Cusco/Machu Picchu
| Sept. 20th, we flew from Lima to
Cusco. We were transported to our hotel,
and given time to rest (almost all tour companies will
schedule time for travelers to rest and get used to the
high altitude). We both noticed a change in our
breathing when we got off the plane (it's hard to
describe, but it's as if you can't get a full breath, and
you feel like a fish out of water). Corey was
fairly unaffected, but I started getting some symptoms,
and by the afternoon I was really feeling the effects. We had a tour schedule of Cusco and the surrounding area that afternoon, but after I got sick in both the Temple of the Sun and the Cathedral, we headed back to the hotel. So, we missed seeing Tambo Machay, Puca Pucara, and Sacsayhuaman (we got to see them later from a distance). (More of Cusco can be seen here) |
| Here is the courtyard of the Temple of the Sun in Cusco. That stone marker in the middle, as legend goes, is where Manco Capac (the first Inca), plunged his sword into the ground to create the "earth's navel", and then founded his capital city here. Not to mention, it's one of the places I was sick. :) |
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| After spending the remainder of the day resting, the next day it was on to Machu Picchu. On Sept. 21, we set out by train, and we were making good time, but then our train was stopped by a peaceful demonstration of people on the tracks (the demonstrators live further into the jungle area, and the train tracks to their area had been wiped out years earlier but never rebuilt, so they were asking for the railroad company to start up this service again). After a couple of hours just sitting there in the train, we were on our way again. Once we got to Aguas Calientes (the village at the base of the mountain that Machu Picchu is named for), we then took a 20 minute bus ride to the top of the mountain. We quickly checked into our hotel and hurried to meet our tour group, but we were too late, and ended up with another group instead, which turned out to be much better. We toured the beautiful ruins for about 2-3 hours with this group and learned a lot about the site. |
| Here is a view of the
terraces where you first come in. These particular
terraces were used for farming (some in other parts of
the complex were built as retaining walls). As I first stood on these terraces and listened to our guide talking, I noticed something occasionally floating by, like smoke. Soon I realized that it was clouds, which was just amazing to me. I've just never been anywhere high enough for that to happen before. It's hard to explain, but it's just different than fog. :) |
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| Looking up towards the summit of Machu Picchu and the Hut of the Caretaker. The Inca Trail begins close to there. |
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| A view of the residential sector of the site. Going past this residential sector and up that staircase to the left, you eventually get to the gate of Huayna Picchu |
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