7/13 and 7/14 - Machu Picchu!
Today we hopped on the Peru Rail for a 3 hour chug through the countryside that would drop us off at Aguas Calientes - the town at the base of Machu Picchu! We spent the first day touring the "Stonehenge" city, taking in the views and hiking the Inca Bridge. We spent the night in an amazing hotel in Aguas Calientes so we could have the whole next day at the 'Chu, where we did one last morning birding (specifically looking for the Cock on the Rock😳), hiked to the sun gate and explored, before heading back to Cusco for our last night in South America. These 2 days were a magical experience that I will never forget. Our leader, Mo from ASU, told us to periodically stop, close our eyes, take a deep breath and then take a second. Sarah and I did this all over the 'Chu and now, the beauty, views and emotions I had are burned into my memory forever. This mini break really made me appreciate where I was and what I was seeing. We've decided we are definitely returning with our 3rd Amazon Amiga Joan to hike the 4 day Inca trail that ends on the 'Chu in the very near future - talk about a 180 degrees change in my attitude towards being outdoorsy and life without wifi! (The Amazon really has changed me...for the better!)
I don't think it's possible to put into words what I saw or how I felt on the mountain, so I've decided that this post is best described through photos of the views and my excited selfie face! 😝 there are 2 slideshows - one of the town Aguas Calientes and the other is Machu Picchu! I went a little crazy with the Picchu pics - sorry about that!
Next stop - a tearful goodbye in Lima. 😪
Click to play traditional Peruvian music while you watch the slideshows.
Click for the Machu Picchu slideshow.
Click for the Aguas Calientes slideshow.
I love the picture off you with The Chu in the background and the shirt "let the world see you shine"
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