Our day started at 3:30am with the knock on our tent. It rained most of last night but stopped by this time. It was a rush to beat the other 500 trekkers to the check in point, hardly a 5 minute walk away. We beat about 450 of them, just missed the benches, and sat in the dirt for the next 1 1/2 hours until the check point opened (it is the only way to keep people out of Machu Picchu while it is closed). As miserable as this might sound, it was not one bit! Then the gates opened, and the adrenaline started pumping. Knowing we were an hour away from the highlight of our trip - we would have run there had there not been 50 people ahead of us slowing us down!
Gasping for breath, we reached the rewarding Sun Gate after 50 minutes. It is the entrance to Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail but it is quite high up and still 30 minutes away from the sanctuary.
At the guard house we stopped to take the classic Machu Picchu picture (more like 20+ pictures). It is a view you will never forget.
Then we actually had to leave - the exit/entrance wasn't far - to have our 2nd breakfast, use a REAL toilet (oh - the joy of sitting down to pee!), and get our entrance ticket stamped so we could officially go inside.
Next our guide gave us a 2-hour tour of the site. Greg and I got a kick out of seeing THE tree in Machu Picchu (the tree in every photo) because we told Kate we would sit under it... We didn't know the entire field is roped off - off limits.
Sunday is free local day, and we noticed some in their traditional dress. I assumed they were the usual dress-up people who are looking for a quick tourist buck, but these were the real thing. They were the the shawmen/women from their town, who had travelled far to come to this sacred place. They made for some nice photos.
At 10am Greg and I had a date with Huayna Picchu mountain - to climb to the top of it. It is the tall mountain you always see in every picture of Machu Picchu; the Inca used it for special sacred ceremonies. Only 400 people are allowed to climb it a day, so you need to reserve your time in advance. The trail is exceptionally steep, and at times the stairs are like climbing a ladder. At the top, we hung our feet over the edge, popped the cork on the bottle of Gatorade I'd been carrying since early the second day, and took in the beauty of the sanctuary of Machu Picchu. I can't believe we are actually here!
Just as we got down off Huayna Picchu mountain, and found our way through the maze of ruins to the bus down to Aguas Calientes, it started to rain. In town we met back up with the rest of our group at the bar "Machu Pisco". There we found out that a couple of our trek mates got engaged at Machu Picchu!
The train ride back on Peru Rail was like riding through a greenhouse. The flora was green, lush and more what I was expecting from a jungle. SAS graciously upgraded our tickets to the fancy vista dome train, including meal service; not the Orient Express but it was quite the luxury after 4 days on the trail!
In Cusco we had to say goodbye to our new friends. When we met on the 1st day, and took our "family" photo at the start of the trail, I disliked the loose use of the word family. These strangers are not my family. I also secretly wished I was with a group of Americans rather than foreigners from Israel, Belgium, and the UK. So quite to my surprise, we very much enjoyed our time with these nice couples, and the fact that they were not Americans only enrichened our experience!
Tonight, in Cusco, as a treat we are staying in a nice room that opens onto the Plaza de Armas. We are exhausted!
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