[OK, so Tony might be the only one who thinks that ‘Machu
Picchu’ sounds like a sneeze. Leave that one there…]
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Machu Picchu from Machu Picchu mountain - it;s a long way up, that;s for sure! |
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Watching the parting of the mist... |
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Planting a picture |
This was the biggie – even though we weren’t arriving
through the classic Inca trail (the proper Gringo Trail, which had been booked
out almost 6 months in advance so unrealistic for people with plans as fluid as
ours!) we were still pretty excited. Not by the early morning though – got up
at 4:30am to ‘see’ the sunrise in the cloudy mountains and avoid the ridiculous
amount of crowds that arrived later in the day. Made a collective group
decision to take the bus up, rather than the silly amount of steps in the dark,
with a view to conserving energy for the rest of the day. Hippo took us on a 2½
hour tour of the ruins, taking in the various sacrificial areas, the
astronomical site, the temple of the Condor and the terraces whilst the whole
place steadily came out of the clouds. Pretty much every time you got a wider
view of the place, it was impossible not to take a picture. Spellbinding stuff.
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Almost as good as us in real life! |
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Hippo tutoring time |
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Tony's llama call was a success!! |
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An emotional farewell to Hippo |
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Hippo said I looked like Hiram Bingham in the ole
Akubra - maybe true but didn't have Billabong in his day! |
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Some hot stepping |
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Looking out from the sun gate |
Had a revitalising coffee and snack (breakfast at 5am had
been a very rushed affair!) before embarking on more walking on our already
sore feet. We’d booked so late we’d also missed out on tickets for the Huayna
Picchu walk, but rather than whining too much we took on Machu Picchu mountain
instead, a far more gruelling affair according to Hippo. It didn’t disappoint –
nothing but large stone steps the whole way up, but amazing to have such an
overview of the Incan ruins. It just looked so neat – unreal almost!
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The classic shot from the guardhouse |
Since we weren’t sure we’d ever make it back there, took
full advantage of our day there and also headed to the Sungate and the Incan
Bridge, then at around 4pm took the long descent back down to Agues Calientes.
During this we really appreciated not having walked up them – we were on our
feet as it was! Another pizza and a couple more Cusquena’s preceded the train
and then minivan back to Cusco – a truly amazing day.
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Only in Inca times would a bridge
like this be built... The trail also leads
into a mountain. Crazy! |
Key Learnings:
1. Treat Inca steps with respect – before you know
it they can bring you to your knees (especially following 4 days hiking!)
2. Peruvians don’t seem to fully get the concept of
queuing, especially for toilets – a persistent presence is required to ensure
your place inline is maintained!
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