picchu. Built in the classical Inca style during the height of the empire in 1450, Machu Picchu shined in its glory days with beautiful white granite walls, topped with gold-colored thatched roofs.

Discovered by Hiram Bingham, Machu Picchu contains 200 stone structures placed on a sophisticated set of approximately 700 fortifying terraces carved into the mountain. Peru’s wildly popular tourist attraction, the breathtaking archaeological site has three primary buildings, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun… Continue reading

Although the smallest of all the Andean countries, The Republic of Ecuador holds historical, cultural and natural wonders befitting an entire continent. Straddling not only two hemispheres but also two worlds, the ancient and the modern. This tiny republic with its remnants of past civilizations and Spanish conquests offers the traveller a striking blend of landscapes, peoples and cultures.
From ancient markets of the indigenous peoples, Amazon tributaries, Inca ruins, Andean peaks, 16th century churches, and the wildlife rich Galapagos Islands, Ecuador boasts an incredible diversity which belies its diminutive size. Indigenous cultures, tropical forests, active volcanoes, and a wealth… Continue reading