Friday, June 4, 2010

Machu Picchu!

And after the amazing hike we arrived at this place called Machu Picchu, some of you may have heard about it...dont believe all the hype...its amazing!!

We awoke at 3:45am...yes that's right 3:45am to do some more hiking up the Inca steps to the Machu Picchu site.  Everyday they allow the first 200 people up the mountain a special pass to another part of the area called Huayna Picchu (the mountain in the back of all the famous photos)

Just when you thought all the hiking was done, they go and put steps ALL OVER the side of a steep mountain...well worth the effort though!!

The original Inca steps that we trekked up...there were only like 750,000 of them...I mean why not...

An early morning shot of the area...it almost looks like my body is superimposed onto a postcard of Machu Picchu, but I assure you I was there!! Pretty special!

Although it was early and our legs were killing us...it was definitely rewarding being some of the first people to look out over this gorgeous scenery!

Group photo cliffside...Hyuana Picchu is the mountain in the backgroud...


Beautiful views of the terraces as the sun rose...

Everyone has seen these famous pictures of Machu Picchu, but ours are mo' better!!

Steep steps!!

The sun rose pretty quickly and warmed us back up...

Us trying to knock the main gate down...here you can see the precise Inca stonework...

View of Machu Picchu from atop Huayna Picchu...absolutely amazing!!  Although you cannot really tell from this photo, the Inca constructed Machu Picchu in the shape of the condor (giant bird popular in the area)...just look how small it looks from here and yet how big it is close up...

Atop Huayna Picchu...the views were amazing, but more incredible was how they managed to build the things they did up here...its so high and steep the stairs alone were difficult to just walk...

Kerry with a hairy dude...

The road the buses travel up to Machu Picchu winds back and forth, back and forth...the Inca steps we took goes in the middle of that "little" green area between the switchbacks...straight up!

The guardhouse with its most famous guardian...the llama...who roam randomly around the area

These plants even existed back during the Incan times...pretty cool huh


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