Once in a lifetime

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It is completely spoiled by huge amount of tourists but it still is a magnificent structure in an overwhelming location. It is expensive on a South-American price scale and you quite don't feel you get your money's worth but you get to see the Machu Picchu you have seen in photos everywhere for your own eyes. That's what we felt about it.

Aquas Caliantes is quite a shitty place that get's all the tourists without any effort. Not worth staying but we had to. The hostal was the worst with paint crumbling from the walls, snail community living in the bathroom ceiling and water floating on the bedroom floor. No need to fix these things since the tourists keep coming anyway. Ofcourse there are nice hotels as well, but the prices are on western level.

Because of a strike the morning train we were supposed to take was not running so we had to wait for an evening train. Apparently, even though the train tickets are expensive, the local workers don't get the money but it goes to somewhere else instead. Rumours say about Americans and Chileans owning the train company. I bet Americans would buy Machu Picchu if they could, just to make big bucks out of it.

The extra day in Aquas Calientes turned out to be better than the previous. We climbed to Putukusi, the mountain next to Machu Picchu, which offered splendid views to Macchu Picchu and the surrounding mountains. It was a tough and steep 500 meter climb but well worth it. At parts there were slippery ladders almost vertical going up tens of meters. Pretty scary at times.

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Photos

First view of Machu Picchu!
It is down there somewhere, I swear!

Enjoying the view at Macchu Picchu
Wating and hoping for the weather to clear up.

Inca houses
The roofs have been restored the way they think Inca's had built them.

150USD for this?!
150USD was what it cost 2 non-student and non-peruvian persons to get to Machu Picchu the cheapest way (train+bus+entrance).
Slightly disappointed at the weather.

Stairs down
After couple of hours the clouds cleared and we could see down to the valley. Only then you realized just how magnificent the location is.

Fine stonework
But not as fine as in Pisac.

The pose
After four hours the weather cleared enough to see the mountain behind the ruins. Still raining tho.

5.30am waiting for the train
We woke up at 5am just to find out that the trains were not running because of a strike. Great! Happy faces!

Free view to Machu Picchu
Because of the train strike we had to spend one extra day in Aquas Calientes. The weather was perfect but we didn't want to pay 25USD entrance to Machu Picchu again so we climbed up to the mountain next to it, Putukusi.

Humming bird
Watching this quick bird flying from flower to flower. Not an easy task to try to catch it on camera.

Comments

[Allyson]

Thank You
Thank you for posting these wonderful pictures. I am a school teacher and we are studying the Inca Civilization. It was so fun to show our 3rd grade children the "real thing" so they, also, could experience the places where the Incas lived. They really liked them and so did we as teachers. What a fun andventure you must have had!

[avionna]

Nice houses from the old times