It was a very long day.
I’m finally back at 11pm, and I have to get up early for a flight back
to Lima. The group will then take a bus
to catch up with the ship in Chile.
I’m tired so I’m uploading my pictures from today without
comment. The speed of the internet is so
fast at this hotel, and I’ll take time when I’m back on the ship to write a few
captions for the pictures.
Machu Picchu is immense.
We traveled to roughly 14,000 feet in hopes of getting photos of some of
the tallest peaks. It was rainy, and the
clouds were only beginning to lift.
The train to Machu Picchu was a first class affair. We were served a four course meal on the way
up. The trip took about 2.5 hours. So the total time from Cusco was about 4.5
hours.
On one photo you’ll note what looks like ribbons in the
background. That was the winding road up
to the archaeological site.
I walked over 16,000 steps (7.85 miles) today (most at Machu Picchu). Most of it was uphill, but I was determined
to make it to the top. It rained constantly, and I have one skinned knee. That's not so bad considering the uneven stone path and steps.
Here are my photos with comments to come later.
Update: Photographic map of Machu Picchu
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| Click to enlarge map. |
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| The excursion required a flight from Lima to Cuzco (about an hour). Our guide said it would take 20 hours by car because of the mountain roads. The Andes make travel difficult in Peru. The trip from Cuzco took over four hours. It took a plane, a train, and two different bus rides to reach this site... and it was worth it! |
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| This is just an example of the steps you had to climb. I felt it was more dangerous making your way down. I have one skinned knee to prove it. |
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| The river was raging below with all of the rain. |
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| So these ribbons rising up from the river. That's the roadway leading up to the site. |
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| Again, see the roadway used to make the way up to the site. |
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| I made a few friends when our group reached the 14,000 foot observation point before going to Machu Picchu. |
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| These are "sky lodges" hanging off the site of the Andes. |
