Scenery, Machu Picchu

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It was really amazing to see Machu Picchu in person after seeing it so many times in Travel Magazines. You just can't beleive it until you see it with your very own eyes.

It's just so unbelievable to me that the Inka people built this astounding mountaintop city. Which included a Palace, Temples, Observatory...with water fountains, terrace gardens, and even a sun dial so they could tell what time of day it was. All this, built using only primative tools!

The weather was perfect, not too warm and not too chilly....it was great just making our way through this amazing place, discovering all the things we had read about in our travel guide. Seeing this structure for ourselves. I'm sure it would have been best to have a tour guide point out everything, but, luckily, I had my travel pal who was very well read and could identify everything....the sundial.....
the water fountain...the agriculture area as well as the domestic area. {It's great being friends with someone so smart!}

I was hopeing to see some llamas and I wasn't disappointed. As I was climbing the stairs, one just walked right up to me! He seemed to check me out and as I was scrambling for my camera, he walked past me and decended down the stairs, stopping to survey the marvelous view. He wasn't interested in getting his photo taken. So, I sought after another llama, that was by the grassy area....I just had to get a photo of myself with a llama! And he was quite patient with me as I tried to take a photo of the two of us! You hear about how they can get pretty mean and spit. Thank God, I got a nice one!

When we got up to where the sun dial was there were lots of groups; mostly school children. One of the teachers pointed to me and one at a time, the children approached me and asked if they could take a photo with me. There must have been about 20 children as well as 2 teachers. I don't quite know why they choose to be photographed with me, perhaps they don't see many blondes....or was it the pink leopard hiking boots?

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As you enter the main gate, the path splits: to the left, up a hill, and to the right down to a little hut. The left path goes up straight to the overlook that gives you the view of MP you always see on the postcards. The right path leads down to the ruins, and eventually you circle around to the overlook. It seemed like the organized tours circled right so that they could cap off the visit with the overlook, but I liked getting there in the morning when there were no tourists down below to get in my pictures, and with the morning fog adding an air of mystery.

We got there in on a cold, gray morning after taking the 6AM bus from Aguas Caliente. The entire valley was fogged over except the peak of the mountain, but then, the clouds parted and there before us was the ruined city. Gray and stately, resting on a peak of terraces over the valley, it was like Brigadoon rising from the mist.

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The ruins of Machu Picchu are very beautiful, that´s for sure. But the site is much more impressive and magic if you pay attention to the wonderful scenery around it.

High mountains surround Machu Picchu and you can always see the Urubamba Valley below. It´s really unbelievable!!!

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There is not much to see at the Agricultural Sector (the Urban Sector is far more interesting...), but the views from there are unbelievable. Almost as good as the ones from the entrance steps...

You can clearly see in one of these pictures the "U" shape of the Urban Sector seen from the top of the terraces. Imagine how it was to build a city at this place... check the cliffs!!!

The best thing we did was schedule two and a half days to visit Machu Picchu. This allowed us plenty of time to stand and stare at the wonderful vistas. Since we weren't rushed through on a tour, we could walk at the pace we wanted, duck out of the rain when we desired and enjoy the late afternoon light without stress. We noticed that many people on tour groups arrived at 10:00 a.m., zipped through the ruins and were gone by 2:30. We were happy not to be among them. In fact, we noticed that the crowds thinned out considerably after 3:00.
Especially if you are planning a visit during rainy season (as we did), allow yourself at least two days at Machu Picchu and more time if you want to climb Huayna Picchu.

Also knows as "the lost city of the Incas", Macchu Picchu is the world' famous reckon site of Peru, and for sure one of the main beauty of whole South America, perhaps of the whole globe.

I would not say anything about the history, as I think you should check it by your self if interested, but believe me, get to such place with one information more is always better!

The only one thing I could say about such a beautifull place is:
GO andVISIT IT! No way to miss it.

Try to get to Macchu Picchu as early as possible, as there will be so many people at already around 09AM that will not make you enjoy this place at100%.

So try to take the first bus from Auguas Calientes (06AM) that will get to MP after 30/40mins. At this time the place is still quiet empty and you can feel amazing sensations!....(the pic has been taken at 06.30AM)

The site empty takes really your breath away!

Then, when the visitors will get to Machu Picchu, you can leave the main site and take a quiet easy (but not too much) hiking and hike the Huayna Picchu.

The trail is pretty easy, in some points is quiet deep but there are not so big troubles...and the views of MP from the top of Huayna Picchu are simply great!
(take a look on my other pics).

Before to take the way to Huayna Picchu, you must fill your details in a register at the entrance. The way will take something like 1 hr 20 mins or so (depends on your phisical situation)

Well, what to say more, just DO NOT ABSOLUTELY MISS this place! You weill
just regret this decision!

Make sure you take a break from hiking and just stop to enjoy the scenery. From the minute you cross the bridge and begin the hike on day one to the last steps through the ancient city on day 4. The views are beautiful and endless.

The constructions at Sacred City are awesome, but take your time to look around... The scenery is positively wonderful...

Las construcciones de la Ciudad Sagrada son impresionantes, pero tómate tu tiempo para mirar a tu alrededor... El paisaje es absolutamente maravilloso.

Of course, Machu Picchu is the reason you came, but what makes the site doubly impressive is the surrounding beauty with the craggy green peaks seeming to rise vertically from the valley and river below.

Perhaps I should have expected it but it's not every day you can be in the mountains with this wide a variety of plant life. It was jungle-like and very colorful and only really thinning out on the passes.