Hey there world travelers and buenas dias Aguas Calientes.
So, we are up bright and early we're about to jump in line because we're
headed to Machu Picchu today. The lines are really long. We're excited to get up
there, really experience this today and we have something special you know
following that heading back to Cusco. Right. But, we need to get some coffee. We need
to get in line, and we need to get this day started. So, let's go. Let's do it. Let's do it.
Now you can certainly hike up to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes if you want. I
mean if you have a fresh pair of legs and a strong will it might be something
you can do and there's many ways you can do it, but Dave and I decided to take the
bus because we had just completed an incredible trek on one of the most
beautiful Inca trail through Patabamba and Huchuy Qosqo and our bodies were still
recuperating from that. Besides the plan today was to head to Machu Picchu and
then go straight up to Intipunku or Puerta del Sol, Sun Gate, which by the way is
a decent hike up and then head back down into Machu Picchu, which is not a bad
way of doing it. Now our bus ticket cost us roughly 120 soles, which is about 36
dollars and 44 cents and that's one way.
So we made it in one piece. I have to say that bus ride was the most
intense exciting bus ride. These bus drivers must drive this path a hundred
times a day because he was just zipping around corners that were so tight I felt
at times I was going over the edge.
Oh yeah, it was like we had Mario Andretti pass another bus on the way up. It was pretty impressive. He
seriously passed another bus. It was pretty awesome and I gotta say Tanya had the
window seat so a few more oohs and ahhs coming out from that side. Yeah a lot more oohs and ahhs.
We're gonna have Dave take the window seat on the way down
that way we can get some oohs and ahhs out of him. Maybe faster going down.
We're inside.
Machu Picchu Citadel
But, I have to say we're super stoked. We were able to
pass through so many of the lines because we have Robert. Muchas gracias. Muchas gracias.
Thank you, thank you
So this is amazing, this here that is the top of Machu Picchu mountain and about 400 people a day hike up
that particular mountain and it's incredible if you look really close to
what you probably can't see there's actually people currently already at the
top of that mountain very impressive I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do
that today, but very impressive.
Wow, this is quite a hike up, but it's nice
because it's very sturdy very, if you pace yourself, you'll be fine. How are you
doing back there? I'm doing well. It's a great trail. The Incas did a heck of a trail here. It's unbelievable
I have to hand it to them. Right. It's amazing how cool it is in the shadow. The shady spots are so cool. You
know it's amazing how much the plants give shade underneath. It's so true.
When you get into that sun, the sun is so strong, so strong.
My sweat just starts pouring when you go out in the sun, but in the shade you feel really
cool. It just it really picks up the nice sweat on the arms and it cools it right down.
Give me your lupins. Hand them over.
Lupins, Lupins. I'm feeling kind of lupin right about now. I think we're getting closer but
every time I say that there's another corner. All throughout the path you do
get these spots of shade and like Dave was saying earlier it's unbelievably
cool and refreshing to allow you to regroup. I just want to stop here for a
moment and just show you how beautiful this little smaller mountain, which is
kind of eye level to the Machu Picchu Citadel. It's Putucusi, Putucusi
and that just means happy mountain and it's just gorgeous. If you capture
some of the beautiful mountains and views behind it it's just spectacular
and right below behind Putucusi is Aguas Calientes so it's just a really
beautiful picturesque and we have to say, thank you, thank you, thank you, for having
such a wonderful sunshine day to bring joy and energy to this famous and sacred
spot that we're in and if you kind of capture some of the back mountains on
this side over here and I'll show you in a minute that there's snow right up top so
just kind of shows you the contrast between the mountaintops and how high
that point must be.
We've arrived at the Sun Gate after hiking the Inca trail for four days and three nights. We have
made it. Planes, trains, and automobiles. And a bus. And a bus. And, this way over
here, this path up when you enter the Sun Gate there's different pathways.
One takes you to Machu Picchu. This particular path here will take you to
Cusco. So it's just amazing and look at the stones I mean everything is so
intact and so well done. I mean the Incas really knew what they were doing.
I know incredible. It's a busy spot but the views are fantastic, really amazing views
and it's a great spot. It's really, a bunch of trails come together here then
kind of lead into the main area of Machu Picchu but it's really a gorgeous spot
and it's definitely a classic spot for photos.
How are you feeling?
I'm doing alright, not bad. You know just our knees are taking a little bit of a beating
yesterday we did a lot of downhill climbing and so when you go downhill the
knees take the beating so, they do, I feel a little bit today as well. What about you
babe? Oh, same. I'm in the same boat. They're being a little of the definitely from
the hike yesterday to today and the declines on both days
knees are certainly feeling it but I think what would be a nice reward as
once we're on that train to get a couple of cervezas and a couple of pisco
sours, which will numb all that pain in our knees.
Exactly. You guys boozing? Damn right we're boozing. Damn right.
So, this is a very special special rock and there's actually, they found four mummies actually in a cave
right next to the sacred, the sacred rock, so it's a really interesting spot
here and just one of the other amazing places around Machu Picchu.
So before heading down the one-way trek we just want to say welcome to Machu
Picchu. The incredible spectacular views, the Inca stones, the ritual rocks
the, it's just, the ceremonial rocks, it's just absolutely stunning here. So a
couple of interesting facts we just learned about Machu Picchu in particular
is, one when they're building these villages here like this they're building
them higher up and the reason they put them higher up is to be closer to the
gods and if you notice a lot of the pillars which we'll show you in a minute
a lot of the pillars and how they build them they had a great respect for nature
and so with that came the fact that instead of chopping down trees and
building it the way they I guess we would in the states taking on trees they
build around them and if you notice the terraces and another really cool
interesting factor is you know the Urubamba River flows on this side and
kind of wraps around and around which is kind of a waterway protection between
the village here and that as ,Dave mentioned earlier, it's like double
protection because you have the mountains that surround the village as
well as the wall, so it's just an incredible fact here and the many many
people that have died you know making these walls or broken their bones is
just it's unbelievable, so it's a great respect you know to be here and to
witness this today.
So here we're about to walk through the original entrance to the two temples.
Whew and I'm still trying to catch my breath from those stairs.
I've just learned here this really interesting rock, which has four points, almost a bunch
of north south east and west, and during the winter which is our summer of June it
actually shapes the constellation that's called the llama, so it's really
interesting to see that point as well.
It's almost like they're connected you know, almost from the, from the stars to
the Earth. They're connected. What's this here? You know? It's either
he said it could be another ceremonial rock or it's a bed,
because this used to have like a roof. We found what potentially could
be a bed, so I think Dave's gonna go over there and take a nap.
All right fine I'm gonna go over there and take a nap. Hold that for me one second
please. Just relax.
Just relax for a minute.
Ok, that Sun's hot on my face.
So we did it. Oh Yeah. Machu Picchu got to explore a lot of different parts and now
we're actually heading to get some coffee. We only had one cup. Right.
You know, small cup. Light cup for the day. We're gonna have some coffee, then we're gonna start boozing.
Alright, so now we're gonna get our passport stamped with Machu Picchu.