Today our journey reached its climax with our arrival at Machu Picchu. We woke up at 5 am and hustled to our bus, which took us to the train station. Our train was scheduled to leave at 6 and we left without any delays. The ride was supposed to be some 3 hours long, which no one was looking forward to. It ended up taking 4 hours due to some delays and everyone was glad to get to the hostel. We settled in, got ready, and left for lunch at a pizzeria. After lunch we finally left for what we had all been waiting for: Machu Picchu.
To reach our destination we had to take another bus 25 minutes up a very steep and curvy road. Because we came in at around 2:00 p.m., most of the day tourists were gone and we had the new world wonder for ourselves. After a group photo in front of the magnificent scenery with our National Geographic flag we set out to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site. With an exceptional light and close to no soul in sight we were embraced by Machu Picchu's grandiosity. With hesitation we left the ruins and went to dinner. Looking forward to the next day we went to bed.
The train that took us from Cusco to Aguas Calientes,the town at the base of Machu Picchu.
Photo by Kathleen Pait, Little Rock AR
Zac our videographer getting some shots of Machu PicchuPhoto by Kathleen Pait
GuardhousePhoto by Kathleen Pait
Looking down toward Machu Picchu through the winter grass
Photo by Kathleen Pait
Hannah and Emma taking it all in at the ruins.Photo by Kathleen Pait
Photo by Expedition Leader Jordan Gantz
