MACHU PICCHU!!!

Wow, what a day! Machu Picchu is fascinating, and most of the time we were there we had trouble believing we had actually made it. No tour groups, no guides... we did it ourselves!

Our day began at 3:30 AM with a wake-up knock from the hostel staff. We ate "breakfast" (I use that term loosely because I, for one, can´t eat anything at 4 AM) and headed off to wait in line for MP. We wanted to be on one of the first buses out there because a) it would be less crowded (this backfired) and b) we could see the sunrise. After waiting in line in the cold for an hour, the first bus left at 5;30! We were up at MP by 6 AM.

Our first impressions were of majesty and dizzying complexity. We got the postcard shots, of course, and spent a lot of time just looking at the ruins. This hostel computer is giving me troubles, or else I would post some pictures. Hopefully I will be able to at some point.

One of the high points of visiting MP for most people is to hike Wayna Picchu, the mountain towering behind the city. On top is the Temple of the Moon and you can get a different view of the ruins. BUT, you have to wait in line for 'numbers' and they only let 200 people in at a time. Evan and I decided we didn´t want to wait in line to climb a mountain, so we did a little research and found a much less crowded trail that led up to Montaña Machu Picchu. Three hours later, we were literally on top of the world, with no one around, looking down on the ruins. It was insane.

We then spent about 4 more hours walking around the ruins, listening to other peoples´tours, following the self-guided tour in the book and taking photos. The stone-carving was immaculate and still perfectly preserved after 600 years. We learned a lot about the Inca culture. It was definitely a life-altering experience. Next up; Cuzco, eating guinea pig, and coca tea!!!

Ollantaytambo

We are finally in the presence of some ancient ruins!

We spent two days in Lima getting the lay of the land, eating some good food, and coughing out some serious smog. The people here are pleasant and friendly and accomodating when I make a mistake with my Spanish.

This morning we took a flight to Cusco, the gateway to the Sacred Valley, and our first step to Macchu Picchu!!!! The flight was smooth, beautiful, and full of non-Peruvians (of course, right?). After we disembarked, we had to find a taxi to take us to the "bus station" (which, in that driver´s definition, was a group of his friends waiting with cars to take us where we wanted to go). We are finding that negotiating is definitely an art, and very necessary.

Once we reached the "bus station," we took a colectivo (private car) to Ollantaytambo- riding for 90 minutes through the Sacred Valley. It was beautiful, a bit harrowing, and very dusty! It is really interesting to get out of the cities and ride through the country to see the way that the majority of people live.

The altitude has only affected us a little so far - we both slept for awhile after arriving and I feel a bit lightheaded and dizzy as I sit here writing this. The huge, formidable Inca ruins shadow the town, so we are excited to get a workout climbing them tomorrow. Exciting adventures are ahead!

The picture below is one I found on a Google search - we won´t be able to upload pictures yet.

We Are Off!

I'm not sure how good we will be at keeping this up, but we will try to keep our family and friends updated on our Peruvian adventure the best we can. We leave tomorrow night/Wednesday morning for a 12+ hour, 3-leg flight into Central and South America. Stay tuned for our adventures!