Mystic Machu Pichu

A visit to Machu Pichu should be on everyone’s top 100 list of things-to-do-before-I-die.

Our approach was via the 1-day Inca trail that starts at a point called km 104 on the Peru Rail train line. 

Along the route are a few extra Inca ruins just to wet your appetite for the grand finale. The road has been paved by rocks and the most delightful part of the journey…thousands of stairs. So stairs with the added bonus of an altitude that climbs to 2750m makes this trip a heart pounding, heavy breathing, sweat pouring experience.

It is all worth it when you step through the Sun Gate at the end of the trail and catch your first glimpse of Machu Pichu. As we waited and watched, the afternoon sun made an appearance through the clouds and bathed the stone structure in warmth. The pile of rocks took on a completely different appearance and the majestic city came alive.

We had to do a sprint down another set of a million stairs to reach the little town of Aguas Calientes before nightfall and were greeted by a raging river beside this quiet town.

4 am start in the morning if you want to see the ruins without throngs of visitors fighting for the same photo opportunities.  We opted for a bus up (I could hardly walk by this stage) and were greeted by a different face of Machu Pichu, she was shy and gently enveloped herself with a mist.

Today we also got our first sighting if the ‘rare’ llama after much discussion and debate that it may be an imaginary animal. These are the lawnmowers of Machu Pichu.

A quick tour of all the important sections of the ruins will convince anyone of their advanced masonry techniques. However, I was by far most fascinated by the intricate irrigation system, an ancient water feature.

Final challenge of the day – climbing up Wayna Pichu for yet again the perfect photo of Machu Pichu but this time an aerial one. Stairs, stairs and more stairs. The Inca’s must have had the world’s smallest feet as the stairs are shallow and steep. Not for the faint-hearted or afraid of heights and we had the added challenge of rain.

Glad I made it down and am able to tell the story.

Vamos mi amigos, it’s worth every step.