Machu Picchu is arguably the most impressive archaeological site in the Western Hemisphere. The ruins themselves are great, but the main attraction is the setting. Nestled high in the mountains, the view is amazing.
Getting to Machu Picchu takes a while. We caught the first train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes at 5AM, then took a 25 minute bus ride climbing 1,300 feet up the mountain, arriving at Machu Picchu around 7:30AM.
After you enter the site, the view is breathtaking. We had perfect weather with a deep blue sky, and a clear postcard view across the ruins and the surrounding mountains. Like the Pyramids of Giza or the Great Wall of China, this is a wonder that lives up to the hype.
While we were walking around, we saw a llama that looked like it was squatting to go to the bathroom, but nothing was coming out. A few minutes later as we were passing by again, we noticed feet sticking out of the llama, and realized it was about to give birth. The employees helped with the birth, keeping the other curious llamas away and pulling out the baby. Seeing a baby llama being born at Machu Picchu was like living a Peruvian stereotype.
The famous mountain behind the ruins is called Huayna Picchu. 400 visitors a day are allowed to climb 1,180 feet up an Inca trail to the top of the mountain. We booked our tickets a month in advance to make sure we'd have the opportunity. The climb was strenuous, taking about an hour and going up a lot of steep stone stairs and even through a cave and up a ladder. We finally made it to the top and were rewarded with amazing 360 degree views of Machu Picchu, the surrounding Andes mountains, and the Urubamba River below. We highly recommend this climb, but make sure to bring lots of water (we didn't have enough and were very dehydrated by the end of the hike).
We caught a cheap combi (shared taxi van) back to Cusco, arriving around 9PM after a very exhausting day. Machu Picchu was an amazing experience. It's an expensive and complicated journey: you have to buy your entrance tickets on a confusing website ahead of time (especially if you want to climb Huayna Picchu), travel from Lima to Cusco, take a train (it's the only way to get to Aguas Calientes), and take a bus for the final leg up the mountain. We highly recommend staying both the night before and the night after visiting Machu Picchu in Ollantaytambo and/or Aguas Calientes. Our hotel (Tunupa Lodge) is a great option. We went all the way back to Cusco on the same day, and it was a bit too much travel. We all got a little sunburned and our legs were sore, but visiting Machu Picchu and climbing Huayna Picchu is an experience we'll never forget.
Getting to Machu Picchu takes a while. We caught the first train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes at 5AM, then took a 25 minute bus ride climbing 1,300 feet up the mountain, arriving at Machu Picchu around 7:30AM.
After you enter the site, the view is breathtaking. We had perfect weather with a deep blue sky, and a clear postcard view across the ruins and the surrounding mountains. Like the Pyramids of Giza or the Great Wall of China, this is a wonder that lives up to the hype.
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| PeruRail train arriving in Aguas Calientes |
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| Our first view of Machu Picchu |
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| Inca ruins on Machu Picchu |
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| Hanging out at Machu Picchu |
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| Incredible views on all sides |
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| Seconds before David got yelled at by employees for jumping. Also, Coke should buy this picture for advertising. |
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| The mountainous setting is gorgeous |
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| View through an Inca window |
While we were walking around, we saw a llama that looked like it was squatting to go to the bathroom, but nothing was coming out. A few minutes later as we were passing by again, we noticed feet sticking out of the llama, and realized it was about to give birth. The employees helped with the birth, keeping the other curious llamas away and pulling out the baby. Seeing a baby llama being born at Machu Picchu was like living a Peruvian stereotype.
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| Just some llamas, nothing to see here |
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| Wait a minute, it's a baby llama! |
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| Awwww.... |
The famous mountain behind the ruins is called Huayna Picchu. 400 visitors a day are allowed to climb 1,180 feet up an Inca trail to the top of the mountain. We booked our tickets a month in advance to make sure we'd have the opportunity. The climb was strenuous, taking about an hour and going up a lot of steep stone stairs and even through a cave and up a ladder. We finally made it to the top and were rewarded with amazing 360 degree views of Machu Picchu, the surrounding Andes mountains, and the Urubamba River below. We highly recommend this climb, but make sure to bring lots of water (we didn't have enough and were very dehydrated by the end of the hike).
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| The top of Huayna Picchu. See the tiny people? |
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| Looking down at the river |
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| So many steps at such a high altitude |
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| That winding trail is the road the buses take up the mountain |
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| Stephanie at the end of the cave |
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| We made it! |
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| Like being on top of the world! |
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| The breeze at the top was great after the long climb |
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| Watch your step! |
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| View back to Machu Picchu from near the top |
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| Back in Aguas Calientes, we had some guacamole as a reward! :) |
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| David above the river in Aguas Calientes |
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| Time to catch our train back to Ollantaytambo. We had the same train attendant we had for our morning ride! |
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| The scenery on the train ride wasn't too shabby either! |
We caught a cheap combi (shared taxi van) back to Cusco, arriving around 9PM after a very exhausting day. Machu Picchu was an amazing experience. It's an expensive and complicated journey: you have to buy your entrance tickets on a confusing website ahead of time (especially if you want to climb Huayna Picchu), travel from Lima to Cusco, take a train (it's the only way to get to Aguas Calientes), and take a bus for the final leg up the mountain. We highly recommend staying both the night before and the night after visiting Machu Picchu in Ollantaytambo and/or Aguas Calientes. Our hotel (Tunupa Lodge) is a great option. We went all the way back to Cusco on the same day, and it was a bit too much travel. We all got a little sunburned and our legs were sore, but visiting Machu Picchu and climbing Huayna Picchu is an experience we'll never forget.
