Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley

Trip Start Sep 28, 2007

Trip End Oct 29, 2007

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Flag of Peru Machu Picchu, Peru
Thursday, October 4, 2007

Hola Amigos! We have been on a whirlwind tour of the sacred valley and Machu Picchu and are back in Cusco. We are baffled that we have only been in Peru for so little time, because it seems that we have done so much! On Tuesday we set off on a tour bus to visit various Incan ruins in the sacred valley. Our first stop was Pisac, an area for agricultural research that housed a religious center. Second we stopped at Ollataytambo, an Incan town and one of the last strongholds against Pizzaro´s army. From here we took the train to Aguas Calientes, a boom town at the base of the ruins of Machu Picchu. We got up at 4:30 AM to catch one of the first buses up the winding road to Machu Picchu and beat the crowds by a few hours. The views were spectacular, although there are wildfires in the area that created a kind of fog that somewhat obscured views of the surrounding mountains. We had a guide for the first 2 hours who was excellent and gave us a great tour and interesting insight into Incan culture

Inside the Temple of the Moon

. After the tour, we decided to climb Wayna Picchu, a mountain directly north of the ruins. They only allow 400 people to climb the mountain each day, and when we arrived at the gate at 9 AM we were numbers 402 and 403. Luckily they decided to let 100 to 200 more people in. The climb was incredibly challenging; the entire route consisted of stone steps. I´m sure some person has counted the steps, but there have to be thousands. At the pinnacle there is a beautiful ruin that is relatively intact. Beyond Wayna Picchu is a challenging hike down to the little visited Temple of the Moon and the Grand Caverna. Since we were unable to book a spot on the Inca Trail, we decided that this would be a fun hike to undertake. The trek was absolutely gorgeous, winding down the side of the mountain amidst wild flowers and swirling butterflies. We came to Machu Picchu knowing that we would be surrounded by tourists, but on this trail we saw next to no one. It was great- we felt a bit like Hiram Bingham must have felt. We finally reached the Temple after an hour of hiking and took refuge in the cool cavern lined with perfect Incan stonework. All in all we spent about 10 hours at Machu Picchu, exploring the towering temples and wandering in and out of niches and caves. Pictures really cannot do it justice- it truly is one of the most spectacular places we have ever been. Regardless, we have posted some pictures for your enjoyment. Hasta luego!

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Macchu Piccu at 6am	On top of Wayna Piccu	Outside the temple of the moon.	The main drag in Aguas Calientes
The main plaza	The Observatory	The only tree	The plaza and Wayna Piccu
The Road to the Temple of the Moon	The Royal Homes

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Comments

auntiepoot on Oct 7, 2007 at 03:43AM

Breathtaking - and - breathless!
Terrific pictures and recap of your day at Machu Picchu! They are indeed, breathtaking! You know, when we were there, there were only about 40 people TOTAL at the ruins! When you say 'only the first 400' were allowed to climb Wayna Picchu, I couldn't believe it! We never did that, and probably weren't in good enough shape anyhow. Were you breathless at that altitude? So, where have you been staying? Are you just finding a place each night? Is that working out? I'd love to hear more, and some good stories, who you're bumping into that is interesting, and other tidbits! Are you getting better at bargaining? Catch us up next time you hit an internet cafe! Dad's in England now, but will also try to get on line to check your blog, and Nina's too!! Boo Hoo! I'm the only one stuck at home!!!!
Love, Mom

loubartholome on Oct 8, 2007 at 07:07PM

from lou bartholome
How great that you were able to climb Huana Picchu; we did that too; the day we did it, we were alone; then one other couple came up behind us. Sounds like times have changed a bit. We were also lucky to stay overnight, and so in the morning, there were probably only five or ten other people there for the first few hours. Sounds like you enjoyed it despite the crowds.
Soak it in...it's a great privilege to be able to travel the world like we Americans are able to do. I hope the rest of your trip is just as wonderful.
Lou

sarah0924 on Oct 11, 2007 at 06:46PM

MLB Update
Hey Kids, The Cubs got swept in the series so Colorado plays AZ starting tonight. The Indians are playing the Red Sox. I've been taking care of your car and wanted to let you know that all is well. I mis-read the signs and forgot to move the car on Tuesday and got a ticket. I paid it already. Whoops! I have to work this weekend, next weekend, and potentially the weekend after, so have some fun for me! Love, Sari