Inca Trail Day 4

We had yet another early wake up today.  3:15 AM to be exact.  Camp was torn down in record time since the porters needed to hike down a trail to the village Aguas Calientes, and we needed to get to the gate and hike another trail to Machu Picchu.  We washed up, packed up, and said our goodbyes to the excellent porter crew.  All around us you could hear the other camps breaking down as well.  

In the night, a rainstorm came briefly through our area.  Luckily, it stopped, but I was laying there thinking about how I would pack my gear differently in the morning if it kept raining.  When we got up, it was damp, but did not cause a problem.  

Tearing down camp with flashlights.

It was a short walk tot the gate.  This is where Elias had to check in our party and then we could proceed, but not until after a 45 minute wait.  

Then the hike to the Sun Gate began.  All hikers were in full fury.  All had spent 3 days in the backcountry and were tired and excited at the same time.  We ran into a few hikers that were grumpy and had exhausted their patience and forgotten their manners.  Oh joy!  Our group kept a good pace and was in great spirits. 

Ahhh!  The Sun Gate.  This was our first glimpse of Machu Picchu.  The site was shrouded in clouds.  The sun was not yet illuminating the ruins allowing the clouds to take prominence.  

Today is Barry's birthday.  Jen and Barry planned their trip to reach Machu Picchu on this special day, so as we arrived at the Sun Gate we burst into "Happy Birthday."  Others groups joined in on the song too.  What a great way to spend a birthday!

You can see the road to Aguas Calientes with all the switchbacks and Machu Picchu through the clouds.  As we waited, the ruins slowly began to reveal themselves.  As the sun rose the skies would soon be clear.

Machu Picchu

We stayed at the Sun Gate for a while for pictures and to rest, but then proceeded down the trail to the site. 

The sun came bursting through the clouds to provide perfect lighting as we entered the complex. 

Hola friend!

Katherine enjoying the views.

We had to patiently wait for this picture, as the bus crowds of people started showing up on the site.  It was strange to see clean people with the smell of perfume and makeup.

Charles

Looking directly east towards the sun, obviously.  

A picture of me.  

Elias led the group along the site giving a wonderful presentation for 3 hours.

Our group listening to Elias. 

This is a recreation of how the roofs were attached to the stone walls.  Pretty cool!

I found the cement-less stonework the most impressive.  The time it took to make this is daunting. 

The coca tree.  They were not everywhere, but just in this garden for exhibition purposes. 

More awesome stonework!

Our group taking a humorous rest from the sun.  

Dorothy, Elias, Jen, and Thomas.

Hey guys!

I swear this is a face of a human and a llama, but it's not official. 

This is a food storage area called a colca. 

After our tour, the group rode the bus down to Aguas Calientes and ate a tasty buffet lunch.  Jen, Barry, Dorothy, and Jack are all staying overnight in the village, so after eating we said our goodbyes and our group headed to the train station.

Here we are in the train station heading back to Cusco.  Little did we know, but our train was a super swank tourist car with ceiling windows, comfy seats, and drink and snack service.

We rode the train to the Ollantaytambo train station.  This is where we got into our minibus to head to Cusco where hot showers awaited us!

What a great time!  We learned a LOT about Machu Picchu, but to tell you all about it would require a few more blog posts.  Tomorrow will be a rest day in Cusco, which is much needed and Charles will be leaving to go back to Michigan.