The beautiful Machu Picchu with the Cougar Flag!
Machu Picchu in the morning!
Housing on the side of the hill.
More housing.
Momma and baby llama kissing.
Golden Hour as the sun goes down around Machu Picchu.
After several days visiting Cuzco and the neighboring towns I was already overwhelmed with the beauty I was seeing and all of that was just a glimpse of what was to come...Machu Picchu was definitely the icing on the cake that took my breath away! Our journey to Machu Picchu started Saturday night when we took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.
While on the train I met some ladies from Colorado and we were able to talk about different cultural things we had noticed through our travels as well as talk about our plans for the next day. Since the train ride is scheduled to be two hours I should have done some sleeping but there was no way I could sleep because I was counting down the hours until arriving at Machu Picchu. After finally making it to Aguas Calientes we put our things in the hotel and quickly went off to find some food for dinner. For those traveling to Aguas Calientes you should know that they do often charge a tax so be aware that it may be a little more expensive than you see on the menu. That being said I was able to get a plate of Pollo a la Brasa, which is fried chicken with rice and french fries, for only 8 soles or just over $3. A typical plate that I saw in Aguas Calientes at a decent restaurant was about 8-15 soles, so if you are being charged more then you should look somewhere else.
After finishing up dinner it was time to hit the hay because the first bus to Machu Picchu leaves at 5:30 AM so the lines for the buses start to get pretty long starting as early as 4:30 AM. Luckily we were heading up to Machu Picchu on Easter Sunday so there weren't as many people, but in general it is good to try to get in line thirty minutes to an hour before you plan on getting on the bus. In addition to taking the bus up the mountain there is also an option to hike up to the entrance which takes about an hour to an hour and a half from the main city of Aguas Calientes. If you do choose to hike to the entrance be sure to have your tickets and passports handy because they will ask for them at the bottom of the hill.
After a fairly quick ride up the mountain we were finally at the main entrance of Machu Picchu. At that moment in time I have to admit I was pretty excited to finally get a glimpse of the Ancient Incan Ruins. After getting our tickets and our passports ready we entered into the main park. Shortly after entering the park you reach the first terrace of Machu Picchu which is where you can take the iconic Machu Picchu picture that you see in so many books and magazines when you are preparing your trip. Since I am a die hard Washing State Cougar I took the opportunity to take my picture with a Cougar flag while also capturing the beauty of the ruins.
Following a photo shoot with people from my program we split up our group and headed on our respective hikes. Since Huayna Picchu only has a limited amount of people that can hike the mountain at all times our group was only able to get enough tickets for about two thirds of our group to climb it. I was one of the ones who didn't get a ticket for Huayna Picchu so I actually got to climb Machu Picchu which is a taller but a bit less steep of a mountain and it is located directly across from Huayna Picchu on the other side of the ruins. Seeing how the elevation of Machu Picchu is over 7,000 feet I would highly suggest buying coca leaves or candies in order to help combat the altitude. Even though there was less oxygen where we were I realized that once I started hiking and kept going for more than two or three minutes I started to get into a grove and my heart beat would even out to the point where it didn't sound like I was dying. After an hour and fifteen minutes I was summiting the top of Machu Picchu and I was able to see the abounding beauty of the ruins, the mountains, the clouds, and everything around.
After our hike of Machu Picchu we regrouped and headed on a tour around the ruins. I would definitely suggest having a tour guide when walking through the ruins because there are a lot of things that would not totally make sense without knowing the significance of the architecture and layout of the city. Since I am here in Peru studying Spanish my tour was in Spanish but there are many tour guides that speak a variety of languages so it is fairly easy to find someone who can speak your language and lead you through the ruins.
Since walking around all day will definitely cause you to get hungry I highly suggest that when traveling to Machu Picchu you bring your own snacks. While it may be a bit more of a hassel to bring your own food it is highly worth it in the long run. Once up at the entrance of Machu Picchu all prices for food and drinks have a multiplier of about 5 times as expensive as their retail would be in Aguas Calientes. For instance a normal water bottle in the city may cost around 1.50 or 2.00 soles but on the mountain it costs 8 soles. For this reason a lunch at the food court on Machu Picchu can easily cost 40-100 soles per person and that doesn't guarantee a yummy filling meal either. So in general bringing in water and food is a far superior way to feed your tired body while up at the ruins.
After a long day at Machu Picchu I finished of my day by going to Los Baños which are hot springs located in Aguas Calientes. It costs 10 soles to get into Los Baños but it is highly worth it at the end of the day. The hot water combined with the pebbles that line the bottom of the pools combine to make the end of the day very relaxing!
All in all my trip to Cuzco, the surrounding areas, and Machu Picchu proved to be by far one of the most beautiful and enriching experiences in my life! For anyone who is a lover of history, nature, and a good time I would highly suggest taking this trip! For those planning on making the adventure these sites add a little more detail on the opportunities at Machu Picchu:
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