Machu Picchu

I finally get what all of the fuss is about & I see now why so many online dating male profile pics include the conventional shot in front of Machu Picchu. It’s unbelievably stunning. This crazy little town sits like a saddle connecting 2 mountains in a valley full of mountains as far as you can see. We didn’t do the 4-day Inca trail hike in as we were visiting in rainy season & that can be a bit risky. One benefit of visiting in the low season? No prebooking necessary. We bought our MP & Montana tix 2 days before in Cusco. That’s great for me as I am not a planner on these backpacking trips. It’s tough to change your mind & your route when you do that.
So we took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (or Machu Picchu Pueblo), where we stayed the night & awoke before dawn to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu in the morning (park opens at 6am). You can choose to walk from AC to MP & I’d be tempted if the walk didn’t take the exact same route (uphill, naturally) as all of the buses. On dry days, you’re walking in a dust storm. But on a morning like ours, it’s a muddy mess. That’s because when we awoke at 4am, it was pouring rain. It wasn’t going to slow us down so we geared up, caught the bus & luckily found that upon entrance to the park at 6am, the rain had ceased, the clouds were dissipating & it would turn into a beautiful day. Team Lucky in the house!

The train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo)

Downtown Aguas Calientes. For those following international events, this river through the middle of Machu Pueblo Town (& around the base of MP) flooded one week after we were there, forcing mass evacuations (of the tourists anyways). We were pretty lucky as far as timing goes.

A futbol field near the top of AC & near our hostel for the night. I happened to take this shot of kids playing & then saw a week later on the news this is where the tourists gathered for evacuation by helicopter. Nuts.

Clad in rain gear waiting for the bus at 5am.

After entering the park in tapering off rain, this was our first view. A bit cloudy.

But by the time we climbed up to el mirador (15 mins), this was our lovely view.

The weather was constantly changing throughout the day. Thankfully no rain but clouds moved quickly in & out. All of this meant the views of MP kept changing throughout the day so I felt the need to take a thousand photos of the same thing. I wonder why my blog gets behind. In addition to poor wifi, I spend a lot of time deleting needless photos. Better now than after my trip!

Malene & I discussed the only thing that could make the day better? Llamas! Specifically, llamas in the photos with MP. Wish granted.

I find that most travelers gloss right over Cusco as their primary destination is the nearby Machu Picchu but it’s quite a lovely city. We also toured the nearby Sacred Valley including various Incan ruins before heading to Aguas Calientes to tour MP. I went caption heavy on the photos below so I’m keeping this brief. You’re welcome.