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Geo: -13.1628, -72.5158
I love trains! We took a train up to Aguas Caliente from Cusco and saw amazing vistas. We stayed the night there and unfortunately got some wicked bites on our lower legs that had both Jim and I in a scratching frenzy. It seems like there are so few places in the world where one can escape some type of biting, itch-inducing and indeed very annoying bug!
In order to enter Machu Picchu before the masses of tourists arrived and to see the sun rise above the surrounding peaks, we got up at 4:15am and lined up in the dark with the other keeners to catch the first bus leaving at 5:30. It was so worth it to have those few moments in the magnificence of this place with morning mist lightly covering the mountains while the sun peaked through. There was a calm, magical silence. Too bad it only lasted for 30 minutes before the throngs arrived.
They allow 2500 people on Machu Picchu daily and from what I understand, it is booked to capacity nearly every day. According to a few people I spoke with, it is sinking 2cm/month from the weight of all that activity. We
bought another pass to climb Huayna Picchu – a hunk of a rock peak that overlooks the complex. I looked up at that peak thinking “there is NO WAY we are supposed to climb this especially in the allotted 3 hours”. Turns out that was the expectation. It was one helluva climb mostly straight up stairs that at times had nothing on either side of those stairs except the great open space. We were virtually vertical.
With the altitude impacting our breath, the climb up was difficult but the climb down was equally
as hard because of the strain on the knees. Thinking back to my pilates classes, I tried to keep my core engaged but just did not have the stamina to do that for the entire climb and descent. Well, I must say that it was all worth it because the views and the experience of feeling on top of the world was amazing along with the sense of accomplishment. And the view down to Machu Picchu offered another whole perspective.
The afternoon at Machu Picchu was sunny and windy with dust swirling around us; we wandered from one part of the complex to another dodging the intense sunshine and
mobs of tourists. Jim was in photography heaven while I hovered around tour groups who had English speaking guides so I could catch tidbits of historical information. Jim and I do not generally hire guides. Our reasoning for this is similar to why we don't like making reservations. Despite the benefits, they prevent us from being in our 'go with the flow' style of travel. Someday we will find the balance of guidance/structure and freedom....maybe.
What is so amazing is that the Incas only ruled for about 100 years yet everywhere we go in Peru there are majestic ruins of such fine, complex and highly developed work of theirs. I see similarities between the Mayans and Aztecs of central America but according to what I have read and learned, these civilizations never met up. There is so much mystery in the history of humankind and we yet we are centric in our thinking about the civilization in which we live believing it is the most advanced. Who knows?!
Our apologies for so many photos but it was such an amazing place.
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Sue Walker
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The beauty takes your breath away, Jim you are an amazing photographer, The beauty is enhanced by your wonderful talent, Thank you. xo