Incatastic

---

Cusco / Aguas Calientes

We were glad to arrive back in Cusco, its much nicer here. On Saturday at 6.30am we took the 4.5hr train journey to Aguas calientes, the journey was very scenic through rainforests and mountains. Aguas calientes is purely a tourist spot for Machu Picchu, we just stayed there for the night as it meant we could go to Machu Picchu for sunrise and spend more time in there. We went to the hotsprings there(we seem to have acquired a hot springs obsession since we have been away!) the water was rather murky and not how it has been in other places we have been to, I didnt want to get in it but after a few minutes dragged myself in there. The water was nice in the end but the scenery was magnificent with the rainforests and mountains surrounding us.

We got up next morning at 5am to get the bus up to Machu Picchu, it was a drag at the time but well worth it to get up there for sunrise . Plus there are a lot less people up there early in the morning. The guide told us all about Hiram
In cusco
In cusco
Cusco from the train window.
Bingham discovering the "Lost City of the Incas" in 1911. Although now they dont know if it is actually the lost city as maps point to a different place! The city is amazing how they managed to build that 2600m above sea level 600years ago is beyond me, some of the rocks were huge. I found the temple of the sun, the intihutana(sundial) and the ceremonial baths the most amazing, the baths still had spring water running down them!

We managed to get into the wayna picchu area by the skin of our teeth we were 387 and 388(they only let 400 people in there per day)Wayna picchu is the mountain next to Machu Picchu which is really steep but you get great views from the top. The climb was quite traumatic as it was so steep the stairs were really tall, we had to climb up wooden ladders and through a cave to get to the top. We were filthy when we got up there but the views were fantastic it was well worth it in the end.

We came back to Cusco on Sunday evening on the train. Yesterday we went to the ruins near
agua calientes
agua calientes
inca statue facing towards machupicchu
cusco. We got a taxi there then decided to walk the 8kms back to cusco via the other ruins along the old inca trail. We went to tambo machay, puca pucara and sacsay huaman we somehow missed a set of ruins at qenko along the way ! Today we are just having a look around the inka museum and the shops in Cusco, just chilling really. We are moving on to Mexico tomorrow, we are going to go to Cancun now as we are sick of big cities and dont fancy Mexico city anymore. Luckily it is so cheap here we have paid for the flights with what we have saved in Peru so things have worked out well. We cant wait for some serious sunshine!!our tans are a distant memory.
agua calientes
agua calientes
Church in town square
agua calientes
agua calientes
The street where we stayed. No cars just trains shaking the hostel as they went past!
Our breakfast
Our breakfast
Before we set off for machupicchu. Juice, toast and coca leaves!!
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Just before sunrise
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Just before sunrise
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
From waynapicchu
Top of waynapicchu
Top of waynapicchu
Need oxygen! Machupicchu is far below us...
more machupicchu
more machupicchu
more machupicchu
more machupicchu
and a llama
Mich and machupicchu
Mich and machupicchu
More machupicchu
More machupicchu
the photos don´t do it justice, you cant really see how high the whole thing is and how steep the mountains are.
Cusco
Cusco
Ruins at tambo machay
Cusco
Cusco
Ruins at sacshyhuman (pronounced sexy woman!)
Looking down on Cusco
Looking down on Cusco

---