Discovering Machu Picchu

We got up today and the stars were still out. There is a checkpoint you must clear before you can complete the final two hours of the hike and enter Machu Picchu. This checkpoint is closed until 05:30, and with everyone’s goal of watching the sunrise at Machu Picchu a line starts to form early. We made our way down to the checkpoint with only the light from our torches lighting the way. We were actually pretty close to the front, however there was one large group in front of us that I feared would slow our progress. It was dark and hard to see the ground below your feet, but luck was on our side. A slightly larger American woman who was highly skilled at both whining and seeking the attentions of others took an early tumble, twisting her ankle, which held up her entire group, as the five of us marched past, pressing on to the Sun Gate. We made good time and did not see many others on the trail. About a half hour in and it was light enough to see without the aid of a torch. About an hour and a half and we were at the Sun Gate, climbing the very steep stairs to the top, so steep in fact, that you could use your hands without bending over.


Just below us we would discover Machu Picchu, and in plenty of time to watch the sun come up.


And there it was, carved and resting right in the mountain, the Lost City of the Incas, I was filled with emotion. Built around 1450 but then forgotten and hidden from the world until discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, and now, discovered by us.


So far away from everything and everyone, I think I finally began to understand this, and understand the journey of the Inca Trail. We were still about 30 minutes away form it, but I was already blow away by its impressive size, location, and the amazing scenery that surrounded it, not even in my dreams could I have pictured this. And I am sorry to say this, but not even the most powerful camera could capture its spirit.


You have to visit this place and see if for yourself as I could never describe it, and if you really want to understand the magic and power of this place you must make the four day journey yourself.






We made our way down to Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate as the sun was getting closer to making an appearance.




The locals also came to watch this amazing event as well.


And then a shard of light sliced through the air illumining the top of the “Temple of the Moon”, the mountain behind Machu Picchu which you can also climb if you have an extra three to four hours.




This has to be my favorite picture. All of us having successfully made this amazing journey without injury to view the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen, again filled with emotion. What a great family to travel with.


We had a few minutes to rest before we would head down a little and drop off our packs so we could more easily explore this land, as well find out more about this place from Fredy.






We checked our packs as the sun continued to rise.


We looked back at where we had come, in the upper left corner you can see another mountain pass, this is where the Sun Gate was that we passed through earlier that morning, then traversed across to the city.


We checked our packs and encountered a swarm of “Cheaters”. These are tourists and not travelers, and while I admire the fact that they came to see this place I feel sorry for them as they will never understand it.


“Cheaters” are easily identified by their walking sticks and light packs filled with water bottles and energy bars. It’s easy to identify the tourists from the travelers just by observing their walk. A tourist navigates the place with little difficulty, while the traveler, who is often in much better shape and younger, stumbles around the area, often letting out groans and sighs of pain as they navigate the steps throughout the town.


Fredy walked us around the town giving us insight to its secrets. Every time you turn around you find something else, something more beautiful. It only took five minutes before I was wishing that I could live here. How could you not be inspired by waking up every day to these views.








The town had over 140 structures that it’s over 700 citizens occupied.




Many of which had running water all the time. They created channels from ground water and with primitive pluming routed it to their houses.




Terraces for farming.


Walking around town I again wondered if there was someplace for rent here.








The mountains off in the distance. Fredy also told us that they recently found another ruin on the near mountain in this picture that has yet to be excavated.


Many of the widows were aligned so that they would be informed of the summer and winter solstice.


More terraces.


I was very impressed with this part having seen this same concept demonstrated many times before, including one marginal performance of a pin drop in the Mormon Tabernacle Church. This was nothing short of amazing, if you shouted, or better yet, clapped, the sound bounced back clear as it was originally heard. It really was the most amazing demonstration of this I have seen, and in such an open area.




The Inca were great model builders and with great accuracy to scale. At first this looks like a rock, however if you take in to account the whole picture it actually is a model os the surrounding mountains.



As does this rock behind the stone wall, you can see the three peaks as well as the second rock behind the first to represent the mountain off to the far right.


After Fredy showed us the highlights we had some time to explore on our own and make our own discoveries.










If you understand this place it will change your life, you think about where you are and where you are going, sometimes you fall, sometimes you get up, sometimes you cry, and sometimes you laugh, it all starts to have meaning and becomes whole.


Later that day we would catch a bus that would traverse the many switchbacks down the mountain to Machu Picchu Town. The train sounded like a great way to get back to Cusco.


We got seats on the Vista Dome car which sounded like a good idea at the time. However if you spent the last four days hiking through the mountains you aren’t going to see much of anything of interest and should skip the dome cars.


We would find out that the train was actually quite slow, slower than by car, but faster than by foot. At least we could sit down and enjoy a nice cold beer.


When we got close to Cusco the train also descended down using switchbacks, but rather then wide turns on each end, the train would actually move forward, wait for the switch, then move backwards, wait for the switch, and on, and on, rocking back and forth. Once at the train station I negotiated a ride to our hotel for five Sol(s) with a guy who said he was a taxi driver. However his car was lacking in everything that you would find in an actual cab, but I knew we were close and there were a lot of people out and about so I felt fairly safe, plus I was tired. We got to the hotel in Cusco without issue, showered, found real beds, and reflected on the journey.


VIDEO: Scared footsteps of the Inca