1. The Incas believed their ruler was descended from the sun, and called themselves the "Children of the Sun." They valued precious metals not as money but as religious symbols. Gold represented the "sweat of the sun" and silver "tears of the moon." 2. The Incas had an extensive empire in South America before the conquest of the New World by Europeans. It reached its zenith under the reign of Huayna Capac (d. 1525) and ranged 2,500 miles from present-day Quito into Chile. 3. By the time of the arrival of Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro in 1532, the Inca empire was already beginning to deteriorate due to bitter internal struggles between two brothers each wanting to be king. By 1533, Pizarro and his small band of men had effectively taken control of the region, with a few Inca stragglers fleeing into the mountains. Peru eventually gained its independence from Spain in 1821. 4. Standing about 8,000 feet above sea level in a tropical rainforest where the Andes and the Amazon meet, Machu Picchu is considered one of the world's greatest architectural and archaeological monuments, and was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1983. 5. Furthermore, the 32,592 hectares surrounding Machu Picchu have been declared a protected area in order to preserve the flora, fauna and geological formations, as well as the archeological remains. 6. Machu Picchu was discovered on July 24, 1911, by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham. Four years after his astounding discovery of Machu Picchu, Bingham discovered additional Inca sites along what is now known as the Inca Trail, including Llactapata, Runkuraqay, Sayacmarca, and Phuyupatamarca. 7. When Bingham unearthed the “lost” ruins of Machu Picchu nearly a hundred years ago, he believed it was the last refuge of the Incas. Certainly it was hidden from outsiders, and was never mentioned in the writings of the Spanish conquerors of Peru. Nevertheless, not much is known of Machu Picchu's history (much is speculation), which only serves to make this mysterious site even more fascinating! 8. The Incas left behind them monumental stone constructions, built by joining stone to stone without using any cement or adhesive whatsoever, yet strong enough to withstand centuries of earthquakes (which is more than you can say about most modern world constructions!). 9. The Incas also left behind the most extensive and impressive road networks in the ancient world. Many of these have been rediscovered, and some of them have been cleared. The Inca Trail is one such road - part of a network that once penetrated the thick rainforest growing on either side of the Urubamba river. At the end of the Inca Trail lies Machu Picchu. 10. Cuzco was the capital of the ancient Inca Empire - the cultural and religious focus of the empire. Today, about 300,000 people live in Cuzco and many of the remains of the old Inca stonework serve as foundations for modern-day buildings. 11. Cuzco was not a suitable capital for the Spanish conquerors due to its inland location. Since they depended on the sea for communication and reinforcement, they instead founded the city of Lima on the coast. 12. Less than one hour’s drive northwest of Cuzco lies the valley of the Urubamba River. The Urubamba - the Sacred River of the Incas - winds its way around the base of Putucusi mountain, passing Machu Picchu 2,000 feet beneath the famous citadel, and continues on into the tropical rain forest of the Amazon Basin. Urubamba means "place of bugs and spiders" - but most people prefer to call the area "The Sacred Valley." (Sounds much more enticing, doesn't it?) 13. Spanish is the main spoken language in Peru but Quechua (the language of the Incas) is spoken by about 10 million people living in Cuzco and southern Peru. Quechua was not written down until the sixteenth century and thus there are many different ways of transcribing it. (For example, Inca can also be spelled Inka.) 14. Each year in June Cuzco celebrates the Inti Raymi Festival, the most important festival of the Inca Empire. The Inti Raymi Festival or "sun festival" celebrates the winter solstice. The sun was the primary idol of the Incans and on the solstice they celebrated the return of the sun, which would provide food, life and health to the Incan people. 15. Speaking of food - Peru's tradition for good eating and drinking goes back to the days of the Incas. Prepare your taste buds for some interesting meat and fish dishes such as lomo saltado and ceviche. (Check out the recipes in our Peru Adventure Chef). But, if you really want to "go local", order cuy which is...guinea pig!! For more information and reservations, please contact: Mountain Travel Sobek 1266 66th Street, Suite 4 Emeryville, CA 94608 USA Toll Free (USA and Canada): 1-888-831-7526 Phone: +1-510-594-6000 Fax: + 1-510-594-6001 Email: info@mtsobek.com