OH the places we've been...Machu Picchu

 

If visiting friends and their families and experiencing authentic Peru wasn't already one of our favorite vacations...a weekend at Machu Picchu really topped it all off!

OH MY GOODNESS...Machu Picchu is impressive.  What a great way to end our trip with some one-on-one time with my honey and get an once in a lifetime experience.  We flew into Cuzco and rode via taxi to Ollantaytambo...a picturesque town full of cobble stone streets along a river.  From Ollantaytambo we traveled to Aguas Callientes via the only route possible:  train. 

Mystic Machu Picchu

The train ride took us deep into the jungle with crazy mountains jutting up on each side of the canyon until we reached the town at the base of Machu Picchu where we spent the night before embarking on our visit to Machu Picchu early the next day. 

It was difficult to see the old ruins at first because of all the mist and fog in the air.  We hiked straight up Waynu Picchu (a steep mountain overlooking the old city).  It was a great hike, but the fog only got worse.  For one brief second we got a glimpse of the city.  The rain started when we reached the top and it was quite the adventure making our way back down the steep trail which had now turned into a miniature waterfall. 



This guy almost ran me over as I was taking
a break. I smelled him before I saw him

temple of the 3 windows

By the time we reached the bottom and started walking through the city, we were soaked, cold, and I was a little miserable and starting to get sick.  Despite all that, it did not take away from the beautiful city.  We spent the entire day roaming the terraces, streets, and every nook and cranny.  We hung out with the alpacas and llamas while the sky cleared and eventually dried out and warmed up.

Peru and Machu Picchu left us with wonderful memories and a yearning to visit more of South America.  If anyone is even slightly tempted to visit this wonderful place...then GO!  It was totally worth it and more beautiful than any picture could capture...even though Jesse did a pretty good job :) 

Yep, we climbed that mountain in the background