Machu Picchu

Pre-dawn light starts to illuminate the mountains during my climb to Machu Picchu.

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The sun rose above the mountain at 7:15 a.m., flooding the temples with the first rays of sunlight. Here it was, the pinnacle of the Peru trip: the lost Incan city of Macchu Picchu.

We awoke just after 4 a.m., and ate breakfast before meeting in the central Plaza of Aguas Calientes. Our guide Yjeguel got our entry tickets, and we walked in total darkness down from the town center and crossed a bridge. We had more than a thousand stairs ahead of us to arrive to Machu Picchu. I set off without a flashlight, trying to hang close enough to other groups to see the uneven stairs ahead of me. I raced up the mountain, trying to beat the sunrise as light started to flood the valley.

The steps seemed to be endless and climbing in the dark didn't help. By this time, being a fairly avid walker and exerciser, I had gotten well ahead of the rest of my family. It was chilly, but I still had sweat pouring from underneath my ridiculous leather hat. In about an hour, I reached the top, and looked upon the gates of Machu Picchu. Dozens of people waited, and a bus pulled up and deposited dozens more. The hikers arriving to the summit hissed at the tourists getting off the bus, fresh and dry. 

The first rays of sunlight come over the mountain and into Machu Picchu.

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At this moment, I realized that Yjeguel had the tickets, and I was stuck outside. After about 20 minutes, my mom got to the top, and she and I decided that I would run back down the hill to get the tickets to make sure we could get inside before sunrise. She didn't think the rest of the family would make it before sunrise. It was already getting light, but the sun had yet to climb over the mountains.

I ran down the mountain, hopping down stairs much faster than I had climbed them. Dad and Beth were sweating their way up the hill. Yjeguel gave me two entries, and we agreed where to meet. I ran back up the mountain, at least until I was out of breath. With Lorenzo and Paola, we went through the line and entered Machu Picchu.

Coming through the gates, Machu Picchu is overwhelming. I didn't expect it to be so big, but its expanse is amazing. Built on a ridge, the ruins just keep going down the sides of the hill. Machu Picchu, which means "old mountain," is surrounded by mountains on all side. I looked out from the center of Machu Picchu, and just as my sister and dad arrived, the sun passed above the mountain facing us and the first rays of light spilled into the ancient temples, royal houses and servants' quarters.

The ruins and terraces of Machu Picchu flow down both sides of the ridge. Wayna Picchu and the temple of the moon are on the mountain in the background.

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We roamed the upper terraces, taking pictures. Then we met for a tour with a different guide. He was terrible. I wasn't sure how much of it came from his not caring and how much from his bad English (if you speak Spanish, always get a Spanish tour; they're almost always much better). We would walk to a spot, he would say, "From here, you see the seven fountains." Without further explanation, we would move to the next spot.

Finally, the tour ended and we got the chance to roam alone. Terraces poured down the hills. We saw the temples: to the sun, to the condor, the temple of the three windows.

Above Machu Picchu, on the peak of a higher mountain sits the temple to the moon, called Wayna Picchu. You can climb it, but I couldn't find anyone with the legs left to accompany me. We had several hours there, then we boarded a bus back to Aguas Calientes. During the ride, a young Peruvian boy dressed in a Halloween Indian costume ran down the road, waiting and waving for us at every turn. At the bottom he ran alongside the bus, then hopped on and screamed something unintelligible before gathering donations in a little sack.

My best Hiram Bingham pose.

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Back in Aguas Calientes, we gathered our things from the hotel and got lunch before catching the train. The train took us to Ollantaytambo, where we switched to a combi. We survived the ride back to Cusco, though barely, as our crazy driver nearly crashed a half dozen times, trying to pass on a narrow road as we curved around mountains, nearly crashing into bikers. (perhaps wearing a blindfold is the best way to deal with the Peruvian driving habits)