Machu Picchu

An early 3.30am start for the drive and train and bus to Machu Picchu, but boy is it worth 3 sets of queues to get there. The stunning World Heritage site was built in the mid 15th century by the Inca and today attracts over nearly 5,000 people per day and I think they were all there in this mornings queue's. The car (1hr), a train (2hr) and a bus which (impressed me the most). Unfortunately, I sat next to the driver, who luckily didn’t put us over the edge of the narrow road on the steep climb up the mountain, but it was a pretty hair raising experience.

It was terrific exploring Machu Picchu with my guide Edgar, who is also the host of where I am staying. He had actually worked at the site for 4 years before becoming a guide. He was able to show me most, if not all, the amazing engineering and spiritual aspects of the site, which were numerous and fascinating and sometimes unexplainable. I suspect that without a knowledgable guide many of the features of Machu Picchu would have been missed. He also knew a few tricks to get in front of the huge crowds! I took about a million photos but I can only post a few below.

Machu Picchu has been a bucket list destination of mine forever. I am glad to have finally visited. It exceeded all my expectations. Although it can be arduous to get there and back, that also adds to the site visit. The Peruvian landscape as it borders the Andes is amazing, although you don't see much of it in the morning darkness!