Day 346: Machu Picchu – Day 1
We woke up at 4AM in order to get to the final check point as early as possible. Even though it doesn’t open until 5:30AM, our guide Joyce said we should try to be first in line – not only will we get the trail to ourselves after it opens, but then we can wait in the sheltered area outside the gate. We got up, grabbed our packed breakfasts and prepared ourselves for a hike in dark. Unfortunately, we forgot to charge our headlamp batteries, so our only flashlight was the app on Igor’s cellphone. Even so, we were making great time!
All of a sudden, we ran into a long line of 50+ trekkers sitting on the ground. Wait, we’re here already? We barely left the camp site! For some reason, Joyce made it sound like the check point was far away when in reality it was just outside the campground. As a result, plenty of other groups got in line before us – definitely not going to be first today. For the next hour and a half, we sat in the dark, nibbling our breakfasts, waiting for the stupid gate to open. Of course, once it did, we found ourselves stuck behind dozens of slow trekkers on the trail and we had difficulty passing them as the trail was so narrow. Definitely the most frustrating section of the Inca trail for us. Fortunately, it wasn’t for long – both the “Gringo Killer” staircase and photo ops at the Sun Gate dispersed the crowds and the rest of the hike to Machu Picchu was a breeze.
100s of tourists waiting in the dark for the final checkpoint of the Inca Trail to open at 5:30AM. Ridiculous.
There’s a bottleneck of trekkers as we hike the final hour-long stretch to the Sun Gate. It’s a bit cloudy, but at least it’s not raining!
Rounding the final corner of the trail. Not pictured here is the “Gringo Killer” – a ridiculously steep staircase with 100+ narrow steps. We were so anixious to bypass all the slower trekker that we took the opportunity to rush past as many people as possible. As a result, we were 2/3 of the way up the stair before we realized how high and difficult it was. But getting ahead of the crowd was motivating enough to keep us going!
Our first view of Machu Picchu – seen from the Sun Gate at the end of the Classic Inca Trail. WE MADE IT!
Triumphant trekkers at the Machu Picchu Sun Gate
Even though the Inca Trail leads directly into Machu Picchu, we had to exit the complex and reenter with our official ticket. Also, there are no bathrooms in Macchu Picchu so if you need to pee, you have to leave and wait in line to get back in again. I wanna spare you guys the gruesome details, but let’s just say that after 3 days with nothing but a chemical toilet (which the poor chaskis had to carry!), we were more than happy to exit Machu Picchu and pay 1 sole to sit on a clean, flush toliet and do our business! Touring the ruins was our second priority of the morning!
Once we were back inside Machu Picchu, Joyce took us on a tour through the ancient city, pointing out the intricate architecture, the various temples, palaces and religious altars. Machu Picchu is actually not that old – it was constructed in the mid-1400s at the height of the Incan Empire. It was never the capital of the empire (that was Cusco) – it’s main claim to fame is the exceptional quality of the architecture. The Incas were at the height of both their political power and at the height of their artist craft, so the city was beautifully planned and constructed. When the Spaniards arrived, they destroyed most of the Incans buildings they could find, but they never knew Machu Picchu existed (there are some theories that the city’s population was already wiped out by a smallpox epidemic before Fransico Pizarro ever arrived in Peru). As a result, Machu Picchu remained protected from vandals and looting. It was “discovered” in 1911 by Harim Bingham, a researcher at Yale, who was actually looking for a different set of ruins.
Afterward touring the city for about 2hrs, Joyce left us to explore on our own for the rest of the morning. We agreed to take the bus down to Aguas Calientes by noon and meet up with him for lunch in town.
We can just make out the town of Aguas Calientes in the valley below as we descend into Mahu Picchu. It has just opened, and already the first viewing platform is overrun with tourists. Our guide has to ask another group repeatedly to move aside so we could get our selfie in front of the ancient city
MACHU PICCHU
We have to exit the complex and reenter with our official tickets
A handful of the side buildings have thatched roofs, recreating what the city would have looked like in the days of the Incan Empire
The city was constructed using a polished, dry-stone technique, where the stones fit together with grooves instead of using mortar
Breathtaking views of the mountains, as seen through the alleyways of the city
CHINCHILLA! We find this cute little guy sunbathing in the royal palace
Channels of fountains carved into the rocks, and a recreation of the thatched roofs
As we tour the city, the sun comes out giving us beautiful light for photographing the ruins
Flowers and ornamental plants in one of the gardens in Machu Picchu
The Temple of the Sun and the sinking wall of one of the upper temples
The Funerary Stone (probably for llama sacrifices) and the Temple of the Condor (which also has a sacrifical stone)
One of the windows in the Room of Three Windows (the other two look the same), and a rock carving said to mirror the mountain ridge (we can’t confirm, as the mountain was covered in clouds)
The Inti Wantana Stone (said to be a religious sundial for worshiping the Sun God), and a water mirror (for putting on make-up? I dunno.)
Sunny day in Machu Picchu
Signing in for the (permitless) walk to the Inca Bridge – a pitiful plank of wood connecting a narrow path along a sheer cliff
We run into oncoming llama traffic on our way down the trail – apparently llamas have right of way in Machu Picchu!
Harassing the adorable baby llama
Llamas getting’ their groove on at Machu Picchu
Final selfie at Machu Picchu
We meet up with Joyce at a restaurant in Aguas Calientes for a farewell lunch. We enjoy some street music, along with a naked dog (still cute)
Even though we had perfect sunny weather while we were running around Machu Picchu, it started to rain during lunch. Perfect timing as far as we were concerned! After bidding farewell to Joyce, we checked into our hotel and took some MUCH NEEDED showers. There was a lavadería down the block from our hotel, so we had our stink clothes washed while we hung out in the dry, air-conditioned room. We had a great glamping trip, but boy are we glad in be a room with walls again!
Checking in to our hotel in Aguas Calientes where Lindsay surveys all the snacks she’s “squirreled” away during the trek