Machu Picchu

We spent an amazing day in Machu Picchu yesterday.  We went early--at 6:30, and stayed until 4:15 (last bus leaves at 4:30).  When we first went, there were clouds shrouding some of the peaks.  It was mystical and magical.  Here is one of our first views.

Ruth, Shelly and Sam in front of Waynapicchu (the mountain) and the ruins

Wow!!  Stuff dreams are made of.

400 people a day get to climb Waynapicchu, and we were part of that group.  It is the tallest mountain closest to the ruins, with Incan ruins on top

There was an iron cable on the steepest parts.  I held fast to that "rod"--as a person who is really afraid of heights, it was my friend!!

Sam, in front of the ruins at the top of Waynapicchu

When we first went, there were clouds drifting across our view of the ruins below

View of the Machu Picchu ruins from the top of Waynapicchu

From  Waynapicchu. Ruth is there on the left, in the white shirt.  Yep, that means I was at the top taking pictures!!

Here we all are, at the top

Sam, at the top

Ruth, on the very highest part of the mountain.  That means that I was just a little higher, taking the picture.  So scary!!

Waynapicchu is 900 meters above the ruins.  It was a steep climb

And we had no idea how the Incans hauled all of those stones and did the stone work there on the side of the mountain

Incan steps.  They were really steep!!  I slid down on my bottom.

The clouds cleared and we had a great view of the ruins below from above

Ruth and Sam "holding" the ruins up on the side of the mountain

Ruth and Sam holding fast to the "iron rod"

The ruins at Machu Picchu

This is the view that many people have of Machu Picchu, taken from the gatehouse.  Waynapicchu, the mountain we climbed, is there in the background

Take a careful look and you can see an endemic Andean rodent, the viscacha.  It looks like a rabbit with a long tail

The view with Waynapicchu in the background

Scary!!  I couldn't even take the pictures--another tourist did it for me!

The entry to the city from the Incan trail

Waynapicchu, the mountain we climbed.  Incan ruins are at the top.  We will never forget our day at Machu Picchu!!