No amount of description could ever possibly do this Wonder of the World justice. Looking at the ruins from the famous mirador or look-out point, the 500 year old Incan Empire was absolutely flawless in its beauty and perfection. Nestled in between the mountains with dozens of llamas adorning its lawn, it was like nothing I've ever seen before or will every see again.
The mountain to the right is Wayna Picchu!
July 4, 2010 started very early for us...3:30 in the morning early. We had taken the train the day before to Aguas Calientes, the town where buses leave from to go up the mountain to Machu Picchu. We got up that early so we could climb Wayna Picchu, the huge mountain (about 9,000 feet at the summit) that is always in the background of the famous picture of the ruins. Only 400 people are allowed to climb up every day, so we had to make sure we took one of the first buses up in the morning. I was the 92nd person in line at the ruins and we got tickets in the first group to Wayna Picchu, which meant we only had from 7am to 10 am to go up and down, after that the second group would start up. It was extremely (extremely!) steep, but there was a path the whole way with built-in steps so it was bearable. As soon as I got to the top, however, my burning thighs from the climb and aching eyes from the few hours of sleep I got were forgotten as I took in the spectacular view. Machu Picchu from that high up was teeny tiny and it was an incredible feeling to be that high up in the mountains looking down on such a remarkable wonder. After we came back down, we had a guided tour that gave us some more insight on the history of the place.
Tiny MP in the background
It was also interesting to note that MP is only 8,000 feet above sea level while Cusco is over 12,000, and I could actually notice the increase of oxygen in the air (climbing Wayna Picchu at Cusco's altitude may not have happened...)
On the way up we met this couple who were quite odd...the woman was some sort of shaman (I don't even honestly know what that is) and she had brought with her on the climb this crystal stick with all these jewels on it so she could capture all the "great energy" from the top. It took all I had to not burst out laughing at all the things she was doing...especially when she got to the top and started waving it around in the air....
Machu Picchu was no doubt one of the most impressive sights I've ever seen in my life, and these pictures, as incredible as it makes the place look, can never accurately depict how amazing this Wonder of the World actually is.
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