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The Traveling Professor's Italy and Paris Blog
Apr 8

Written by: TravelingProfessor
Sunday, April 08, 2012  RssIcon

Getting to the Gardens and Falls at Mandor involves an hour hike that takes us behind Machu Picchu, a place where not too many people venture.  It is a pleasant and flat hike along the raging Urubamba River.

From this perspective, it is fascinating to get an idea of how big Machu Picchu really was.   I would estimate that only 20% of the Machu Picchu sanctuary is seen by the public.   From our hike we can see much more: hidden terraces, long-ago used portions of the Inca Trail, and a "behind-the-scenes" look at Machu Picchu as the Incas, and not the tourists, saw it hundreds of years ago.

There are birds, insects, and flora along the trail.   When we enter the botanical garden at Mandor, the caretaker lets us in.   Inside the gardens are banana trees, coca plants, cofee plants and more.   The trail winds across a wooden bridge into the jungle.  We pass the solitary hiker every now and then along the way.   At the end of the 2 or 3 kilometer hike are the rushing falls of Mandor.    The mist covers our faces as the water hits the pond below.  It is quite an amazing feeling and sight.

We go back to the caretaker's house where we glady accept a hard-earned cerveza.   The offer comes to make us lunch.    With fresh herbs from the garden, she makes us a delicious vegetable soup followed by a main course pumpkin cooked like a stew with a side of rice.  Nothing, absolutely nothing will be as authentic Peruvian as the meal we are eating today.    The cost is only about $3.50.

What a day at Machu Picchu!

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