On the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Machu Picchu in 1911 by Hiram Bingham III, Heriberto Sedeno visited this site on November 2011. Bingham was an academic, explorer, treasure hunter and politician from the US.

1. HERIBERTO SEDENO VISITS MACHU PICCHU,
THE LOST CITY OF THE INCAS

2. On the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Machu Picchu in
1911 by Hiram Bingham III, Heriberto Sedeno visited this site on
November 2011.
Bingham was an academic, explorer, treasure hunter and
politician from the US. He made known to the world the
existence of the Quechua citadel of Machu Picchu in 1911 with
the guidance of local indigenous farmer. He was not a trained
archeologist. Yet, it was during his time as a lecturer in South
American history at Yale University that he discovered the
largely forgotten city of Machu Picchu.

3. Machu Picchu has become one of the major tourist attractions in
South America; Bingham is recognized as the man who brought
this site to world attention with the help of Melchor Arteaga, a
local farmer who led Bingham to this ancient Inca empire site.
The starting point to visit the “Lost City of the Incas” is at the
City of Cuzco, also known as “the Navel of the World” since the
start of the Inca civilization in the 15th century. At 11,200 feet
elevation, Cusco is an archeological hub of the Americas, the
continent’s oldest continuous inhabited city and a UNESCO World
Heritage site.

4. From Cuzco, Mr. Sedeno took a 1.5 hr. train journey to Aguas
Calientes the entry point to Machu Picchu, where during the Inca
Empire housed in its more than 100 dwellings, over 1,000
inhabitants worked and worshipped. This compound is called the
Royal residence of the Inca because of its fine construction and
unique features: a private garden, sentry house and bathrooms.
It houses, The Temple of the Sun which echoes the circular shape
of the outcrop on which it is built. The Temple features a window
which rays of the June solstice sunrise enters and falls parallel to
a line carved into a sacred rock.

5. Across a large plaza from the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of
the Condor rises from a rock formation that resembles wings.
The condor was revered by the Incas and a rock in front of the
wings has been carved to resemble the bird’s head.
It is interesting to note that tilled terraces on all sides of this
Royal Estate are visible. Inca farmers cultivated medicinal
herbs, potatoes, and corn for brewing alcoholic “chichi”.

6. After Mr. Sedeno finished this interesting tour he had lunch, a
delicious plate of llama meat stew with local potato, corn and
other vegetables, at the town of Ollantaytambo in the outskirts
of Machu Picchu. This town is known for its awe inspiring Inca
ruins. Late in the evening, Mr. Sedeno returned to Cuzco to
recall his everlasting experiences in the land of the Inca.