Since our guide wanted us to get an early start so that we could see the sunrise over Machu Picchu, we caught the 5:45 AM bus from Aguas Calientes to the main entrance of Machu Picchu. The packed bus wound its way up the switchbacks and in about 30 minutes we found ourselves in a long line waiting to enter the park along with all the other early risers. We made it just in time to enjoy a spectacular sunrise over the mist shrouded ruins, and we were also able to snag tickets to climb to the top of Waynapicchu (they only give out 400 tickets per day).
Just before the first rays of sun appeared...
Sunrise...
That's the road the bus travels on from
Aquas Calientes to the park entrance...
Daybreak...
That's Waynapicchu in the distance -
we climbed it later in the day...
The agricultural terraces basking in
the early morning sunlight...
Visitors enjoying the view...
The Sun's Temple...
All this is making me dizzy!
Resident llamas or are they alpacas?
Magnificent stone walls...
Temple of the Three Windows...
Some of the wildlife we spotted...
Morning at Machu Picchu...
Heading up to the top of Waynapicchu...
Just follow the signs...
Spectacular views from Waynapicchu...
Almost at the top - that's Machu Picchu
in the lower right...
There are even Incan ruins up here...
It's a long way down, though...
Late afternoon at Machu Picchu...
In spite of the thousands upon thousands of visitors who come to see Machu Picchu each day, we never felt like we were getting crowded out. Getting up extra early to see the sunrise was well worth it, and I'd have to say that hiking to the top of Waynapicchu was one of the highlights of the day. We were told that we would be eaten alive by pesty bugs, but the only bugs we saw were at the top of Waynapicchu...some odd looking flies, but they didn't bother us. I'm so happy that I was finally able to experience magical Machu Picchu in person. There is so much to explore here, though, and learn about, so if I ever go back to Peru, I'll definitely try to make the trek back to Machu Picchu. But now it's time to move on to our next stop: the jungle.
Click HERE if you want to take a virtual tour of Machu Picchu and learn more about it.
