Our Intrepid Tour Group at Machu Picchu
In Front: Jeannie, Laura, and Larisse
In Back: Andrew, Chrissy, Clare, and Dennis
Our Guide Freddie!
Huana Picchu
Smiles at the Sun Gate
On Sunday, we woke up at 5:30am, in order to get on the first bus to Machu Picchu. It was incredibly foggy and slightly wet outside, so I wondered how the day would turn out. I was hopeful it would burn off, as we prepared for the hike around the ruins.
When we got up to the gates of Machu Picchu, Uriel handed us off to our guide, Freddie. While walking around Machu Picchu, it is really nice to have a personal guide. Freddie paused at each sector and told us about the history and the meaning of what we were seeing. As a non-archaeologist, it was extremely helpful! Being there a 2nd time was nice as I was able to absorb more details than the first time.
About 15 minutes into the tour, we met up with the rest of the Intrepid group who had just finished hiking the Inca Trail! It was neat to cheer them on as they descended the last of the steps towards the exit gate. I remember being in their shoes 3 years ago and how excited I was to have completed the journey.
The Guard Tower
Morning Fog
Farming Terraces
Hiking up to Intiwatana (The Astronomical Observatory)
The Intiwatana
Freddie Explaining the Intiwatana
The Storage Area
Temple of the Sun
The Altar in the Temple of the Sun
Approaching Inca City
Inca House of Learning
In an Inca Doorway
Freddie Explaining the Inca Stone Masonry
Inca Waterworks
The channel above, flows underneath a building and on the other side is this pool!
Break time at the Inca House
Inca Kitchen
Two Story Inca House
Heading Towards the Rock Quarry
Intiwatana from the Rock Quarry
Freddie explaining how the Inca Harvested Rock
Notches were used to break the rock apart.
The Rock Quarry
At the Temple of the Three Windows!
Steep Terraces Leading down to the Urubumba River
In the Temple Sector
The Chinchilla Guarding a Temple!
Close-up of the Chinchilla
Rock Quarry Panorama
Llamas running in the Inca Housing Sector
Huana Picchu is the famous mountain that you see in almost all the pictures taken at Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is actually the name of the mountain behind me. There is a trail going to the summit of Machu Picchu, but it is quite strenuous, as the guides explained and a permit is required. Climbing Huana Picchu (the one in the picture) is much more popular, but there are only a few hundred permits per day issued.
Machu Picchu Ceremonial Rock, or is it a Cuy (Guinea Pig!)
Chrissy Gets Up Close to the Llama
Jeannie Reaches out to the Llama
Larisse makes a friend
Local Flora:
Passion Fruit Growing Naturally!
Bromelaides and Coca Plants
Pink Orchids
White Orchids
Lost in Inca City!
Inca Observatory, they used the pools of water to observe the stars!
Urubumba River and Aguas Calientes
Temple of the Condor
We Heart Machu Picchu!
The tour with Freddie lasted from 7:30am-10am and after that we were free to wander around on our own. Dennis, Laura, Larisse, and I decided to visit the Sun Gate. It took us 33 minutes to hike to the Sun Gate, at a fairly aggressive pace. Laura arrived about 5 minutes later, and Larisse 10 minutes after Laura. It’s a fairly strenuous hike, but it’s a nice stone covered pathway the whole way.
Laura hiking to the Sun Gate
The trail cuts through the jungle to the sun gate!
About halfway to the Sun Gate…
The Altar near the Sun Gate
The Sun Gate
Machu Picchu City from the Sun Gate
Larisse and Laura Enjoying the View
Dennis excited to finally see Machu Picchu
Larisse as a Condor!
At the Sun Gate
After the Sun Gate, we hiked back down to Machu Picchu main sector and took a couple more pictures. It was much more crowded now, than earlier in the morning!
After spending the day at Machu Picchu, we headed back to Aguas Calientes and got something to eat before we needed to catch the train back to Cusco. We had just enough time to walk up the steep hill, back to the heart of the town. I got this picture, looking down towards the craft market.
Since it was just a couple days before Christmas, the municipality was handing out toys to the children of Aguas Calientes. It was a big festival and there were children running everywhere with big smiles on their faces!
Santa comes a couple days early in Peru!
The cue for the toys!
Later, on the train, as we were leaving Aguas Calientes, I looked up and saw this amazing 16,000+ ft mountain. I’m not sure which one it is, but it was amazing.
A couple hours later, we arrived in Ollyantaytambo. As we were debarking, I turned around and got this picture of Dennis. Riding Peru Rail was a really nice experience and a great way to get to Aguas Calientes!
From Ollyantaytambo, we had to transfer to a bus, to get back to Cusco. As we were rising out of the Sacred Valley, we managed to get some pretty nice pictures of the Andes.
Nevado Chicon (18,143 ft)!
Nevado Chicon Panorama with Nevado Sirihuani (17,357 ft) behind it.
Nevado Veronica (19,398 ft)
Tags: Huana Picchu, Intrepid Travel, Machu Picchu, Nevado Chicon, Nevado Veronica, Peru, The Sun Gate