Apr 05 - Machu Picchu

Apr 05 – Machu Picchu

The river flowing through the village

Today we were all determined to make the best of Machu Picchu in our one remaining day.

Sheena and Eileen headed off early to do the hair raising climb of Huayna Picchu the very steep mountain behind the site which is supposed to give the best views and the ones you see in the most iconic photographs.

Paul and Mandy and Steve and Janette were headed for the Sun Gate which also gives fabulous views of the site from another view. Paul and Mandy decided to head up before the train arrived at 11 to miss some of the people and Steve and Janette decided to go in the afternoon to take photographs as it had been quieter yesterday when we went back in after lunch.

Rendezvous back at the hotel for drinks at 7 to see how we had got on !

The weather yesterday had been really kind to us, cloudy for our tour of the site which was great otherwise we would have been too hot given our proximity to the Sun, but then the sun came out in time for our photographs.  Today was to be different………..

The clouds formed on the mountains and the heavens opened at 11am. Thunder, lightning and torrential rain followed for 2 solid hours. Then by 2pm the skies started to clear, blue sky could be seen and the sun broke through. The rest of the afternoon was beautiful.

Back at the hotel, the day’s stories were told.

Knee to chin and steel ropes.....

Round of applause on entry to the hotel bar for Sheena and Eileen who had successfully made the steep and narrow ascent to the top of Huaynu Picchu using steel cord supports in many places and with some nerve jangling narrow parts with sheer drops.

Dont look down...

They had started off at 10am and had just reached the top when the rain started so the ascent had been dry but the descent had been pretty wet. 

The mountain goats have made it...well done

Once down, they took the bus back to the hotel for a hot shower and dry off and then when the blue sky broke through, they hopped back on the bus and went back up to the site for more exploring and some more photographs in the bright sunshine.

All very impressive !!

Paul and Mandy had headed up to Sun Gate and were about an hour in when the heavens opened, so they sheltered on the path under some very handy foliage until the worst had passed and then carried on up to the Gate. From there back down to the main site in time for the sun to come out and they spent a happy afternoon exploring and taking photos.

Steve and Janette had explored the town and the local market in the morning and the heavens opened just as they had finished so 2 hours was spent drinking coffee waiting for the skies to clear.

By 1.30 we decided to risk it so hopped on a bus up to the site, we were the only passengers !

When we got to the path to the Sun Gate, the rain stopped and as we navigated up the steep rocky path, the skies broke, the sun came out and the views with cloud on the mountains were just stunning. 

half way up...

Sun breaking through the clouds

We carried on up to the Sun Gate and got some stunning photographs.  Very lucky !

The whole site from the Sun Gate path

Made it ! and check out the hair pin
roads behind me that the buses use

Sheer drops from the path to the Sun Gate

Winding our way back down the rocky path we were watching the clock as the last buses left at 5.30 and we didn’t want to have to walk back down the mountain ! Whistles were going as they cleared the site but we made it it good time.

The rocky road to "Sun Gate"..
not for the faint hearted

Back in the bar we realised we had all come back on consecutive buses but missed each other by minutes !

Wonderful !! We all loved Machu Picchu. It is a spellbinding, evocative place and if you just sit and take in the atmosphere you can feel why it was such a special place for the Incas. Just magical.

Celebratory drinks with the gutsy “Lassies” for their hair raising climb. Not bad for a pair of “Old Yins”……..