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June 20, 2010:

3:00AM – Wake up after only getting two-hours max of sleep
3:45AM – Leave the hotel in bus
6:00AM – Arrive at the train station, get some tea from the café that overcharged us.
7:00AM – Get on the train, fell asleep
8:30AM – Arrive in the downtown area below Machu Picchu
9:00AM – Finally arrive at the base of Machu Picchu!

Glad I got those awful, early six hours out of the way as quickly as possible.

Once we were there everyone was exhausted, but really excited for what the day was going to be comprised of. We all met our tour guide in front of the entrance and began onto the upward, steep stone stairway, which at the top overlooked the urban city ruins of Machu Picchu. In complete awe pictures were immediately snapped and everyone posed with each other on the hill that overlooked its beauty. Here was the classic picture that has been published all over the Internet, National Geographic, and every single travel agency in Peru. It was so warm, sunny, and green; absolutely beautiful. From the top you could see miles and miles of clear sky and green forest, and the Urubamba River.

Machu Picchu was a stone-built city by the Incans during the mid-fifteenth century located 2,430 meters above sea level that was used for agriculture, religious ceremonies, and possibly built as an estate for the first Inca emperor, Pachacuti, or even a military base. Some characteristics that this city has are terraces built into the walls for growing crops like corn, potatoes, and grains; irrigation canals; watchtowers; granaries that held double purpose of storage and a natural refrigerator; as well as houses for farmers to live in and a giant courtyard where llamas were grazing. Although this was city was abandoned shortly after the Spanish invaded and destroyed the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu was left untouched.

In a few places where small, carved stone sculptures in the same shape of the mountains and glaciers behind them. To the Incas, mountains and glaciers were very important; they represented strength and life (with ice comes water, with water comes irrigation, etc.). From what I remember, there were four of these sculptures and the “Lost City of the Incas” was located in the middle. These stones were all supposed to align and point directly to the sun on the Winter Solstice. After a little while of exploring, we approached the Intihuatana stone, which was in a very strange shape and also used for rituals and possible even as an astronomical calendar. The stone was believed to have had the powers of the sun, in which it absorbed all the energy from it and if you rubbed your hands together and put it near the stone, you could feel its positive energy. Later on we also came upon the Temple of the Sun and the Room of Three Windows, which were also in dedication to the Sun God, Inti, and later the Temple of the Condor, the god of the heavens.

After our tour was over, Jeremy and I saw two chinchillas, native to the Andes, in the rocks of some of the ruins. After lunch, Lincoln, Jeremy, Colgan, Lauren and I decided that we wanted to climb to the top of Machu Picchu, the mountain that overlooks the city and named after it. Our tour guide said that it would take us 2.5 hours roundtrip, but it didn’t take us that long. The last bus wasn’t leaving Machu Picchu until 5:30PM so we had a lot of extra time on our hands and decided to begin our ascent.

It was 12:45 when we started and made it to the sign-in hut at 1:15PM, where you sign your name so they can make sure that no one is left behind after all the buses leave. Nobody wants to be stuck on that mountain when the sun goes down at around 5:30PM, and when the temperature drops. We inch our way higher and higher to the top. Our trail was literally stone steps that were not even or straight. Parts got extremely hairy and we needed to take quite a few water breaks and breathers. It was hot and we were getting tired, but we still had probably another 45 minutes or so to go.

Then out of nowhere while taking a break we heard Mike and Mateo. Apparently they started a half hour after us and just booked up the mountain while we were taking our breathers. Closer and closer. Water availability was running low. We could see the top but it just kept taking longer. But we finally made it after a long, exhausting and difficult hour and 45 minutes and my god it was worth it. The view was absolutely breath taking and just being there was a spiritual experience. We took off our shoes and sat on the very furthest tip of the peak that overlooked the entire city of Machu Picchu and just soaked it all up. It was single-handedly the best part of this trip to Peru. I felt accomplished and amazed.

After soaking up the sun and sights and appreciating the cool breeze, we began our descent at 3:30PM and on our way saw Miguel walking up by himself. He still had about 45 minutes to go to the top and he looked exhausted. But he seemed like he was persistent in his goal and was dedicated to making it to the top. On our way down, my legs were shaking uncontrollably and I was becoming dizzy and dehydrated. As we reached the bottom at 4:45PM we realized that the last bus was leaving at 5:30 and we didn’t know where Miguel was, or even if he was alright. We tried calling, but no answer. It was 5PM and no sign. 5:15PM – Mike, Mateo and Lilly decided to hitch a bus down to visit the hot springs in Aguas Calientes. 5:25PM – Miguel is nowhere to be seen and the sun is going down. We’re all nervous. 5:35PM – the last bus arrives so we decide to take the bus into town while Lincoln and Cristina stayed behind for Miguel.

Jeremy and I ate dinner at this place that was really cool and had really great, but expensive appetizers, while Molly, Colgan and Lauren ate at another restaurant. It’s now 8PM and we finally get word from Lincoln that they were with Miguel and getting a ride down. As we waited at the bus station for them, they all arrived in a truck at 8:30 and as Miguel came out of the passenger side, his legs collapsed. He said that once he finally got down from the mountain, his legs were really weak and was really difficult to walk. Jeremy, Colgan and Lincoln had to take turns escorting him from the bus station to the train station, but he seemed to be doing better after food, water and some pain medication. MAZ is a champ.

From here on out we were on a train or bus from 9:30PM until 1:45AM and it was awful. But the trip was so worth it!!

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