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Machu Picchu, PeruDay One, A Sunny Afternoon |
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When the train pulled into Aguas Calientes we dropped our bags with Pueblo Hotel Porters who met us at the station and boarded buses headed to Macchu Picchu. The buses climbed the mountain through a series of switchbacks in about 20 minutes and dropped us in front of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge where we were met by our guide who escorted us through the ruins.
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We entered via the Gate of the Sun where we were greated by the "classic" view of Machu Picchu. It felt both strange and familiar at the same time. We also noted the presence of several Llama grazing along the paths and terraces. They were obviously accustomed to people and ignored us as we passed.
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We spent the lions share of our time exploring the upper regions of the ruins where most of the temples and other important buildings are located. These ruins are much larger and definitely steeper than those we encountered at Pisaq so we took our time acclamating to the altitude and stretching our flatlander's legs.
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After our guide left us, we continued exploring the Lost City on our own. The jagged mountain peaks above us and the river winding through the valley far below create some of the most dramatic views on the planet. Every which way we turned rewarded us with the most amazing scenery. When we were sufficiently tired, we made our way back to the buses and Aguas Calientes where we checked into the Pueblo Hotel. Linda propped herself up on the veranda to read, Dick stretched out for a nap and I set out to explore the grounds of the hotel which are also a nature preserve. Evening came quickly in this deep canyon and a chill was in the air when we headed to the hotel dining room for a great dinner where we toasted our adventure with Pisco Sours and marveled at our surroundings. It all seemed like a dream.
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Click on the forward llama to return to Machu Picchu in the mists of early morning.
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