Machu Picchu 15-16th March 2007

From Cusco we took the train to Agua Calientes, the small town below Machu Picchu. The fact that there is a railway line there at all is quite impressive. The train zig zagged backwards and forwards up the hill to get out of Cusco. Then it followed a wild muddy river along a very steep sided valley. Three hours and forty-five minutes later we were there at 9.45am! We spent the rest of the day there. During the night Helen developed food poisoning again!

Nevertheless, we got up at 4.45am again ready to catch the bus to Machu Picchu at 6am. The bus zig zagged up a very steep hill and we were finally there. The place is amazing; so high up with virtually vertical drops on all sides - it would have been a very strange place to live. As Helen wasn´t feeling that well we ditched our guide and made our own way slowly around the ruins. At first we were in the clouds and gradually they moved around and lifted, it was very mystical.

There were llamas up there to keep the grass down, some with their babies too. We saw some nice small birds that were white and blue, but no Condors. Like most of our trip we went around Machu Picchu backwards, so our final view was the one in all the postcards; it really is fantastic.

At about midday, when the day trippers arrive, it started to rain, so having been all around we got the bus back down and were glad to be on slightly flatter ground.

Sorry Mike we didn´t make it up Waynupicchu - it looked pretty steep though!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzWwCWn7wg8