Machu Picchu: One of the seven wonders of the world, the ¨Lost City of the Incas,¨ built in the 1400s approximately 2400 meters above sea level, and absolutely mindblowingly spectacular. Period. End of Story.
Okay, so let´s talk about it...
On Sunday, Caroline and I boarded a bus in order to tour around the Sacred Valley. We visited Pisac as well as Ollantaytambo, which are both small towns in the Valle Sagrado. This little tour was kinda like a stepping stone to Machu Picchu. Not only did we get to visit a really cool Sunday market in Pisac but we also visited multiple Inca ruins in both Pisac and Ollantaytambo. As far as ruins go, let´s just say they were spectacular and with our tour guide, we were able to learn about the history etc. The Incas were incredibly brilliant in the way they constructed their cities, religious temples, etc. Brilliant is probably an understatement, especially after seeing Machu Picchu. The way they carried HUGE rocks up 1000s of meters is incredible. It makes modern day humans with all our machinery look like wimps. Haha. Anyways, super impressive. The Incas were also quite brilliant with the way they utilized terraces to plant their crops on the sides of these mountains. Furthermore, due to the use of terraces which produce microclimates, the number of species of potatoes and corn for example is insane. Peru, nowadays, has 3000 species of potatoes and over 500 types of corn. Wow. (PS I think those numbers are correct.)
Okay, but I won´t bore you all with random fun facts that I learned on my tour, let´s get to the point: Machu Picchu. We arrived in Aguas Calientes on Sunday night and immediately crashed at our hostel. We did, afterall, have to get up at 5AM to catch one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu. However, waking up at 5AM was NOT a problem. Both Caroline and I were pumped to conquer (haha) Machu Picchu and conquer it we did. Even the bus ride up was spectacular. I have never seen mountains so beautiful in my life, especially with the Andean jungle stretching as far as the eye can see. Anyways, we get up there and meet our tour guide at 630AM and off we went. The first view of the ¨Lost City of the Incas¨ was breathtaking. It was kinda cloudy and rainy but with the clouds and the mist hovering above the mountains, Machu Picchu looked mystical and enchanting. Honestly, I cannot even begin to describe how beautiful Machu Picchu is and I know that my photos (when I upload them) will never do it justice. This place was amazing. Caroline and I couldn´t help but snap photos every five seconds. At one point, we hiked up to a high point overlooking the site just to sit on a rock and marvel over the 15th century Inca city.
Other than tour around the site, learning about the techniques and history of the Inca, Caroline and I also set out to tackle Huayna Picchu (meaning ¨young mountain¨ whereas Machu Picchu means ¨old mountain¨ in Quechua). Machu Picchu is about 2400 meters above sea level and Huayna Picchu is a little over 2700 meters and is almost a straight vertical climb. That vertical climb took us about 45 minutes to an hour and was grueling at times. Needless to say, our calves and thighs as well as our poor knees are definitely feeling the climb this morning. However, it was well worth it. The view of Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu was spectacular. Yes, at moments we thought that our legs might give out or that we might fall off the mountain, but when we got to the top... none of that mattered. We were on top of the world, overlooking one of the most amazing place in the world. I cannot even begin to explain how I felt. I just couldn´t believe I was actually there. Machu Picchu definitely exceeded my expectations and left me feeling humbled. Humbled? Yeah, humbled. To think that I am so blessed to be able to travel to South America and then go climb one of the seven wonders of the world... I don´t deserve it at all. Saying thank you or acknowledging how much God has blessed me doesn´t seem to do it, ya know? I think seeing something as amazing and stunning as Machu Picchu makes me a little pensive and reflective... about life and all. But I don´t want to bore you with all my ¨deep thoughts¨ and all... Just wanted to say that being at Machu Picchu was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, just like my entire time in Chile and South America has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life as well.
I don´t really know where to go from here... anything I write seems so... inadequate... So I´ll digress...
It´s Tuesday morning and we are back in Cusco, safe and sound. We are still floating on our Machu Picchu high. Today, however, we are just going to take it easy. Give our poor legs and knees a break for once. We´ll spend another day in Cusco then head for Puno, located on Lake Titicaca, the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. Lake Titicaca 3800 meters above sea level and serves as a border for both Peru and Bolivia. Should be a good time.
Sorry if this blog post was lame... Maybe I need a few days to process Machu Picchu and then I´ll come back and write a bit more. Overall, it was incredible, which is also the understatement of the year. If you´ve ever been, then you know what I´m talking about. And if you haven´t, GO. Definitely well worth your time and money. Put it on your bucket list. You won´t regret it.
Anyways, hope you all are doing well and getting into the Christmas spirit. I love and miss you all.
Besitos,
Sarah
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