All language subtitles for Amazing.Railway.Adventures.with.Nick.Knowles.S01E01.1080p.HDTV.H264-DARKFLiX

I'm travelling the world by train

on a series of incredible journeys.

Right on cue.

There'll be spectacular scenery.

It's absolutely stunning.

I genuinely can't believe I'm here.

Somebody pinch me.

I'll meet amazing people...

I brought some rope and some fruit.

...who push me to my limits

in extraordinary places.

And show me astonishing sights.

HE CHUCKLES

Oh, my word, look at that.

I'm holding a piece of real
artwork.

That's ridiculously
good!

I discover incredible feats of
engineering.

I have a feeling this might be
another switch back.

And I'll go

beyond the tourist trail,

to find out what life's like along
the track.

I'm very rarely stuck for words,
but I have to say, this is one

of the most gobsmacking
places I've ever been.

Skol, everyone.

These are my amazing railway
journeys.

So sit back,

put your feet up, and enjoy the
ride.

All aboard!

It's just so much fun!

This week, I'm in Peru, travelling
on one of South America's highest

railways through the land
of the Incas.

I've been wanting to come here since
I was nine, ten years old.

I'll be visiting the floating
homes of Lake Titicaca.

It's difficult to believe
these aren't solid islands.

This is all floating on reed
islands that they built themselves.

And exploring Peru's ancient
history.

It's just so beautiful.

Welcome to Puno, in southern Peru,
a city more than 12,000 feet

above sea level.

And I have to tell you, even walking
along here, I'm feeling every foot

of that altitude.

But this is where our adventure
starts.

I'm travelling on the Peru Rail
Titicaca train, taking me

from the city of Puno to Cusco,

the ancient capital of the Incas.

And on to my final destination,

magnificent Machu Picchu.

The first leg of my journey
will take around ten hours,

as we wind through 240 miles
of epic scenery.

Well, this is very plush.

There's a couple of passenger
compartments.

The loos are posh, aren't they?
Wood-panel led.

This is the all-important
kitchens, as they serve food

all the way along.

There's a bar carriage.

Wow, look at this.

And this is the viewing carriage!

Feels like you're in a movie.

It's incredible!

HORN

He sounds the horn every time
he comes to a level crossing.

Well, I say level crossing,

there's no barriers for the cars.

It's just where the track
goes through the road.

Back in the UK,

we'd have barriers on both sides.

Here, it's just sound the horn, hope
that everybody gets out of the way.

About an hour from Puno, we roll

through the bustling city of
juliaca...

Right through the middle
of town. ..where the daily market

is interrupted by the train running
through terrifyingly close.

This is nuts.

We're literally inches from the
awnings of these stalls.

And people stood right next to the
train as it goes by.

As soon as we've rumbled
through, the stallholders whip

out their goods, instantly
covering the tracks.

Hola.

One of the most popular spots
on the Titicaca train is the bar

carriage, and Peru's most famous
cocktail is top of the list.

This is a big bottle of pisco. Yeah.

Demonia De Los Andes.

The Demon of the Andes.
Demon of the Andes?

Nice.

Like the sound of that.

Joining me is our translator, Bebe.

You know all about the pisco sour?

Of course. Would you like a pisco
sour?

Pisco is our national drink.

Is it true that there's
a national holiday?

There's a national holiday
for pisco.

For pisco sour, for roasted chicken,
for ceviche, for pachamanca.

We love having holidays for food.
Yeah. Great.

So, what is pisco?
It's a brandy made of grape.

That's the basis of it. Yes. Right.

3oz of pisco.

So I have simple syrup here.

What's this?

This is lime juice.

Fresh lime juice.

Egg white. Egg white?

This is the most important
ingredient.

It'll make it foamy.

Sir,
I am going to need your help.

I need your help.

Please shake it strong.

Like.

Like last night.
Like last night?

Yes!

Where did that come from?!

I think that was a very blue joke.

I think that was...

She's completely gone.

We have the pisco sour.

Yeah. just.

I'll go through just a couple
of drops.

Lovely. Cheers.

Oh, that's very good.

It is nice. but doesn't actually
taste the alcoholic, either.

These are dangerous.
You could have a few of these.

That's true. It is dangerous. Yeah.

And then at the “fwd one,
you're gone.

Oh, sir, you like?
It's lovely.

I think it's really lovely.
SHE SPEAKS SPANISH

Brilliant.

More than 125 miles into this epic
journey, we're now climbing even

higher into the Peruvian Andes.

The landscape has changed
from the plains earlier,

into this mountainous terrain
and fields of alpaca,

because this is where they live
up at altitude, where they thrive.

Our next stop is said
to be the fourth-highest railway

station in the world.

So this is La Raya, the highest
point of the entire journey,

at around 14,000 feet, which is
almost halfway up Everest,

as a comparison for you.
They have a little market here.

There's a little chapel.

I want to go and investigate.

It's only a 15-minute stop,
but that's enough time for me to

look for a quick bargain or two.

I kind of like this one
because it's got designs

with the alpaca on.

100...

100? Uh-huh, for you.

I'm caught between what to buy,
actually.

Amigo... Got a big sell going on.

Literally, I can't get
a word in edgeways.

I feel like I should have a look
around.

But then, you know, she's put in
so much work, hasn't she?

OK, so what's the total
for two? 140 for you. 120?

120?

Okay doke'.!

That's good
business there, I think.

Right there. That's good.

There you go.

I gave her 150.

HE COUGHS

What's happening?

No, thank you very much.

I got two thank you. Here we go.

She is getting... She had another
sale going on.

That was...

OK, amigo. Thank you.

No time for any more haggling,

the train is setting off to continue
this remarkable journey.

Ciao.

Still to come on the next leg
of my Peruvian adventure...

...sailing out onto
sapphire-blue waters to visit some

incredible man-made islands.

I don't know what I had in my head,
but it wasn't this.

This is so much more amazing.

I'm on the first leg of my railway
adventure through southern Peru.

And I've come to the shores
of Lake Titicaca to get out

onto the water.

More than 500 years ago,
these waters were a safe haven

for the ancient Uros.

It's thought when the Inca empire
were gaining power across Peru,

the Uros escaped their invasion
by taking to the lake and building

floating reed Islands like these.

Created entirely from the totora
roots and reeds that grow

here and anchored to eucalyptus
rods, so they don't drift away.

As you look around, it's difficult
to believe

these aren't solid islands.

This is all floating on reed islands
that they built themselves.

It's incredible.

Not just the islands, but houses
and even some of the boats are made

of reeds too.

While their lifestyle is mostly
traditional, income from tourism

allows the Uros to live
in the 21st century.

They've got generators, they've got
electricity, they've got solar

panels, they've got hotels
they can put tourists up in.

They've all got boats
that they can give tours on.

There's schools, apparently, for the
kids

on these islands. It's...

I don't know what I had in my head.
But it wasn't this.

This is so much more amazing.

Across these lush waters
lies the island of Tattoo.

Hello. Marco,

the president of the island,
is here to greet me.

Marco... Let me get this off.

Thank you very much for being here.

It's my pleasure to be here.

I brought some rope and some
fruit.

OK. Excellent. I'm glad I could be
of help.

Who's this?

It's my grandchild. Hello. How are
you?

Fist bump there! Good.

He is my son.

The Uros speak
Aymara, one of about 50 indigenous

languages still spoken in Peru.

It's amazing.

I have to say, first off, standing
on this island, it's not bouncing

or anything, but it's very squashy.

However, I'm not on dry, well,
squashy land for long, as Marco

is taking me fishing.

The Uros still follow a traditional
lifestyle of fishing and farming.

So are these, these nets you put out
earlier today?

Like, literally pebbles
tied onto it.

That's the weights that are holding
the nets down.

Your floats to hold
the top of it.

May I see?

And can you eat this?

Si.

There's the size of fish
that we're talking about.

So, Marcus, how many of these do
you need to catch to make a meal?

There you go. So the haul of the
net so far.

These small fish

are a staple of the Uros' diet.

For foods they can't grow
on the islands,

like potatoes and grain,

they barter with the mainlanders.

Why do you continue to live
this life, Marcos?

Would it not be easier to live
on the mainland?

Yeah. So, what did we get? What
food?

31 fish is good enough for a meal?
Excellent.

Yeah, what is "thank you" in
Aymara?

SPEAKS A'! MARA

NICK REPEATS

SPEAKS A'! MARA

You speak like a local.

LAUGHTER

I do not...
I do not speak like a local!

But thank you very much.
You're very generous.

OK, so now...
Now, I can take us out.

Let's get us out of here.

The very first thing that strikes me
is on an island made of straw

and reeds, you have fire.

Is that not the worst possible
combination?

We just might be careful!

That we don't get a big fire!

Many times before cooking,
we have to watering around.

Oh, that's interesting.

Hopefully you enjoy this.

Thank you.

So, as far as I can see, three
types of potato.

That's one type of potato.

Oka.

And then...? Dehydrated.

Potatoes come from Peru,

so not surprisingly, they're a big
part of everyday meals here.

Wow.

That's a very different type
of potato - very grainy.

We dehydrate just in the winter.

That's unusual, that.

Well, now, that one is almost
fruity flavoured.

These taste very different.
A bit of fish.

Oh, that's delicious.

Thank you so much for allowing me
to come and visit your village

and to join in with some
of the activities.

It's been a really beautiful
insight...

...into the way you live.

What an hon our to see people
so committed to preserving

their way of life.

And there's so much more
still to see.

Back on the train, there's nearly
100 miles to go before we get

to the city of Cusco.

I'm not dancing. I'm staying
still...with the sway of train.

It's some skill, actually,

to be able to dance
on a moving train.

Ho!

Doesn't matter whether you're in a
bar in Dublin or a train in Peru,

everybody likes to dance, don't
they?

I've got to say, I am loving this.

What a way to travel.

You get to see all the countryside
and you go through towns.

You see the colours, the people.

Got music, you're dancing, you got
food on the train.

And it's much more social
than a British train.

Everybody's chatting away to each
other, making friends already.

I really would recommend
you give this a go!

After travelling nearly 240 miles,

the light is fading as I reach
my next destination.

So as the sun sets, this is us

pulling into Wanchaq Station in
Cusco.

Fabulous.

It's a beautiful morning
here in Cusco.

This was once the ancient capital
of the Inca Empire, and it's now one

of Peru's top tourist attractions.

To get a real flavour of this
place.

I've come to the city's
most ancient market.

For me, when you travel
to a new place, it's always

a good idea to get into the market
if it's safe, and it is here.

There's every kind of fruit
and vegetable on sale.

He's drying pumpkins in here.

Beautiful bit of pumpkin.
Hola.

Look at the vibrant colours.

Isn't it lovely?

It's like a piece of art, isn't it?

Thank you very much.

Gracias!

TANNOY IN SPANISH

This is the Peruvian equivalent of,
"Come on up, get your strawberries.

"Come and get your strawberries
here!"

This part of the market is known
as the Andean Hospital,

because here all the herbs
that they used to make local brews

to help you with altitude sickness
and many other illnesses, too.

These are all people who've
gathered stuff from natural plants

and brought them down here to sell.

So this little herb...
Sorry. Excuse me.

...is Andean mint.
After you.

It's a little herb they use
to make a tea, which helps

with altitude sickness.

Excuse me.

And it smells of mint.
It's a very tasty tea,

actually, I've been using
it whilst I've been here.

After you.

I've still got some time
to kill before my next train.

So I'm heading out of the city
to view the world-renowned

Moray Inca ruins.

But I'm not just here for
the archaeology.

Inside this modest building is one
of Peru's most exclusive

restaurants - Mil Centro.

This is where the wealthy
rub shoulders.

So I've dressed suitably
for the occasion.

Welcome!

Owner Virgilio Martinez was named
one of the

world's best chefs, in 2018.

Please, come.

And his restaurants are famous
the world over.

Before I taste so much as a bite,
Virgilio wants to show me

his food lab.
So this is the lab?

Yeah, this is the lab.

You see the guys here cataloguing
ingredients, plants and different

seeds, fruits that we use.

Ancl then we have some
ingredients here.

These varieties of corn.
Barks.

You cook with the bark?

Yeah.
With the infusion, with the barks.

The restaurant's philosophy centres
on the celebration of indigenous

ingredients grown in the surrounding
highlands.

The idea is basically to use
things that probably we've never

used before in gastronomy.

Making this possible is a team
of botanists and biologists

researching and experimenting
with taste and texture combinations

of the regional produce.

So do you come here sometimes
after being away for two weeks

and they say, "We've discovered this
amazing thing"? Yes.

Ancl then they produce
the information

and then I need to Google
that information.

Right.

Local farmers grow the produce
for the restaurant.

And there's one ingredient
that takes centre stage.

Sorry about this, because
I have to mention potatoes.

Peru, the country of potatoes.

The obsession that we have with
potatoes. Yes!

It seems that everyone here,
from the poorest to the poshest,

is obsessed with the humble spud.

Different sizes, different
shapes, different colours.

You know, we're producing like 120
over here in this farm.

But that's nothing. In all,

there's said to be well
over 3,000 potato varieties here.

Look at the colours, you know.

Wow, that's incredible.

We're using the skin of the potato.

We're using the sweetness
of the potato, where you see

the texture of the potatoes.

We're using also the potatoes
as a thickener.

So...
Cos of the starch. Yes.

You know, it will be a mistake
if we see potatoes just as a side

dish for, for us - the main
protagonist is the potato.

Who would have thought the potato
could come in so many varieties?

Incredible.

Back in the Virgilio's restaurant,

I'll get to savour these flavours
in an extraordinary menu.

That's ridiculously good!

And I'll be discovering
some hidden treasures.

I can't tell you how excited I am!

I'm holding a piece of real artwork.

I am on an epic railway adventure
across the incredible landscape

of Peru, and I've finally reached
the ancient city of Cusco.

I'm up in the hills at exclusive
restaurant Mil Centro, owned

by world-renowned chef
Virgilio Martinez.

He's serving me a selection
of dishes from his extraordinary

eight-course dining experience...

Look at these crispy textures.
..that would set you back

more than £200 per person.

Coming from this..

...freeze-dried potatoes.

Freeze drying was first invented by
the Incas,

as a way of preserving
potatoes. This...

And what's in the sauce?

Tamarillo.

Tree tomato.

The tamarillo, or tree tomato,
is native to Peru, too.

Oh, that's amazing. Hint of tomato.

But a lot more... I don't know what
it is, pineapple,

or...? There's something else
in that flavour, that's...

It's the fermentation of the
tree tomato that Manuel is doing.

Next is the unique combination
of fava bean and butter,

flavoured with elderberry.

Put a little bit on the fava
bean cake.

That's like a sweet butter.

Delicious, absolutely delicious.

So basically here we want to break
some protocols about like, you know,

about the fine dining.

You know, like, you can use
your fingers, you can, you know,

enjoy this because in a way,
this has to be more rustic.

Drinks are just as unusual,
specially created to match

with each course.

This is a potato drink?

Yeah. Of course it is.

Alcohol that we're getting

from the fermentation of potato.

Ancl then we add the juice
that is coming from the cacao.

Come on.
That's ridiculously good.

OK, so there's a little bit
of lime in there as well..

Lime flavour? No, is the juice of
the cacao.

Is it really?
Yeah. I like it a lot.

I could get into a lot
of trouble drinking

that because that's very easy
to drink.

That's a very easy drink.
Beautiful cocktail, yeah.

Amazing what you can do
with a potato.

The whole idea is to give
you the sense of place and also

this sense of identity.

I'm proud of being a Peruvian, also.

It's a joy.

Next morning, I'm back on the train.

With nearly 70 miles to go
before I reach my final goal,

Machu Picchu.

From San Pedro Station in Cusco,

already at high altitude,

we climb quickly out of the city
and then begin the descent

to Machu Picchu.

It's so steep, it set railway
engineers a huge challenge.

This is their solution.

It's called el zigzag.

So what they do is, to get uphill,

they go up one way and then go
into reverse and go up a bit higher,

and then switch the track and go
a bit higher and switch the track

and go a bit higher.

I have a feeling this might
be another switch back.

So we've come to a stop now,
wait for the jolt,

which will be the engine.

Instead of pushing, it will pull
and the links will make it go.

There's the jolt.

And now...

...the train's pulling us instead
of pushing us. Am I sounding a bit

nerdy about trains?

It's just such a cool way to go
up a really steep mountain.

It takes half an hour for the train

to snake up this mountainside

on five switchbacks.

Wow, that's a view.

I can actually see the train
ahead of us, the engine pulling us

around the bend.

The power in that engine

to be pulling all of this weight
600,

700 feet up from Cusco.

And it works because of
these switch backs.

For the next leg of this journey,
I'm joined by industrial historian

Claudia Alvarez, who's going
to educate me on the history

of Peru's trains.

Trains are obviously very important
to Peru, very big country, long

distances, high altitudes.

And this switchback is an amazing
piece of engineering.

I don't think I've seen
that anywhere else.

I think
they were all going crazy.

She was telling me of...
"No, no, no, it can't leave.

"No, it's going to be impossible."

Ancl then we're here now
and said, "You made it."

You see, when you when you talk
about this, you're A, very excited

because you obviously love
trains but also very proud of it.

And that was the first steam
train that did this line?

Yes. So did steam used to do the
switchbacks?

Used to do
that with the steam train?!

These are, these are incredible
pictures.

I want to explore more of Peru's
fascinating history,

so next, I'm heading into the sacred
valley of the Incas.

At its height, the Inca Empire

stretched from Ecuador and Peru

all the way down to southern Chile,

until the Incas were defeated

by the Spanish in the 16th century.

This is Ollantaytambo, which was
the scene of huge resistance

by the Incas to the Spanish.

That's not why I'm here.

I'm here for this, Machu Colca,
an archaeological site that is yet

to be fully explored.

Joining me is archaeologist
Daniel O'Shea.

So, Daniel, what is this site?

OK.
This site is called Machu Colca.

Machu means old, and colca
is storeroom.

So this is a system of ancient
terraced storerooms.

So here is where they would
have been storing most likely food

products like corn, potatoes,
different grains.

So what age are we talking about?
What are you discovering?

Are we going Inca or...?

So, Inca originally.

Ancl then pre-lnca.

So we're talking in the region
of about 900 to 1,200 CE

of the common era.

So just before the, the Inca.

OK.
I've done a bit of archaeology.

I've joined in with some
archaeological digs

on the east coast of America
and some in the UK as well.

So... Yeah. ..I'd like... To tick
off Peru on your list.

That would be great.

Long before the Incas arrived,
Peru was home

to many indigenous cultures.

Traces of the Cilcay, who were
famously skilled potters are hidden

within these hills.

I'm so excited to be here.

May I have a go at the base?
Absolutely.

I'm going to start with the brush
first and see what

we can clear from the edge.

Until I can get to whatever

it's sat in.

There you go.

It's loosened of its own
accord just by clearing

what was on the sides of it.

But that's good.

I can't tell you how excited I am,
but this is just ridiculously exciting.

So, very carefully...

Yeah.
It's come.

Oh, my word, look at that.
Fantastic.

Can you see here?
So here's the nose.

The mouth.

What appears to be something

underneath the lip, like a V,

maybe a chin or maybe a piece
of jewellery or something.

And then a very angular eye up here.

Ancl these almond-shaped eyes.

This is classic of the Cilcay style
of working with ceramics.

So, like 900 to 1200.
Oh, my...

I'm holding a piece of real artwork.

After, after years and years as an
archaeologist doing this,

do you still get us excited?
Because I'm literally

vibrating with excitement.

Absolutely. It's thrilling. It's
thrilling.

It's just, it's extraordinary.

This piece that we just lifted, with the
face on, that's going to end up in a museum.

It's got to, hasn't it?
I think so.

It's a very beautiful piece.

I could stay here for weeks.

You could. Honestly,
this is heaven for me.

It's absolutely fantastic.

Thank you.
Not at all.

My pleasure.

The ceramic piece gets a gentle
wash,

revealing its brilliant
colours.

It's stunning.
It's just so beautiful.

And I'm almost speechless.

After that extraordinary find,
I'm back on the train for the last

stretch of my trip...

It certainly feels like
we're heading towards jungle.

...where I'll finally get to see
the iconic Machu Picchu citadel.

It's absolutely stunning.

I genuinely can't believe I'm here.

Somebody pinch me.

I'm on a railway adventure
through Peru, and fast approaching

the end of the line, and the climax
of my journey, the town

of Machu Picchu Pueblo.

The landscape has changed
dramatically.

We're starting to see more rapids
in the river here, and the

vegetation has gone from just
cactuses in sort of dry sandy

conditions, to lush vegetation.

It certainly feels like
we're heading towards a jungle,

almost like temperate rainforest,

now, before you get to the jungle.

Quite beautiful.

There are no roads here.

You walk or you take the train.

Making it the perfect destination
for my railway journey.

And finally, we're here,

Machu Picchu Pueblo.

Amazingly, this place didn't exist
before the railway came along.

It was built for somewhere
for the railway workers to live.

Now, the archaeological ruins
were discovered at about the same

time as this was built.

But it wasn't built to come
to the ruins.

In fact, people only started
using it to visit, some

20 years later.

Now, of course, it's almost
exclusively people coming

to see the archaeology.

Let's have a look around.

It's great to finally get
to this town, just a few miles

from the sacred ruins.

But as I arrive, crowds
of tourists are pouring in, too.

1.5 million visitors come every
year, and every day they leave

behind more than five tonnes
of rubbish.

But I'm meeting hotel founder
Jose Kettler, who's come

up with an ingenious solution.

So you have an extraordinary
set-up here,

because Machu Picchu, people

come from all over the world,
but they leave a lot of waste,

whether it be plastic or cooking
oil or food.

Your stroke of genius was
when you came up with - and I'm

going to grab a handful of it here -

is this -
that you produce.

Biochar? What's this...
Carbon.

It's, it has little, little holes.

You combine it with the compost
and they create the best

land-recovery system that you can
have.

To make biochar, organic waste
like vegetable scraps is baked

at a high temperature, with no
oxygen present, which turns

it into a form of charcoal.

It holds on to both nutrients
and moisture.

So when dug into soil,
it boosts its fertility.

Why did you decide to do this?

Why were you the person
that steps up and said, "I'm not

"going to have this happen"?

Let's say it's my vocation
to be involved in things of nature,

and let's say that it's my business.

We have a couple of hotels here,

so if this area has a bad name

and tourism goes down,

it's against my business.

What was once a problem
has enabled the creation

of something quite beautiful.

What we are doing here is we are
recovering biodiversity.

By digging

biochar into the empty grassland
surrounding Jose's hotel.

The cloud forest
here has been revived.

It's the largest collection
of native orchid species

in their habitat in the world.

This isn't the only conservation
work happening in the area.

A short walk away, I discover
another project.

Despite living in Spain
for two years,

I speak very little Spanish, but one
of the few words I do know

is mariposa, because my favourite
bar was called the Mariposa Bar,

and it means butterfly.

This extraordinary butterfly house
has been set up to conserve

and protect hundreds of species.

This is a breeding program me for
500 different butterflies, about 100

of which are native to Machu Picchu.

So this huge butterfly is an owl
butterfly.

And the reason is because - I don't
know if you can see the markings there.

There's one big eye on your side.

There's a big eye on this side
as well.

And so when they open their wings,
predators think it's an owl face.

Just one of the many species
of butterfly there is up here

in the cloud forest.

And the reason he's sitting on my
hand is we cheated a little bit

and put a bit of salt on there.

They love salt.

When this owl butterfly
opens its wings, it's almost the

size of a saucer.

It's huge.

Peru actually has 4,777 types
of butterfly.

When the butterflies reach
adulthood, they return to the wild.

Hasn't gone far, to be honest.

It felt like - just cos
I was there

when you came out your
chrysalis, I'm not your mum.

Here we go, I think, probably,

why don't we get you up in the tree
as well? Where you're going

to be safe.

That's kind of magical.

Yeah, that was kind of lovely.

COCKEREL CROWS

Next morning, I'm up at dawn to get
the bus to the citadel, the star

attraction of Machu Picchu.

So it's 6:05, and there's a massive
queue already formed for the buses

that take you to Machu Picchu.

This is a car-less town, so the only
way you can get from here

to Machu Picchu is to pick
up the bus.

It doesn't matter
whether you're making a film

or just here as a tourist,
you all stand in the same queue

and get on the first bus
that comes along, which is going

to be this one, I think.

If you're wondering how the buses
got to a town with no roads, even

they were brought in by train.

It's a bouncy old road, isn't it?

Yeah.

Where are you from?
From France, from Paris.

Ancl we made the Inca train.

We walk during two clays to go
to Machu Picchu, and that's a very,

very good walk.

Did you not see the train go
by and think, "I wish I was on"?

No!

I'm - actually, now we're getting
close,

really excited to see the place.

Having climbed the Andean mountains

to a dizzying 7,000 feet,

breaking through the mist is the

Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

And what a spectacle it is.

I've been wanting to come
here since I was...

...maybe nine, ten years old.

My father had a whole load
of encyclopaedias that I used to

page through, and I picked out
Machu Picchu on hope that one day

I would see it.

It's absolutely stunning.

I genuinely can't believe I'm here.

Somebody pinch me...!

It's just extraordinary.

The citadel was built in the 15th
century, and construction

was no mean feat.

It's thought to have taken thousands
of labourers more than

50 years to complete.

So this is the main plaza,

the priest's house over there.

You've got the place where
they tethered the sun, up there.

Here's the room that represents
the three worlds.

The high, the middle, the low,
known as the condor, the puma,

and the snake.

But for me, I don't care
how nerdy it is,

my favourite bit is the stonework
in the corner.

Look at the quality of the joining
there! He-he!

I got talking to Melbin -

she's a tour guide and could tell me
more about the life

in this ancient city.

This was a religious economical
farming centre.

OK.

So did people stay here
and live here permanently?

This was a permanent city
and it is calculated that between

600 to 800 people lived here
permanently.

But this was an active city
that had people coming and going,

bringing stuff, bringing food,
bringing salt, bringing supplies.

So if the Incas chose this, is
because there was something magical

about the place.
Take a look.

This is a wedding between the nature
and human being.

Machu Picchu will be nothing
without the landscape.

Ancl the landscape will be nothing
without Machu Picchu.

This is like a deal.

I love your enthusiasm and your love
of the subject.

Why does it mean so much to you?

I'm descendant of Incas.

I'm descendant of the Spanish as
well.

But my heart is Inca 100%,
so I'm very proud of that.

Melbin's right,

you know, it's not just the city,
it's the setting.

Seeing this really is the ultimate
prize after what's

been an extraordinary trip.

They say the journey is
the destination, but if your final

destination is this, the journey
has got a lot to live up to.

I've had some unforgettable
experiences.

I don't know what I had in my head,
but it wasn't this.

This is so much more amazing.

That's ridiculously good.

And learned so much about
this country's fascinating history.

I'm holding a piece of real artwork.

I have to say, going by train
across Peru,

has been epic.
I've loved every second of it.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media