Sep

Machu Picchu Pics

One of the great things about being in LA is that the three hour time difference has given me a head start on the day. At last, I have the time to post the pictures that mum and uncle Mike have been waiting for. Well folks, here she is, Machu Picchu, perched on the side of a mountain in the Andes.

We spent about six hours at Machu Picchu, but to be honest we could have done with at least a couple of days. The sunlight was constantly changing and the site looked different almost every 15 minutes. It’s well known that Machu Picchu is a nightmare during the middle of day, when the train from Cusco bring daytrippers. But by about 3pm, the place is almost empty again and you can really appreciate the beauty and tranquility of the site.

Here’s a slightly wider view, but there’s much more. Maybe Sofie can remember which part of Machu Picchu this is? I think it’s looking towards the residential quarters. Between 800 and 1,000 people once lived here, the more affluent people towards the top of the site and blue collar workers like farmers and laborers towards the bottom.

There were so many places for Sofie and I to explore at Machu Picchu, walks, trails, ruins. But at the end of a long week, and having traveled so far, we found that the best thing to do was to find a good vantage point away from other people and just sit and take it all in. This is the view we had, albeit from a slightly strange angle. It was probably the highlight of our trip; just sitting, talking and watching the clouds roll by.

As the light started to fade around 5pm whistles sounded around the site. It was time to leave. We made our way across Machu Picchu vowing to return the next morning for sunrise. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. Sofie was struck down with a mystery illness within a couple of hours of our descent of the mountain and we spent the following day exploring the grounds of our hotel in the cloud forest, where we saw umpteen hummingbirds, orchids and a rare bird known as the cock-of-the-rock. And to be honest, I really didn’t mind. Because the only memory I have of Machu Picchu now is the one above, one of the best days out Sofie and I have ever had.