Saturday, July 21....Machu Picchu!

Saturday was our big excursion to Machu Picchu.  Pick-up in Cusco started at 3:30 a.m. We took a bus to Ollantaytambo, which took about 2 hours.  In Ollantaytambo we got the 6:40 train to Aguascalientes, the town below Machu Picchu.  From there we took the bus to the park.

on the bus to Ollanat

Arriving to Ollantaytambo

Going to the train station

The train station in Ollanta

On the train!

view from the train

Puma, our excellent tour guide, giving us a briefing

Heading for the bus to MP

The bus to Machu Picchu

The road to the top is very winding and narrow

To the entrance!

Our first view of the city!

Our first mission was to get the classic photo of Machu Picchu.  Next, we were headed to Huayna Picchu (that big green mountain in the back of the city) for climb it.  We had to get there before 11 a.m., when the last climbers are allowed to enter.

On our way to the trail

On our way to Huayna Picchu

The check-in at Huayna Picchu

Tropical flowers!

On the trail!

Most of the trail has stone stairs placed there by the Incas many centuries ago

View from about 1/4 of the way up

subiendo

zig zags

a jungle moth



Almost to the top!

Made it!

View from above

Looking DOWN on Machu Picchu!

Now...to the VERY top!

To get to the very top, you have to go through a little cave

Through another little cave...

At the very top of Huayna Picchu, 9,000 ft

Puma led us in a ceremony at the top. The Inca considered this place holy and used it as a place to give offerings.  He did the ceremony in Quechua, the Inca language still widely spoken here.

Everyone picked up a small stone at the bottom of the mountain to bring to the top, as part of the offering.  Puma played the flute as we put our stones down.

The descent.

I wonder who lived in THIS house!

Un colibrí - a hummingbird

Begonias

After the hike, we split into 2 groups and started our tour of Machu Picchu.

Our guide, Nelson.

Next post...more of Machu Picchu