We got in a line to buy our bus tickets at 5:00 am then waited in a huge line to get on a bus then rode the bus 25 minutes up the mountain and around 6:30 am waited in this massive line to get in the park. (This picture is after being in line for a while)
Our plan was to watch the sunrise at the ruins but the sun started rising before we could get there. However, the ruins are surrounded by mountains so we still got to watch the sun come up over the peak of the mountains. The ruins are beautiful alone but become something incredible when the sunlight touches them.
We sat on a grassy terrace and enjoyed the sun coming over the mountain for a long while. Probably 30 minutes or more. Lucas went from the shot on the left to the shot on the right. He decided this was his happy place and he didn’t want to leave.
He eventually moved and we started exploring. A 10 minute hike away from the ruins lead us to the Inca Bridge. AKA a narrow staircase built into the side of the mountain with no guard rail. I wish so badly that I could see how they made it. Occasionally the stone walled edge would look like a protective wall, but really it was perfect tripping height and made me more nervous than the un”protected” areas.
Lucas jokes here and there about being scared of heights. I found out while on this mini hike that he is in fact terrified of heights. He said while on the trail, “I could never be an Inca.” The photo on the left shows true fear because he didn’t know I was taking a picture. Then he covered it up with a smile. In his defense, other than a few plants, there was nothing but 1,400 ft of air between our trail edge and the valley floor. He was a trooper and walked the narrow, cliff edged path anyway.
These stairs, made from strategically placed rocks sticking out of walls, were everywhere. I love them.
When you purchase an entry ticket for Machu Picchu there are three options. You can see the ruins alone or add one of two hikes. We chose to add the Machu Picchu Mountain hike. Below is what it looks like. Big rock stairs. For 2.5 miles.
Here is the view from half way up. We decided the view wouldn’t get much better than this and walked back down. Partly because we’re out of shape and partly because Lucas is afraid of heights.
The steep and beautifully green mountains are a site to see on their own. We spent 2/3 of the day admiring the ruins from afar and exploring trails. Then we walked around the inside of the ruins for a little while and headed back to town for dinner.
When the Spanish conquered the Incas, they tore down existing cities and rebuilt them according to Spanish customs. Many Catholic Cathedrals in Peru were built using stones from Inca ruins. Above is one of few remaining sun dials. The Spanish destroyed these at other sites because they thought it was used to worship the Sun God, when really it was used to tell time and date. (and predict weather?) Since the Incas abandoned Machu Picchu and it was never conquered, the ruins are nearly the same as when the city was inhabited.
Machu Picchu, you are an adventure we will never forget!