How to earn 10 million a day on old stones. The experience of Peru

The main tourist pearl of Peru is Machu Picchu, the legendary Inca city located in the heart of the Andes. Everyone who was friends with geography at school knows this. But few people know that the Peruvians managed to make a phenomenally successful commercial enterprise out of it. But Sergey Dolya got to the truth.

Meanwhile, the bus to Machu Picchu alone costs 1,500 rubles, plus 2,800 for an entrance ticket. The tourist rush began after Machu Picchu received UNESCO World Heritage Status. However, this imposed its own limitations. Today, only 2,500 people are allowed into the ancient city per day: a simple calculation allows you to calculate that only at the entrance Peru receives 10 million rubles every day.

The ancient city can be reached by shuttle bus, which runs every ten minutes. There is also a train option, but it is even more expensive (about $ 70). It's pretty cramped inside. You can't walk on the cars. And entry is prohibited on your own transport.

The beauty of Peru opens from the train window:

Getting off the train, you get to Disneyland. In the sense that at every step you are being bred for money. Ponchos, umbrellas, souvenirs, stalls and so on. All this, of course, is exorbitantly expensive.

A tourist town has been built under Machu Picchu, which consists of hotels, restaurants and other tourist infrastructure facilities. In the morning, the city is empty, like Pripyat, and in the evening, when its inhabitants descend from the mountains, it begins to come to life.

However, let's go back to Machu Picchu. You can take buses from the tourist town to the location itself. There are a lot of them here. The ticket costs $24. Why do I need a bus? The fact is that Machu Picchu is high, surrounded by mountains and it is very difficult to get to it on foot.

There is also a trail with a long queue at the top. They move slowly. You don't run around much and don't walk around.

But authentic mountain houses are already visible.

Finally, a view of the ancient city opens before your eyes.

The observation deck is located on a clean terrace, from where thousands of selfies are taken daily.

Machu Picchu is popular not only with visitors, but also with locals. Some even come in national costumes.

The city itself stands on a flat mountain plateau.

You can get there only through the guardhouse, which regulates the flow of tourists.

Actually, Machu Picchu surprised me. I thought that I would see another ruin, I thought that this place was very "publicized", and the attention to it was exaggerated. But it turned out that it fully meets all expectations.

The city of Machu Picchu was erected in the XV century as the imperial residence of the ruler of Pachacuteca Yupanqui. It was built for 80 years, but it was never completed. The Spaniards came, the Incas abandoned the city and fled into the jungle. Therefore, the Spaniards did not find Machu Picchu, did not plunder and did not break it. Everything has been preserved exactly as it was, only overgrown with grass.

The city is divided into two parts: in one lived the nobility, in the other — workers and peasants. Both there and there are very narrow passages.

There are underground caves under the city. Over time, because of the rain, they are destroyed, and some temple buildings begin to move apart.

A couple of panoramas for a complete impression: