Day 120: Machu Picchu!

So today is the day! Day 120 and the original end to our travels. But instead this day has become the epic finale to our trek, and of course there had to be an epic start to the day. And it was such an early start. Call us stupid (we did!) but we decided to walk up to Machu Picchu rather than take the bus – like the sane people do.

And there we were, at the bottom of the Machu Picchu steps, queuing up in the dark at 4:30am waiting for the gates to open so that us and thousands of others could climb the steps and see what all the fuss was about.

Once the gates opened, a lot of people actually ran across the bridge and up the steps, but us Tortugas stayed together, climbing in the dark, one after another, following the green arrows as we wound further up to the top.

It was only until we had walked over half way and exhausted ourselves did we start to see where we were going…

After a short break and able to turn our torches off we could finally see the steps in front of us… Not that it made us feel any better!

At least there was a spectacular backdrop to see our final steps up the path!

But then again there were a lot of steps!

When we finally reached the top of the steps we were greeted by our guide (who took the bus) and about a thousand other people who had also been smart and taken the bus! Thankfully our guide had a space at the front of the massive queue in to the entrance of the ruins. It was only 6am, but the excitement gave us a new wave of energy. As we snaked around the side of the ruins waiting to get our ‘reveal’ we read the plaques on the wall commemorating the discovery by Hiram Bingham – making us even more excited!

Around the corner, we finally got our first glimpse… and realised what the fuss was all about…

Totally worth it!

We moved inside, and just as our guide was explaining each area of the site, the sun came over the mountains and rose over Machu Picchu.

It’s an absolutely incredible site (and sight!). You’ve got to remember that this place is in one of the most inaccessible, remotest places, with sheer drops, high mountains and jungle, so the fact that there are huge structures, buildings and temples, massive terraced areas, fort-like turrets and walls with pieces of rock over 8ft tall is astounding.

The site has an agricultural section where the terraces have been perfectly dug out and shaped. On the other side is the living quarters where only the elite Incas were allowed to live. Then there are temples made from huge slabs of rock, and over the edge of the hill is still the site where they excavated the rocks, suggesting that even this wonderful site wasn’t finished. Our guide told us of how the Incas built earthquake-proof doorways and the layout of the temples towards the path of the sun. There’s even a sundial at the highest point, where there’s also a spectacular view of the other side of the mountains. Walking around the site is just amazing, everywhere you look is amazing architecture and shapes. Every facet has been meticulously thought through.

The amazing terraces

The sun temple

 

We then went up to the highest terraced area to get our ‘money shot’ pictures.

  

It was an amazing view! But that’s not all, as our entrance tickets also included the Machu Picchu mountain, so we headed up there, excited about more of the views we’d see from a higher point… unfortunately we had to climb over 2,000 steps (more steps!) to get to the top! So Kelvin, Axe and I took on the challenge.

  

Just when we thought we’d seen the last of the steps…

Not far to go now Kelvin!

It was a really tough climb, but what a view when we got there!

And all this before lunch!

So you won’t be surprised to hear that after all of that climbing up hamstring-aching stairs and back down again, we were more than a bit tired…

After a nap on the most famous Incan ruins in the world, we took some more pictures with the rest of the crew, and soaked up the remaining hours looking at the fantastic structures. It was actually a lot quieter in the afternoon since many people would have booked their return train back to Aguas Calientes in the afternoon, whereas ours was later in the evening, so a lot of the best pictures were taken after the majority of tourists had dispersed.

 Although it was knackering and involved a lot of early starts, the last 5 days were unbelievable and it was so great to not only end it with an amazing wonder but to share it with amazing people we had taken the journey with!

Top Tips

1) Think carefully about whether you want to take the steps up to Machu Picchu or the bus, as it is quite a bit of effort! You can always take the stairs down, when it is light and you can see more.

2) Some Machu Picchu tickets come with either the Machu Picchu mountain (the larger one), or WaynaPicchu mountain (the smaller, but more precarious one). In busy periods (June-August) buying one of these tickets may be the only way to get a ticket in to the site. Going up either mountain gives spectacular views of Machu Picchu and around, but it is pretty tough.

3) Check your train ticket and if the return is earlier than 5pm it is worth changing it to later so that you can take advantage of the quieter afternoon period

4) Bring lots of snacks and lunch. Although you’re not allowed to eat within the site, you’d spend a fortune in the only restaurant just outside!

5) Don’t forget to get your passport stamped at the exit!