Risk Updates — Professional Liability Opinions Review (Texas Edition), Client Conflicts Vetting on View in Corruption Trial, Litigation Referral Fee Concern


Court Reveals Madigan Vetted His Client List Assiduously, Excluding the Times He Didn’t” —

  • “Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s longtime law firm partner Vincent ‘Bud’ Getzendanner testified in Madigan’s defense against numerous federal charges last week.”
  • “One of the main themes of Getzendanner’s testimony was the property tax firm’s process of weeding out clients and potential clients who could pose a conflict of interest to Madigan.”
  • “Getzendanner testified ‘there would be a meeting once or twice a year involving Madigan’s statehouse legal staff regarding Madigan & Getzendanner clients,’ Sun-Times reporter Jon Seidel reported from the courtroom. Getzendanner would also periodically send the firm’s client list to some of Madigan’s Statehouse staffers so that they could check it against legislation that was currently before the Illinois House, Seidel noted.”
  • “The jury was also shown emails from Madigan’s legislative staffers to Getzendanner regarding inquiries about the firm’s clients, or whether some entities with issues before the legislature were clients.”
  • “‘There was a constant back and forth between Mike’s legislative staff and the law office,’ Getzendanner told jurors, according to Dave Byrnes with Courthouse News.”
  • “Getzendanner also testified that he had the final say about whether to bring in clients.”
  • “As an example, in a memo shown to jurors from Getzendanner to Madigan, Getzendanner wrote, ‘No file is accepted and opened until I do a review to determine if the firm’s representation would constitute a conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, with your legislative duties,’ reported the Tribune’s Jason Meisner.”
  • “Jurors were shown a chart of Madigan clients with notations from various folks about potential conflicts. ‘Most entries on the chart say, ‘no conflict,’’ reported Seidel. Madigan attorney Dan Collins highlighted one email that read, ‘possible appearance of conflict; principal owner of Walton is Neil Bluhm who is principal owner of Rivers Casino. Very thin connection, but err on side of caution.’”
  • “This thorough and nearly constant vetting process is why the people who thought they knew Madigan well firmly believed that he understood where the legal lines were and that he had never crossed them. Some still believe that’s true today.”
  • “Clients with land-transfer issues would definitely be screened out, Getzendanner testified, according to Seidel. ‘That’s a category where you absolutely could not take on a client.’”
  • “And yet, the prosecution has shown jurors evidence that Madigan did, indeed, work on legislation to help a real estate investor by trying to move a Chinatown land transfer bill through the House. The feds also presented evidence that allege a successful transfer would’ve resulted in legal business for Madigan & Getzendanner from that developer.”
  • “The deal was being put together by then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis, who became a mole for the FBI after being confronted with his own lawbreaking. As I’ve told you before, Madigan instructed Solis to reach out to Michael McClain to see if he could help. McClain was Madigan’s top advisor and the trial’s Madigan co-defendant.”
  • “OK, wait a second. Didn’t Getzendanner testify under oath that he had the final say in taking on new clients and that there was no way a client with a land transfer bill would ever be accepted? And wasn’t there a massive and ongoing client vetting process?”
  • “It doesn’t matter to the feds. Policies can be changed, after all. And they have enough recordings to suggest Madigan was pushing the bill and was being told he’d get a new client out of it.”
  • “‘One of my regrets is that I had any time spent with Danny Solis,’ Madigan told jurors, according to the Sun-Times.”

More on this matter: “Closing arguments begin in Mike Madigan federal corruption trial

V&E Law Firm Defense Team’s Annual Review of Texas Professional-Liability Opinions” —

  • “V&E’s Law Firm Defense team constantly monitors Texas judicial opinions that could impact liability for attorneys and law firms practicing in Texas and around the country. We summarize here what we considered to be the most important Texas judicial opinions of 2024 about which law firm general counsel and loss-prevention attorneys with regional, national, or international practices should be aware.”
  • “The Beaumont Court of Appeals Held That an Out-of-State Law Firm Was Not Subject to Personal Jurisdiction in Texas for Having Communications with a Prospective Texas Client About a Texas Matter. Oshman v. Wilkison, No. 09-23-00201-CV, 2024 WL 1100005 (Tex. App.—Beaumont Mar. 14, 2024, pet. filed)”
  • “Here, the out-of-state firm’s website advertised that it handled personal injury cases in all 50 states and invited potential clients to submit online case evaluation forms. The plaintiff, a Texas resident, submitted a form regarding a potential wrongful death matter in Texas. Lawyers at the firm had follow-up communications with the plaintiff and asked plaintiff to submit various other documents from Texas. Ultimately, the firm declined to take the matter. The plaintiff sued the firm in Texas arguing that the firm failed to properly advise plaintiff about a looming limitations issue.”
  • “Reversing the trial court on an interlocutory appeal, the court found that the firm was not subject to personal jurisdiction in Texas and rejected several arguments routinely employed to establish jurisdiction over an out-of-state firm. Among other things, the court held: (1) legal work done out of state did not establish jurisdiction in Texas, even if done on behalf of a Texas resident; (2) mere communications between an out-of-state firm and a Texas resident did not establish jurisdiction in Texas; (3) a firm website that is accessible to Texas residents did not establish jurisdiction in Texas when it was nationally accessible; and (4) discussing a prospective Texas matter with a Texas resident did not establish jurisdiction in Texas because the matter was never filed.”
  • “The plaintiff has asked the Texas Supreme Court to review this decision, but the Texas Supreme Court has not decided if it will grant a discretionary review.”
  • “The Houston Fourteenth Court of Appeals Held That a Law Firm Was Subject to Personal Jurisdiction in Texas for Work on an Out-of-State Matter Because It Solicited the Client (and its Affiliates) for Unrelated Work in Texas. Akerman, LLP v. Landry’s Seafood House-Florida, Inc., No. 14-23-00778-CV, 2024 WL 5051198 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Dec. 10, 2024, no pet. h.)”
  • “This opinion reached the startling conclusion that a Florida-based law firm was subject to personal jurisdiction in Texas for alleged legal malpractice committed when Florida attorneys performed legal services in Florida for a Florida-based plaintiff on a matter involving Florida real estate. The court acknowledged that no legal work on the underlying matter was performed in Texas, that the client was the one who reached out to the Florida attorneys for representation on the underlying matter, and that, although the firm had Texas offices, no Texas attorneys were involved in the underlying matter. Despite these facts, however, the court found the firm was subject to personal jurisdiction in Texas because there was evidence that the firm previously solicited unrelated work in Texas from the client and its Texas-based affiliated companies and that these solicitation efforts led to the firm’s hiring on the underlying matter.”
  • “The time period for the law firm to request a discretionary review by the Texas Supreme Court has not passed.”

RFK Jr.’s referral fees in litigation over Merck’s Gardasil raise conflict-of-interest questions: reports” —

  • “Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to continue to receive referral fees from a law firm that is suing pharma powerhouse Merck & Co. over the marketing and sale of one of its vaccines.”
  • “RFK Jr.’s plan—which was revealed (PDF) in a signed ethics agreement that was made public earlier this week—raises conflict-of-interest issues as he is seeking confirmation to run an agency that regulates Merck and other drugmakers.”
  • “The law firm, Wisner Baum, represents clients who are suing Merck for not warning that its HPV vaccine Gardasil could cause cervical cancer. RFK Jr. has played a key role in organizing Gardasil litigation in the U.S., according to Reuters, and has rights to 10% of fees recovered in certain cases.”
  • “The New York Times was first to make the link between Wisner Baum and the action it is taking against Merck and to report the associated concerns with RFK Jr. given his ethics statement.”
  • “Upon his potential confirmation, RFK Jr. said he would resign as a consultant for the firm but would still collect referral fees for cases that the company won, provided—per HHS and ethics committee review—that they don’t involve the U.S. “
  • “‘I will retain a contingency fee interest in cases that the ethics office of the Department of Health and Human Services has determined do not involve the United States as a party and in which the United States does not have a direct and substantial interest,’ RFK Jr. wrote in the document. ‘I am entitled to receive a portion of future recovery in these cases based upon the set percentage as set forth in the referral agreement.’”
  • “Conversely, in cases that do involve the U.S. government, RFK Jr. pledged to divest his financial interest, according to the filing. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program—a special legal system for suspected vaccine-related injuries—falls under HHS authority, so RFK Jr. would presumably divest his interest in any of those petitions.”
  • “RFK Jr. collected $856,000 from Wisner Baum last year, according to his financial disclosure form (PDF).”
  • “Besides the Gardasil litigation, Wisner Baum is active in lawsuits concerning Pfizer’s injectable birth control drug Depo-Provera, Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Indivior’s pain drug Suboxone and other medicines. The firm has a history of litigation involving the drug industry, according to its website.”
    “With RFK Jr. appointment for HHS, biopharma industry could face powerful adversary in government”
  • “RFK Jr., for his part, has a decades-long history of spreading anti-vaccine rhetoric and conspiracy theories, including the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. When his HHS nomination was announced, stock prices for many of the world’s top vaccine makers dropped.”

Trump hires new lawyers to appeal his hush money conviction” —

  • “President Donald Trump has hired the elite white-shoe law firm Sullivan & Cromwell to appeal his criminal conviction in the Manhattan hush money case.”
    “The most prominent member of Trump’s new legal team is Robert Giuffra, the firm’s co-chair… ‘President Donald J. Trump’s appeal is important for the rule of law, New York’s reputation as a global business, financial and legal center, as well as for the presidency and all public officials,’ Giuffra said in a statement. ‘The misuse of the criminal law by the Manhattan DA to target President Trump sets a dangerous precedent, and we look forward to the case being dismissed on appeal.’”
  • “In the hush money case, Giuffra and his firm’s other lawyers will replace Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial last spring. Blanche is Trump’s nominee to become deputy attorney general, and Bove has already joined the Trump Justice Department as acting deputy attorney general. Once Blanche is confirmed, Bove will step into the No. 3 spot in the department.”
  • “The decision to represent Trump by Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the most prominent firms in the country, represents a departure from the legal community’s attitude toward him in recent years. When Trump hired Blanche to represent him in the spring of 2023, Blanche had to quit the elite firm where he was a partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.”
  • “In his resignation email at the time, Blanche said he was unable to take Trump as a client while remaining at the firm. ‘Obviously, doing this as a partner at Cadwalader was not an option,’ he wrote, ‘so I have had to make the difficult choice to leave the firm.’”
  • “Giuffra has worked as a litigator representing companies like Volkswagen AG and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. He also has held a handful of New York state government-appointed positions, including on several ethics boards.”
  • “Last spring, Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts of concealing a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. He was sentenced to ‘unconditional discharge,’ a sentence that carries no punishment, earlier this month, shortly before he took office.”



Source link

Leave a Reply

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get our latest articles delivered straight to your inbox. No spam, we promise.


Timothee Chalamet and Josh Brolin reunite at the opening night celebration of the Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Exposures exhibit at Leica Gallery Los Angeles on Monday (February 10) in Los Angeles.

The 29-year-old actor showed his support at his Dune: Part Two co-star’s exhibit with Greig Fraser, which is a collaboration of image and word for the gallery, which is also a book.

Dune director Denis Villeneuve was also in attendance, along with Josh‘s wife Kathryn Boyd and his Goonies co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Jeff Cohen.

Keep reading to find out more…

The exhibit celebrates the two Dune movies, where Josh and Greig “use each other’s medium for inspiration,” and it’s their “way of expressing our deep respect for the film making process, and more particularly our leader Denis Villeneuve. Our intention with the book and subsequent exhibition was to draw attention to the power which the written word and image can enhance each other.”

Josh and I have helped each other have a deeper understanding of our own respective skills and in tandem are bought back in to a fuller circle, linked by the company of likeminded creativity,” the duo continued in a statement.

The “Dune: Exposures” book is currently available to purchase on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble!

The exhibit is currently open through February 26th at Leica Gallery Los Angeles.

If you didn’t know, a third Dune movie is in the works!

Disclosure: Some products on this site use affiliate links and we may earn commission for any purchase made through the links.

Browse through the gallery to see more photos from the Dune: Exposures gallery opening…





Source link


Elasticsearch Filters – Table of Content

What is Elasticsearch Filters

The bucket is the collection of documents which matches with associated filters. Every bucket is associated with a filter. In elasticsearch filter aggregation defines multi buckets. Filters can also be provided as an array of filters. When it receives requests which form in the form of buckets. They are filtered and those filtered buckets returned in the same order as in request. Its field is also provided as a filter array. Parameters are added in response with which the documents do not match the given filters. Those documents returns to the other bucket or in the same bucket named 

Even other parameters are also used to set key for those documents to give value other than default. When the process of collecting data starts. Documents are separated and formed into buckets. Each bucket flows through filters. While the process is going on the documents which are away from parameters of the given filter are identified. Those identified files are separated and transferred into other buckets or in the same as default. To avoid them from default, new parameters are formed to create keys for them then they are formed into the new bucket. The filters which we used frequently are caught by elasticsearch automatically.

                     Get ahead in your career by learning Elastic Search Online Training through hkrtrainings

Why Elasticsearch Filters

It stores the documents in the form of JSON each of them relate to one another. This index makes the documents searchable in real time and also helps the users during searching. It is good at full text search. It is also the platform for real time search.

It is known for its time sensitive use, it works fast with rapid results. By using it users can store, search and analyse the data in huge volume and in real time. With this we get rapid results because instead of searching text directly it searches index. It processes and gives back the data as a response in the form of JSON. Its power lies in the tasks distributed, searched and indexed across the cluster. The Cluster part which helps to store data is known as node. It allows users to make copies of the index that process is called replica.

ElasticSearch Training

  • Master Your Craft
  • Lifetime LMS & Faculty Access
  • 24/7 online expert support
  • Real-world & Project Based Learning

How to use Elasticsearch Filters

Generally we need various assistants and applications for searching, storing, filtering, classifying, etc. But, do you ever think that there is a single application which does all those things for us with high speed? Yes, they are named as elasticsearch filters. To use it first we have to submit our text to elasticsearch then it receives our text. Then the text was stored into buckets. Buckets are the collection of documents. When the process is going on these buckets goes through filters which are given for filtering them.

While that process the documents which do not meet the parameters of that filter were identified. Those identified documents are separated from the bucket. Those documents are transferred to other buckets or in the same bucket as default. New parameters are created for those other documents to avoid them from being defaults. Then when we search for the particular topic then our text will be found within seconds. Those text is saved as index instead of saved as text. Because the index helps us a lot in exact results. And also in a short period of time. It filters and searches the exact result for us. Which saves us a lot of time.

Big Data Analytics, elasticsearch-filters-description-0, Big Data Analytics, elasticsearch-filters-description-1

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new updates..!

Benefits of Elasticsearch Filters:
  • Used for application search, which rely heavily on search for access and reporting of time.
  • Used for website search, which stores heavy text. Found useful for accurate searches. Steadily gaining place in the search domain sphere.
  • Used for Enterprise search, which allows search that includes documents search. Blog search, people search, etc. It replaced many search solutions of popular websites. We can gain great success in company intranet.
  • Logging and log analytics, which also provides operational insights to drive actions. Used for ingesting and analyzing data in real time.
  • Used for infrastructure metrics and container monitoring, many companies used it for various metrics to analyze. Which also includes gathering data, parameters which vary for different cases.
  • Used for security analytics, which access logs. Also concerns system security. In real time.
  • Used for business analytics, works like a good tool for business analytics. It includes learning the curve for implementing this product. Which is felt as a good feature by many organizations. It also allows non technical users, for creating visualization and performs analytical functions.
  • It has rebutted distributed architecture which helped a lot in solving queries. And data processing which is easy to maintain.

Drawbacks of Elasticsearch Filters:
  • It has the ability of searching when there is only the text presented only in data.
  • The syntaxes for queries made simpler and it has auto sharding.
  • The documents which they maintain are poor documents, not easy at the first contact. 
  • When we came to pricing it felt good at free trial. But there is a significant jump suddenly into other levels of paid services.
  • Difficult architecture to optimize. And also easier to understand its bottlenecks.
  • The encryption which we need is at rest. It has a penalty for performance when using the linked documents.
  • Sometimes to deal with it you need database knowledge.

ElasticSearch Training

Weekday / Weekend Batches

Conclusion

Finally, companies found a great application for their maintenance. Which helps the organizations a lot in many necessary works. They are like searching, storing, filtering, and organizing into the index. The index is the best feature maintained by it. Because generally search engines save the text as the data presents. But instead it saves the data in the index. Which helps a lot while searching it gave accurate results. With in low time which also saves a lot of time. The requests made by customers and the result it gave as feedback is in the form of JSON. However, its special features gain its position in the market and even holds it in future as the best and useful application for the development of organizations.

Related article:

Elastic Pagination



Source link


Nomadic Matt posing for a photo at the Wonder of the World Machu Picchu

When I finally decided to visit Peru, I knew one thing: I wanted to hike with the company that Mark Adams, my friend and fellow travel writer, used for his book Turn Right at Machu Picchu. The stories he shared about his treks and what he learned on them convinced me that those were the people I wanted to show me around the Sacred Valley, so I might have my own pretend Indiana Jones moment: me, the wilderness, and my local guide.

So I emailed Amazonas Explorer, which focuses on private tours as well as off-the beaten path hikes in the Sacred Valley, to see if it would be possible to book something. While a private tour was more expensive than a regular group trip, I liked the idea of going at my own pace and having my own guide. Plus, when the owner, Paul, said a few people from the Amazonas office would be joining, it made me feel like I would be hiking with locals rather than just on some tourist-focused group outing.

I wasn’t going to do the full Inca Trail, as I didn’t have enough time, didn’t feel fit enough, and absolutely hate camping. Instead, I opted for the famed KM104 hike, which starts at the marker by that name (104km from Cusco, an exit point on the train line from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu) and takes you through the Sacred Valley and a few Incan sites before linking up with the main Inca Trail that leads into Machu Picchu.*

“We’ll be there to pick you up at your hotel in Cusco at 4:30am, so we can catch the train,” wrote Paul over email.

A 4:30am pickup meant a 3:30am wake-up, and there was absolutely no way I wanted to do that.

“Can we go later?” I asked. “It’s just me after all.”

“Nope, we have to get the 6:45am train from Ollantaytambo, which is two hours from Cusco. And we can’t be late. We’ve got a strict timetable. Sorry!”

But there was an option B!

Rather than wake up in the middle of the night, I decided to head to Ollantaytambo the day before so I could sleep in until just before the train….because while Indiana Jones might be able to find artifacts on little sleep, I can’t.

Once a major Incan city, Ollantaytambo is located on the Urubamba River against high mountains, on which extensive ruins offer beautiful views of the valley. Seeing them seemed like a better option than waking up early. So I arrived in the midafternoon to explore the ruins, pack my day bags, and relax before the hike.

(Tip: Don’t go when I did! Arrive early to avoid the afternoon crowds coming from Cusco. And bring a lot of sunscreen as there is no shade! The ruins are really beautiful though and give you a taste of what is to come.)

That evening, I unwound at El Albergue, a boutique hotel located right next to the train station. There was no more convenient place to stay — you literally walk out the door onto the train! I loaded up on carbs from food that came straight from the garden, packed my bags, and went to bed early in the comfiest bed I had all trip.

After waking up at the more reasonable hour of 5:45am, I met my guide, Efrain, and we boarded the train toward Machu Picchu so we could get off at KM104 and link up with the two others from the Amazonas office who were joining us.**

As the train snaked through the valley, the staff served us coca tea to help with the altitude. It’s a traditional indigenous remedy for altitude sickness in the region (it’s also the plant from which cocaine is derived). Not only does it really work but it has a very earthy, herbal taste that I had grown to love.

As I sipped my tea, Efrain and I went over the logistics of the next two days together while we got to know each other. A native to the area, he’d been a guide for over twenty years. Funny and really knowledgeable about the region’s flora, fauna, and Incan history, he used to lead a lot of group tours but now mostly does private ones with Amazonas.

When we got off the train, we met up with Katy and Lourdes, our hiking companions. Katy had hiked this route many times, having been a guide before, but it was Lourdes’s first time, and she was as nervous about being physically able to do it as I was. We bonded about it in my broken Spanish.

After checking in with the ticket control, we started our 12km (7.5-mile) hike up to Machu Picchu. The first leg followed the Urubamba River, which snakes through the entirety of the Sacred Valley, eventually flowing around Machu Picchu and north before combining with a few other rivers. Decades ago, its powerful waters were diverted near the ancient city to create a hydroelectric power plant that provides most of the electricity to the region.

The sun beat down on us as we hiked up the exposed side of the mountain, the only sounds our conversation and the river below. The climb was a continual path upward, punctuated by even steeper ascents and stairs, with various Incan trails and ruins along the way. Between the sun and altitude, it was a lot harder than I thought. Though I work out and consider myself in shape, I found myself resting a lot, so I was glad we could hike at my pace. The route was also filled with tour groups with whom we would trade passing each other, as everyone stopped for breaks at various points.

“Anyone who wants to do the hike into Machu Picchu but doesn’t want to do the full trek has to hike this path,” Efrain explained.

“So these tour groups will be with us the entire way?” I asked as I watched one pass us on one of our breaks.

“Yup! And likely tomorrow if they are visiting the ruins too!”

As we got closer to the cloud forest (a moist rainforest with a constant layer of clouds or mist) and the ruins that would mark our halfway point, the trail began to narrow as it cut across the side of the mountain and the gentle earth to our side gave way to sheer drops.

“By the way,” I said as I noticed this, “I hate heights and sheer drops. Will the trail widen soon?”

“You’ll be fine,” he assured me.

“Hmmm, that’s a non-answer,” I replied.

As we made our way, I hugged the mountain, trying not to look to the side, grateful we were once again going at my own pace.

Slowly we made our way farther and farther up the narrow, winding trail. In the blink of an eye, the arid and exposed trail was instead shaded by trees as the air cooled, and the sound of waterfalls began to be heard. Efrain pointed out native orchids as we ascended higher (we were always going up, up, up!) to the Incan site of Wiñay Wayna.

Not much is known about it except that it was an experimental agricultural location. Soil samples have shown remnants of fruits and plants not native to the region and that don’t grow at this altitude, so it could be assumed that this was an area of agricultural experimentation (the Incas did a lot of that). The temples and houses in the upper part all had stunning balconies that provided great views of the valley that I am sure anyone would kill for today. I thought about how, centuries ago, some Inca, after a hard day of work, stared at the same view, and I wondered if he enjoyed it as much as I did. Likely, since love of nature transcends time and culture.

From there, it was a quick lunch before we continued on to Machu Picchu. As the clouds rolled in, I picked up the pace, wondering if the weather might clear. Along the way, Efrain pointed out all the orchid species, but my focus was on getting to the infamous Sun Gate before the clouds obscured my view.

The Sun Gate is the main entrance that overlooks Machu Picchu. It was believed that the steps were a control gate for those who entered and exited the city, likely protected by the Incan military. And because of its location on a ridge on the southeast, the rising sun passes through the gate each year on the summer solstice (hence the name).

“We might need to sacrifice to the gods,” joked Katy as she noticed my nervousness. “Maybe that will help!”

Efrain, turning to Lourdes, said, “It might need to be you, since we can’t sacrifice Matt!” causing us to all laugh.

“Okay, well, I’m gonna run, as I can’t miss this. You’ve all seen it before,” I shouted to him as I ran the final part of the trail to the Sun Gate.

I got there just in time to behold Machu Picchu before the clouds rolled in. It was a magical view. There it was, the goal of a lifetime, a sight I had dreamed about for so long! It was as wondrous as I thought it would be. And even though the clouds hid the mountains and some of the structures, there was still an ethereal feeling.

Efrain and the others eventually arrived as well. We made friends with a family from California as we all waited for glimpses of Machu Picchu through the clouds, setting up our cameras for those fleeting seconds before the mist hid it again.

Though I could have stayed longer, Efrain told us it was time to keep going, so we continued down the trail to the ruins, where I got a close-up view of Machu Picchu through the clouds from a viewpoint overlooking the city.

“Tomorrow, we’ll explore those areas,” Efrain said, pointing to areas around the historic site. “But right now it’s time to check into the hotel.”

Early the next day, Efrain and I headed back to the ancient site itself, Katy and Lourdes having returned to Cusco. (These days, in order to control the crowds, there are now three routes to choose from, but each requires a separate ticket. We took the one that included the most buildings.)

Machu Picchu, known as “the Lost City of the Incas,” is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It was constructed around 1450 CE during the reign of Emperor Pachacuti as his royal estate and served multiple purposes, including religious, agricultural, and administrative functions. It was built here because the Incas could mine the stone locally, so they didn’t have to move any building materials across the mountains.

It was inhabited for 50 years and still under construction when it was finally abandoned due to the Spanish conquest of the area. Machu Picchu remained largely unknown until its rediscovery in 1911 by American historian Hiram Bingham III, who was searching for the famed “Lost City of the Incas,” supposedly their last hideout and filled with gold (though that is actually believed to be Vilcabamba).

Efrain gave me such a detailed history that it felt like I had a professor with me. He pointed out how the Incas used various building techniques to ensure there was sufficient drainage from all the rain, and expounded on theories about which buildings were used for what. He also gave me the lowdown on modern politics, revealing that there’s still a lot of the historic area that has not been excavated or restored yet, due to funding issues and corruption. I was lost in his descriptions and awed about just how innovative Inca engineering was. They had mastered the mountains and did it with style and beauty too. I would love to have seen Machu Picchu at its peak. What a sight it must have been!

After a half-day exploring (and wishing I had more time to do the other routes), it was time to take the train back to Ollantaytambo and Cusco. I had finally seen one of the most iconic sites in the history of humanity. It really felt surreal to have been there. And the hike, though hard, was also incredible. As I closed my eyes to rest on the way back, I was thrilled I finally got to see something I’ve been wanting to see ever since I was a kid.

About the Tour Company

Amazonas Explorer mostly runs private tours, but it does have some larger group offerings. So whether you’re with a group or just want to go alone, check out the company. (It is featured in the book Turn Right at Machu Picchu, which is why I chose it.) It also runs trips to other ruins in the region and will take you places most tourists don’t go.

* Note 1: Really, everything is an Inca trail. The Incas made over 40,000 km of roads, so you can consider any of those an “Inca trail.” However, for the purposes of this post, when I refer to the Inca Trail, it’s the popular multiday hike that leads into Machu Picchu that everyone talks about.

** Note 2: Efrain was Mark’s guide in the book too.

Book Your Trip to Peru: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

If you’re looking for hostels in nearby Cusco, here is a list of my favorites.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Want More Information on Peru?
Be sure to visit my robust destination guide on Peru for even more planning tips!



Source link

Recent Reviews