March 19: Cuzco (Inca Trail & Machu Picchu)

The final day of the Inca Trail began at 4am. It was dark outside when that wakeup call came down from the porter, and for just a short time after breakfast I actually had to use my head torch. But it didn't take long for the sun to light up the sky, revealing the promise of a picture perfect afternoon. Perhaps we owe it to the stone offering Johanna made to the mountain on the second day (I asked for wealth beyond compare), but no matter what it was that brought us this good fortune, we couldn't have been happier to be out of the rain - certainly, we had paid our dues. With sore knees, I joined all of the other groups as we trudged along the trail in a single file line, quietly following the narrow path. Starting altitude: 8,792 feet (2,680 meters) Sun Gate: 8,956 feet (2,730 meters) Machu Picchu: 7,874 feet (2,400 meters) Total Distance: 3.7 miles (6 km)

It only takes about an hour and a half to reach the famous Sun Gate and your first glimpse of Machu Picchu. Though it was still about 40 minutes to the actual ruins, everyone took a nice, long rest to enjoy the view as the sun rose at our backs. Twice a year, during the winter and summer solstice (June 21st and December 21st, respectively), the sun shines directly over this gate and through a window cut into the Temple of the Sun. So, if you plan your trip well, you can enjoy this little added bonus when you make your way down. Also seen here, the winding main road leading down to Machu Picchu City (often mistakenly referred to as Aguas Calientes).

I give you... Machu Picchu. The Incas, having thrived for only about a hundred years spanning the 15th and 16th century, lived, primarily, in Cuzco. However, Machu Picchu served as a spiritual city in the mountains. Though its importance somewhat pales in comparison to Cuzco, it's the most well recognized symbol of the empire because, well, it survived. As the Spanish came into Incan parts of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, an Chile in the early to mid 1500's, they began wiping our and enslaving the native people in their pursuit of acquiring gold. Cities, such as Cuzco, were taken over and destroyed so the Spanish could rebuild them using their own architecture. It is believed, then, that the Incas fled places like Machu Picchu for Vilcabamba (the last Incan stronghold) so that they might avoid further Spanish invasions and preserve their land. The Spanish never stumbled upon Machu Picchu, and, over time, the jungles grew wildly over the stonework. It wasn't until 1911 that Machu Picchu was finally "discovered" by an American, Hiram Bingham. Traveling for Yale University and National Geographic, Bingham stayed over on a ranch close to the covered ruins while on his way to Vilcabamba. When heavy rains forced him to stick around, he began speaking with the local farmers who told him about Machu Picchu. Those farmers had been there since 1902 and truly discovered the ancient city when one of them burned down the foliage. They shared their knowledge with Bingham, who then spread the word of his amazing discovery. To show his appreciation for the people, the country, and the land, he then borrowed a bunch of artifacts and never returned them. (Note: This is the history as best I understood it through Flavio's story-telling. Feel free to help me with any inaccuracies.)

Machu Picchu is quite big, and it's incredibly satisfying to stand back from the whole thing to take in all of its grandeur. However, I found it absolutely fascinating to get right up close to the masonry. This photo shows, in detail, the amazing precision of their stonework.

My attempt at black and white... One of the nice perks about doing the Inca Trail, rather than coming up to Machu Picchu on the gringo train, is that you get several hours of relative peace before the day-tourists arrive in their full safari gear (I still don't get this). The only drawback to hiking in is that you tend to be thoroughly exhausted by the time you get there. After our 2.5 hour tour with Flavio, I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring on my own, even taking a short nap in the shade. Around 1pm, the buses started arriving en masse and I knew it was time to take my leave. Turning away is more difficult than it sounds. Eventually, I was able to force myself onto the bus and down to Machu Picchu City. By the way, before you leave the park make sure to get your passport stamped at the main office. It's unnecessary, but kind of fun to have.

The bus snakes its way down the steep mountain from Machu Picchu to the village, and riders are amused by kids who run down, stopping at each bend in the road to wave and yell at the bus. By the time you reach the bottom, about twenty minutes, you realize that the kids have accomplished an amazing feat. The driver will let them on the bus and, so long as you have something that resembles a heart, you'll drop them a sole or two. Our group, which had splintered up during the day, met at a popular restaurant called Chaski, and from there we made our way over to the PeruRail train back to Cuzco (included by Llama Path). Unfortunately, on this particular day, our train took us only as far as Ollantaytambo where we then hopped into taxis (with Llama Path representatives... no extra charge on our end). By 7:30pm, we were back in Cuzco - thus ending the Inca Trail. I grabbed a quick bite to eat and went to bed... but only after a piping hot shower.

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