The train ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (aka Machu Picchu Pueblo) was like entering the jungle.  Everything got more and more lush, green and wet.  There was less agriculture, and more wild.  Aguas Calientes itself (named for thermal springs on the edge of town) was another kind of jungle, the tourist kind.  Obviously this is unavoidable, but for low season there sure were a lot of people: backpackers, trekkers just back from hiking the Inca Trail, well-to-do group-tour participants, and on and on.  The town offers a wide variety of lodging and restaurants, which we took advantage of as soon as we bought our bus ticket and Machu Picchu entrance ticket for the following day.  We were excited to have finally reached this 15th Century masterpiece, which became a World Heritage Site in 1983.  There are different theories about the site´s founding, purpose and use, but regardless it is a treasure.  Since it wasn´t “found” and ransacked by the Spanish, it retains many features that were lost in other archaeological sites throughout Peru and other parts of Latin America.

Heading Up to Machu Picchu

We were on one of the first buses up in the morning. There is a whole fleet that leaves at 5:30 am, and we were in the first third of the massive line to board.  Once up to Machu Picchu itself, the crowds seemed thinner, as the site is massive, and just one bus unloads at a time.  It was still raining lightly as we entered, and there were clouds handing low over Wayna Picchu (Also spelled Huayna Picchu: Young Mountain, the one that forms the background of all of the classic Machu Picchu photos).  We decided to take a walk on one of the alternate routes. We passed close to the Sun Gate, where the trekkers coming off the Inca Trail first enter Machu Picchu. There were a few trickling in still. We wondered again if we should have done the trek, but lack of planning and funds foiled us this time. We want to do some research on some of the alternate trails before a future trip. We then passed the Watchman´s Post that sits at one of the highest points of the main complex.  Behind this we followed a path about 20 minutes back to the Inca Bridge, a drawbridge on the side of a sheer mountain face that, in the past, could be raised to keep trespassers out.

Machu Picchu Main Complex

One back at the main complex, the sun had come out.  It had turned into a beautiful day, and we spent the next hour or so making our way back to the entrance to Wayna Picchu.  We passed through the Main Gate, and the nearby Sun Temple (under which is a cave called the Royal Tomb, though no mummy was found in it).  Here is the famous ritual stone (this and many treasures were not destroyed due to Machu Picchu´s inaccessibility) Intihuatana, oriented so that stones point directly at the sun during the winter solstice.  The stone is also known as a “hitching post” of the sun, that holds it on its course across the sky.  At the equinox, when the sun is directly above, no shadow is cast at all! There is also a kancha near here, a living space for extended family with various rooms and spaces.  There are other Temples, chambers, spots for astrological observation, a main square (with llamas grazing), altars, ceremonial rocks, doorways, sculptures . . . it seems endless. There’s so much to explore!

Machu Picchu from Wayna Picchu

Hiking Up Wayna Picchu

At the far end of one level, we reached the entrance to Wayna Picchu. Only a certain number of people are allowed up each day, but we got there before 9 am, so were lucky! We scored numbers 121 and 122 for the day. The walk up was very steep, and slippery in spots because of the rain.  At some points there were cables to grab hold of, both to keep from falling as well as to help hoist yourself up.  Even though Machu Picchu is a little lower than some other places nearby, you still really feel the altitude with exertion.  At the very top the views are unforgettable. Machu Picchu looks tiny, and the surrounding mountains overshadow everything.  There are a few ladders to climb, and one tight squeeze through a rocky cave at the summit, but well worth every ounce of effort. The hike up takes an hour and a half to two hours without rushing too much. We took extra time on the “death stairs” heading back down, about the steepest you can imagine!

More photos from Machu Picchu