Machupicchu--the tax relief

Since my sister came to visit, we headed straight to Cusco to see the Wonder of the World Machupicchu. But before I show you that I want you to see a picture of Ollytantambo near the Valley of the Sacred Inca. I had never heard of it before but I thought it was really nice and if you're ever in Peru, be sure to check it out.
Photo of Ollytantambo.

From there we headed to Machupicchu. Macchupicchu is referred to as the Lost Inca city because it was built during the 15th century and then abandoned by the Inca Empire because of civil war. Nobody actually lived there for centuries but to get there people would do the Inca Trail which is a four day trek to get to Machupicchu. The Inca Trail has become a huge tourist attraction but I did not fool myself into thinking that my body could handle going all the way up there. Especially if you can get there by bus and train anyway.

Machupicchu sits high at over 7000 feet above sea level and it is hard to believe that the city made of white granite was built using human, manual labour and not the machinery that exists today.
The city was 'discovered' by a North American Professor Hiram Bingham who went to Peru doing research on the Inca Empire in 1910. Well lets not say 'discovered' since peruvians knew that it existed; but since it was abandoned and Peru has SO MANY ruins, they kind of just didn't really pay that much attention to it. They say that only 10% of the ruins in the country has been discovered so that goes to say how much there is to see. Most of the other ruins haven't been found yet because they sit at very high altitudes in the mountains and are so hard to reach. The altitude sickness that you experience is enough to deter you from trying to find these places. You have to move so slowly anyway because of the lack of oxygen when you are climbing some of the ruins around Cusco.
But what I think is a better way of saying this is that the Professor was the first to make Machupicchu public to the rest of the world. The people who lived near Cusco knew that Machupicchu existed but no one actually went there becuase it was so hard to reach. Anyway, with the help of a young indigenous boy as his guide, the Professor made his way to Machupicchu.
When they got to Macchupicchu they found two families living there. And can you believe why the two families were there i.e 2,430 mtrs/some 7970 feet above sea level?
You'll never guess this...
They had moved to Machupicchu--the middle of nowhere--

to

avoid

paying

taxes.

...

?
??
???

?!

WOW!

Is anyone flabberghasted by this?? Because I really am!!
I mean I understand that times were hard but come on!! I guess if you thought Jamaicans were bad, or people in the States were bad about filing taxes, those two indigenous families just kinda took the cake for me.
I guess Machupicchu is not only one of the 7 Wonders of the World, it may just be the best way to escape the IRS.
Anyway below are the pictures of Machupicchu..until you go there, you just can't believe it exists.

Here is my sister:And here I am:


Photos taken by Danielle and Shani Roper