Machu Picchu & Puno

Monday 11/6 - MACHU PICCHU

The hot water spring pools of Aguas Calientes were nice, to see.  And the water was hot as if it was a warm bath (told us some other gringos). The smell was terrible however. So we quickly returned to the hotel without even touching the water. We will find other opportunities for that later.

The hot water spring facilities of Aguas Calientes, smelling very badly!

 Invited by Lies for a nice dinner.

 Our hotel room.

Monday morning then, we woke up very early to catch the first bus to the Machu Picchu sanctuary.  Once arrived at destination, surprisingly there was already a long queue at the entrance gate: because fanatics arrived even earlier. They walked for 1.5 hour the zigzag road, leaving Aguas Calientes before the bus service started.

We were not the first there.

Anyhow, we were in time. Well in time, because it still took nearly one hour before the sun rose over the ruins. That's a moment of magic; and you forget about the cold, and the too early wakeup. Whaw, a moment for life.
I am so happy to have shared it with Annelies.

Before sunrise.

During sunrise.

Sun is there, a moment of magic.

Very happy both of us, to share that moment.

Then we climbed to the top of Wayna Picchu. We were part of the lucky 200 persons authorized daily for that steep climb. Wayna Picchu is the sugar-bread mountain behind the ruins. We also found time and energy to walk on the Inka Trail until Inti Punku. Inti Punku is the point from where the famous postcard views are made.

Map for Wayna Picchu, 200 people may climb to the top.

The trail goes through an Inca tunnel.

And takes dangerous stairs.

Machu Picchu as seen from the top of Wayna Picchu.

Workers maintaining the Disneyland.

Watch the size of these stones!

And those!

How all of these stones fit together.

Lies making jokes with a ranger.

Machu Picchu is a place like no other. You can find 500 years old ruins everywhere, it is the probably the environment (mountains), the size and finishing of the stones, and the mystery that makes these ruins exceptional. Whaw!

Then the return to Cusco by the Perurail train, 3 hours (Aguas Calientes can only be reached by train).

Back in the hotel, taking a refreshment.  Which is mine?

Train passing in front our hotel.

Luxury train restaurant.

And this our micro-size dinner...

This morning, again an early wake-up to catch the bus from Cusco to Puno. 500km through the Altiplano, the poorest part of Peru. The village life there looks as if we were in India.

At Cusco's bus terminal.

Bus stop at the Abra la Raya mountain pass (4335m).

Altiplano landscape.

The town center of Puno is quite and peaceful. We met some nice people.

Tomorrow we will visit the islands Uros and Tequila (or something sounding like that).




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