We arrived at Machu Picchu by a steam train on June 10th to spend two days in the ruins. It was almost fifty years since the American Hiram Bingham had been led there by two Peruvian farmers and at least 25 years before the ruins became the tourist destination and World Heritage site they are today. We were very lucky as strict entry controls had not been imposed and we camped in the ruins to see the dawn.

Over the years the way to Machu Picchu has changed considerably - first just simple but difficult mountain paths - then a route down the Urubamba river valley to open up rich agricultural land - then a railway line which bit by bit extended down the valley and is now broken due to severe flooding of the river in January 2010 The film clip opens with shots of the Urubamba river below the ruins and Malcolm McKernan's description of the Inca Empire

My footage was taken on a hand-held 16mm Swiss made clockwork wound Bolex camera. The film was black and white and for the TV channel in the west of England and for Wales. It is among the first film of Machu Picchu ever seen on TV. Sound with film would have been a big operaration in those days and Malcolm McKernan wrote and read the commentary back in England. Macolm's style is typical of the age and it has not been edited. Malcolm also wrote for the Western Daily Press in Bristol and the story about our journey to Machu Picchu includes a report on Lima. READ.

There is more about Machu Picchu and our visit in such quiet times in Nonesuch News READ for July 24th 2011 - the one hundreth anniversary of Bingham reaching the ruins only to find a name scrawled on a wall - a Peruvian Agustin Lizarraga had got there first.... ' Lizarraga 1902'

Tony Morrison July 24th 2011