Hola todos,
Well, as promised, here is a post just about Machu Picchu! Obviously, the most monumental experience during my winter/summer break deserved its own post. Especially since it took four days and three nights to get there! I hope you are ready for a LOT of photos- some of me and my dad (who accompanied me on this journey), but mostly of the beautiful ruins and nature that surrounded us during our travels along the 26-mile sacred Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
The Trek
One of the couples in our group took this photo- and I am so glad that they captured this moment since it is my favorite picture of all! Such a great picture of just my dad and I alongside nature.
This was our trek group! There were 16 of us, and we really lucked out when it came to group quality. Usually, there is that one person who complains about everything or the couple that fights the whole time, but no one was like that! Everyone was super fun.
In our group, we had:
- one woman from Canada
- a woman from Austrailia
- couples from Australia, Washington, and San Diego
- a man from Denmark
- two recent college grads from England
- three recent college grads from Indiana
- my dad and myself
Our group diversity really kept things interesting, and we all got a chance to poke fun at each other's accents! Fun fact: At 20, I was the youngest member of the trek, and at [redacted], my dad was the oldest (although, with the way he was barely winded on some of the toughest steep parts, he definitely could have kept up with the younger guys!)
Getting ready to go on the hike! This was my first experience ever with a backpacking backpack, but my dad said I seemed like a natural!
Our first task- getting past the check point and conquering any fear of heights (which I have, by the way.) It wasn't that scary, but the bridge was a little rickety!
I told you there would be lots of nature photos.
The snow-capped and cloud-covered mountains gave me this constant feeling like I was in a Lord of the Rings movie.
One of our first Incan ruin sites, Llactapata. This farming area was built into the side of the mountain and is near the Urubamba River.
My dad, looking all backpacker-y. He was very diligent about getting photos of everything during the trek so that my mom and brother could see them when he got back!
Farm animals were everywhere along the beginning part of the trek because the land around the Inca Trail is still used today for farming.
Our first campsite was in a valley (which you can see if you look at the background). Our tents were set up and taken down daily by chaskis, or porters, who basically did everything for us except hike. (Which they did on their own, carrying our tents and cooking equipment. And they beat us to the campsite every time.)
Another incredible view. The beauty of the nature surrounding us was constantly taking my breath away. (Okay, maybe that was the rigorous hiking and the altitude, but still!)
A view out of our tent! The camp was covered in this cool layer of fog.
The sun, the mountains, and some Incan ruins. Casual.
Some snow-capped mountains for ya.
Getting a picture of us over a scary bridge- no big deal. The bridge seemed to be somewhat shoddily thrown together, and the river running under it was pretty strong!
Us after ascending to the highest point of the entire trek: 4100 meters. That morning, we had started off at around 3200 meters. The change in altitude on the way down actually deformed our plastic water bottles!
My dad wants to be a model for Inka Kola, the national soft drink of Peru. He loved that stuff, and even bought it on the trail when he could!
We actually got to walk around the inside of this preserved Incan city of Sayaqmarka, which used to be a protection check-point for travelers using Incan trails.
Yep- another one. They were all over the place!
Me posing with yet another set of ruins in the background.
These windows were everywhere in all of the ruins that we visited, and were used mainly for spiritual purposes since they always opened to an important location for the Incas (another sacred mountain or sacred temple, for example).
Hehe- sorry Mom. Couldn't resist.
This is at a different place. My dad really wanted to get a photo to scare my mom!
Yes, we did take this photo in at least three different places. How else were we supposed to distract ourselves from the pain?
Me with the best hiking buddy ever!
Our first view of civilization since we started the trek- a glimpse of Aguascalientes, also known as Pueblo Machu Picchu or Machu Picchu town.
Really, the views of nature were incredible.
Not Machu Picchu- yet. But we still got to climb around these ruins, which was pretty cool!
Another set of ruins built into the mountains called Intipata. Remember this picture for later!
Some treacherous steps that we had to carefully crawl our way down.
Wow.
Remember the Intipata ruins on the mountain from a few seconds ago? Yep- these are them. Up close and personal! My dad is that little human on the right.
Llamas! Or alpacas... I'm not really sure. Regardless, we got pretty close to them!
We were in the middle, and we had to climb down more steps (ouch!) to get to the bottom.
Our last obstacle before heading to the campsite was completed- we were happy campers! Pun intended.
DAY 4
The spectacular view of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate. Oops. It was too cloudy for us to get a good photo at around 8 am, so my dad and I decided to come back later for a better photo.
Machu Picchu! (When we first got there, the clouds were still making a fog-layer.
But finally the fog burned off! With the sunlight and everything, what a spectacular view of this amazing sacred Incan ruin!
When you are at the ruins in person, Machu Picchu is just so amazingly huge- you can't help but feel tiny!
If you get tired of these photos, just scroll to the bottom. I don't mind!
The famous Temple of the Sun at Machu Picchu. We couldn't go inside because of renovations or something, but it was still cool to see the outside wall!
Our trek group with our guide, Percy.
The quality of the Incan construction constantly shocked me. These people made this place without the wheel!
Note: The Machu Picchu complex is huge, so I was on one part of Machu Picchu taking a photo of this other part of Machu Picchu.
The way that the Incans built Machu Picchu into the mountain is incredible and provides for some awesome views.
A room is almost collapsing, but not quite! Hopefully mother nature (Pachamama, to the Incas) can ease up on the earthquakes.
The craftsmanship on these walls is absolutely incredible.
In order to get to the Sun Gate later, my dad and I basically sprinted up these steps. The Incas that lived here must have been really fit...
One final group photo! We were smiling because we were at Machu Picchu. (But mostly because we were finally done, I think...)
The Temple of the Condor featured a rock formation that looked like a flying condor (a holy animal to the Incas that represented the afterlife). Can you see it? (Hint: The wings are the large, smooth-ish boulders on the left and right, and the head is in the middle.)
The Sun Gate, from Machu Picchu. My dad and I sprinted back up there in order to get the photo we had missed before!
A view of Machu Picchu from the aforementioned Sun Gate.
Was it worth the extra sprinting and hiking after a 4-day long trek?
Absolutely.
Besos,
Tina the Exploradora
