Nothing we write
could adequately describe this wonder of the world. So, we'll just describe the
logistics of the day and let the following pictures tell the story.
Our hotel in
Olladaytambo, Peru reminded us of what it must be like in Katmandu, Nepal as
the hikers prepare for their ascent to Mount Everest. Every non-resident there
is here for one reason: to make the journey to Machu Picchu. There are trains
coming and going, hikers preparing to hike the five-day final journey and those
bewildered folks coming back through, still not believing what they've just
seen. As we mentioned, our hotel overlooked the train station so it was the hub
of bustling activity...thus only heightening the sense of our anticipation.
Our day starting about
0445 with the rumbling of trains coming through (some folks want to be there at
sunrise). Our train left at 0705 for the two-hour, thirty-mile ride along the Urubamba River and through the towering Andes mountains on each side of the
sacred valley. After arriving at the town of Machu Picchu, a ramshackle town of
hostels and backpacker inns, we caught a bus for the twenty-minute final
accent. Winding, one-lane road, dozens of switchbacks, no guardrails up into
the Andes until finally there it was!
We walked the grounds
for about five hours and then did the whole thing in reverse, arriving back at
our hotel about 1800, completely exhausted but also completely amazed.
So, here it is. We
hope these pictures do it justice:
The train ride:
The bus ticket office. One might have though it would have been a little bigger.
Machu Picchu
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| Absolutely stunning |
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| Reflecting |
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| Inca housing |
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| Agricultural slopes |
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| Funeral stone, or ceremonial stone. |
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This was the entrance gate for the climb to the top of Montanã, or Machu Picchu mountain.
They allow 400 visitors a day to climb.
We were a little late, Andrea sad, Bill ecstatic!
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We walked a very narrow and steep path to the Inca Bridge. You had to sign in and out and there were signs warning of the dangerous conditions but it was worth it! This Inca Bridge is a part of a mountain trail that heads west from Machu Picchu. The trail is a stone path, part of which is cut into a cliff face. A twenty-foot gap was left in this section of the carved cliff edge, over a 1,900 feet drop, that could be bridged with two tree trunks, otherwise leaving the trail impassable to outsiders. It was built by the Incas as a secret entrance to Machu Picchu for the Inca army.
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| Looking down from the path |
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| The Inca Bridge, you could not go across. |
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| Looking down from the bridge path |
Resting in the small town before catching the train back.
Chaos at the train station.
More than likely, the most memorable day of the entire trip. ❤️
