Day 93 11.10.15
We woke up early, had breakfast and headed to the bus stop to cue up in the line that would take us to the bus up to Machu Picchu. Our guide told us that some people already wait in line at about 3:30 am in order to be at Machu Picchu first when it opens at 06:00 am.
We finally got onto the bus and headed up a winding road to Machu Picchu. It seemed dangerous when the busses would pass each other but it also seemed like the bus drivers knew what they were doing when they spun around corners and bends.
Here is an overview of Machu Picchu, it is surprisingly large.
The postcard picture. The site of Huayna Picchu in the background (that large spikey hill in the background is another site with temples and settlements. Some people try and climb this mountain too, even though the stairs and walkways are so steep, that some people only dare go down it by sitting on their bums and doing each stair at a time.
We were lucky to get to Machu Picchu in the morning at about 07:00 am, when not so many people from the town had come up and the people coming in from the Inca trail were still taking their time. So we had the place to ourselves more or less…
I wish I could have been in the picture when the llama just walked passed and created the perfect picture of Peru.
More beautiful images from Machu Picchu.
And an odd jumping picture – you have no idea how long it took to take it…
Here we are at a higher position – at the guardhouse to be exact.
The other side of Machu Picchu is steep, and the terraces are used to stabilise the earth around the city to avoid it from sliding down the hills.
A sacrificial stone.
A photo taken from further up, half way towards the sun gate where we were going to meet the rest of our group who had done the Inca trail.
We were really nice friends and so complied with the wish “when I come back, make sure you have chocolate with you…” and we did.
We headed back down to the entry to Machu Picchu and picked up our tour guide.
He showed us around the several parts of Machu Picchu. Here is an image of the elaborate irrigation system bringing drinking water to all houses.
A view over the gardens in Machu Picchu.
A view into the soil temple (underneath the Sun temple).
The sun temple from below. This is constructed on pre-existing rock.
The agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu.
More symmetry in buildings at Machu Picchu.
Hoards of people taking photos at the guardhouse.
The sun temple from the side.
More settlements – these used to be thatched.
The sun temple up close.
These stone poles were used to attach the thatched roofs.
Excellently built stone walls.
More settlements and storage houses.
Big view of the main plaza.
Half collapsed walls of the spiritual plaza.
View via the other side of the spiritual plaza.
The quarry up top and stabilising terraces.
The quarry.
More incorporated stones into settlements and other structures.
Naturally carved basins and stones for sacrifices in the temple.
The geometrically shaped form of the sun temple. This shape has to do with its astronomical significance and the earth tilt. Please don’t ask me to explain the details again. All I can tell you is that each individual window points to a sun gate at the other side on a mountain, having to do with the winter and summer solstices.
We moved on towards the temple of the condor.
The structure is supposed to look like an abstract condor. The wings are the high towering natural rocks, the face is displayed on the ground with its white colour… Its very abstract…
We moved on to a thatched house as an example. This was lovely and cool inside, whereas outside even though only 10:00 it was already scorching hot.
We decided we had had enough and headed back to the bus and back to the city.
Here we had lunch – a ceviche.
We again walked around the town, noticing several high-rise buildings that were climbing further up as time went by.
We walked over the handicraft market again and bought a couple of things too. Then we headed back to the hotel and the train station to drive back to Cusco via a train to Ollantaytambo and then a bus to Cusco.
It was a long long drive and when we got into Cusco we dropped off some washing, and headed out for dinner.
We went to a place called Papachos for burgers and it was just delicious! We had to wait forever to get the food, but it was absolutely delicious (especially for me, as I could now eat everything there was and not be careful with my tummy…)
I also shared some Mac and Cheese, which was delicious.
After the lovely meal at the town square we pretty much rolled back home and fell into a much-deserved sleep.
