Machu Picchu, February 9th

Going to Machu Picchu was an experience! Unfortunately, it was very cloudy, so we could only enjoy the view completely, when the clouds parted from time to time. We left our hotel in Aguas Calientes at 5:30am to catch the bus up to Machu Picchu. There were already a lot of people going up there, and as soon as we arrived, Jess, Gav, Lasse and I went to get tickets to go to Waynapicchu. It is a mountaintip right next to Machu Picchu, and from the top you have a great view of Machu Picchu (when it´s not cloudy, that is..) and the valleys surrounding. They only let 400 people up there a day, and we luckily got tickets!

We had a guided tour around Machu Picchu with our guide from the Lares Trek. Machu Picchu was actually not called Machu Picchu in the Incan times. But the German guy who "discovered" it in 1911 misunderstood the locals - they called the mountain Machu Picchu, and they told him that the old Incan city was on that mountain. He thought it was the name of the city, and when he found it, he named it Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was not the capital of the Incan Empire, but it is important and famous because it is the one Incan city that the Spanish conquistadors did not find. Therefore it is in very good condition, and the closest one can get to an idea of how the Incan cities looked back in the days.

At 8:45am, Gav, Lasse and I started our 2,5 hours trip climbing up Waynapicchu - and when we got to the top, I discovered that I am afraid of heights!! The sides were so steep and there were NO security - just stairs that seemed to end in pure air and/or a fall of 40 meters into the forest. And they do not allow helicopters around Machu Picchu. So if you fall down in an inconvenient place - well, then the condors will find you within a couple of days....

We reached "The Could Forest" - maybe that´ll give you an idea of the view we had at Waynapicchu..