Well, it is Friday afternoon and we are sitting at a computer. This should tell you two things: that we are not walking the Inca Trail anymore, and that we are truly dedicated to staying in touch with you.
Due to some issues beyond our control, Dan and I elected to change our hiking plans from the original 4 day walk. We did 26 km of the trail got up to 11,000 and saw some incredible things, and are very proud of what we did.
Now we are awaiting the final accent to Machu Piccu tomorrow morning, when we will board a bus in Aguas Calientes (or Machu Piccu town) before sunrise to make sure we are at the top to see the sun hit the ruins. Needless to say we are very excited.
We´ve enjoyed more of our adventure since we last wrote. We have met more interesting people, seen a somewhat-less-than-jovial independence day parade, been unimpressed with the behavior of other toursits, and enjoyed each other´s company (which was the point of our trip, so that´s good). We can certainly say that the trip has already been a success, though tomorrow´s sites and the destinations ahead promise to add more value as well.
A Lazy Afternoon
These chess players along with hundreds of other locals enjoyed some peace and relaxation (there was no quiet for sure) in the Plaza de las Armas in Santiago.
Peru on the Water
We enjoyed a long boat ride today, though we didn´t go over the part of the lake where it is as much as 250 meters deep (yikes!). We met some new people and learned about some cultures that have developed only on the islands of this lake -- cool.
The Guardhouse
Though we have so much more to show you, we wanted to put up one more of these. From this high point we watched the sun come up ... but here you get a better sense of how many visitors there are around noon.
The Ruins at Dawn
A truly fantastic site (yes, Mom, I have seen quite a few at this hour now!). Although we were both a bit sleepy, we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. WOW!
The Inca in Aguas Calientes
This is the statue greeting all who visit the main square of the small city growing at the base of the mountain where the ruins state on top. We enjoyed the Independence Day events here one morning.
Mount Veronica
Sadly named after the first woman to summit this peak (who died on the way down), this is one of the first things we saw the day we started walking the Inca Trail.
Pisac Ruins
This is a cool shot looking down over the terraces at the ruins above the city of Pisac. We elected NOT to climb up to this point, but took a nice long walk going down.
The Plaza de Armas
This is the cathedral in Cuzco. It is an amazing town, once the capital when the Inca was the ruler. More urban now, though we only really saw the tourist area.
1 comment:
Welcome back! You've piqued my curiosity; I look forward to hearing more about this part of your trip.
In case you haven't thought of it, may I request you take some pictures tomorrow morning? Thanks.
Have fun!
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