The only allowed way in to Machu Picchu was by train. There often were cliffs right on top of the train rails. I would guess they often have to clear rocks off the rails. There is only one set of rails, so the train had to sit on a siding now and then to let another train pass. The town has several hotels, ours was probably the best since it sat on about 12 acres.
The Inca site is reached by bus. Its probably about 5 miles away from the town. The site has some llamas wandering around, I guess just to make the place look original. Much of the site is composed of very large granite blocks. It seems to have weathered the last 500 years very well.