Peru day 8

Today is one of the days I have been looking forward to the most!  I mean who doesn't look at a photo of Machu Picchu and say WOW?  Well this girl sure does and the thought of standing there is just so exciting.  BUT the process to get there is long!  We were to be on the bus at 6:00am with passports in hand.  So that meant if we wanted to eat breakfast we had to be there around 5:45am so we had to get up super early.  Our morning went a little like this . . . 30 minute bus ride from hotel to train station to catch 7:20am train; passport control

90 minute train ride to Aguas Calientes; beautiful ride on a pretty sweet train

30 minute bus ride to Machu Picchu; you see the sign and know it is close . . .

. . . but you must continue on a very curvy, bumpy road . . .

And just like that we were headed in the gates to Machu Picchu . . . so excited yet so tired too.  I do not remember what time we actually arrived at the entrance gates but it wasn't what I was expecting.   With our documents in hand, our tickets and passports were scanned and checked and double checked.  We were allowed to enter and the anticipation was building.  It sounds so official but not really; just like entering any other tourist destination except they did check our passports.  We walked up, down, and around without much of a view and then you get a small glimpse . . .

. . . I know sort of tease but then a total WOW moment for me.  

That first view is just amazing!  Just standing there and doing a 360 spin of all that surrounded me was amazing.  I was a Super Happy Tourist and just taking it all in . . .

Colin might or might not have said, "how long are we going to be here?"  I am vaguely remembering him muttering some ridiculous statement and thinking what a bratty kid.  Someday he is going to really be amazed at what his young eyes witnessed!  Anyway, there really are no words or bad photos of Machu Picchu so let's just look at some photos of our morning . . .

 

It was time for a lunch break so we headed to a buffet lunch at the entrance.  It was yummy but expensive (included with our tour).  We had a choice to make for our afternoon . . . hike to sun gate, hike to guard house and explore more of lower area, explore on your own, or hang out in air conditioned restaurant.  We decided to go with the guard house plan; this is the guard house . . .

. . . and explore more of the lower parts of Machu Picchu.  Did I mention you can not take a bad photo of Manchu Pichhu?  I can promise you that of all 217 photos I took while here today there really are not any bad ones even with someone like me snapping away!  Just an amazing place.  Colin did pretty good with this one . . .

And sometimes things happen that I did not know about . . .

 . . . the guides staged some fun photos that I had no idea they took.  I laughed when I saw them.  We had our passport stamped . . .

. . . and headed to the bus line which was crazy long.  It took 7 buses before our group would get a seat back down for the 30 minute ride to repeat just like the morning; 90 minutes on the train back to Ollantaytambo.  While on the train, they had some entertainment and these crazy guys (our tour guides) have made our trip so fun and educational too . . .

. . . and 30 minute bus ride back to Sol y Luna Hotel.  It was a lot of movement and changing transportation, but it was all worth the effort!  It was so nice to be back at the hotel.  We dropped our stuff and headed out for another yummy dinner!  Colin loved the pasta with butter and parmesan cheese.

. . . and I couldn't wait to find my hot water bottle in my bed!  We will both sleep so good tonight.