Machu Picchu

When we got back from the Gira, all the students were gone for their Spring (in between semesters) break. I'll post another on my "After Gira Happenings" but this is all about my Machu Picchu day. We were trying to go the cheap way, but they changed their rules and now the national train is only for national people. 

 

We got the last 2 tickets for the train up to the closest town to Machu Picchu that evening at 9. For S/.20 national train, or $107 for the foreigner (tourist)... Well, you got to go to Machu Picchu while you are in Peru. :-) Ariel and I got really cushy seats! After being in Puno for a week, those seats were looking like thrones! Ariel and I talked for the hour and a half train ride. I really enjoyed getting to know her during our month together. Rachel thought that we were going to get to the town (Augas Calientes) before her so we should  start looking for a hotel. You pay by the person not by the room in Peru. We were supposed to ask... Un cuarto, tres camas, sesenta soles. (1 room, 3 beds, 60 soles... 20 a person) 60 soles is only $20 for a hotel in a tourist tourist tourist town. We got in at the same time, and didn't have any trouble finding each other, so we set out on the search together. If Rachel didn't speak Spanish, and say that she lives here etc, we would have never found anything reasonable. We got a sweet room! (like I said, anything is amazing right after gira.)

 

The next morning, we headed through a bunch of lines to get our bus and entrance tickets. It took some doing, but it was really fun people watching! There were some frustrated people.

 

On the bus ride, we got to become eyelevel with these huge gorgeous mountains! It's beautiful! We were high enough to be out of the jungle, but you can see green all around! Much more jungle like than Urubamba. We got our hats, sunscreen, and backpacks (filled with amazing lunch and snack food) and headed out! It was so neat to be standing in a part of history. You see it on posters and in magazines, but to actually be there was pretty awesome! It was beautiful! I got some neat pictures!

 

They had intricate water passage systems and terraces. How some stones fit together was really neat! There was a lot of walking and lots of stairs (more than the Wilds guys...yeah) How they made it with those huge rocks perfectly placed and worked around and carved and everything...talented builders!

 

We did hike up to the Inca Bridge. They were known for their fast mailing system (kinda like the pony express) This was a sheer drop off that they built up to make a bridge. If they didn't want someone across, they could pull up the wood. That was a nice hike!

 

It started raining a little that afternoon, but it was great! Some people got tired and wet so they left. We went to a "unfamous" part of the ruins to this room. There was this giant rock that we climbed on and ate a snack and admired God's creation! That was so relaxing and peaceful! It was one of my favorite parts of the whole day!

 

When there weren't as many people, we also went into this other room. There was a giant rock with a little space under it. Rachel went in first, and said if you were skinny you could fit through this one spot. "hey, Joanna, get over here." ok, so that was a really tiny opening. If I rolled down one rock and got really dirty then maybe...

 

Rachel, Ariel and I had a great and full day! We all enjoyed each other's company. :-)



Looking off a sheer drop. The rock the bridge is built up against is at least double that size.

hiking to the Inca Bridge

These stones are fit so perfectly together!

view from our rock picnic spot... pretty huh?

lots of rock!

cloud covered mountians

 

After following a path that we went on to figure out where it went... (smart :) we lost count after 150 steps. :-) It went to the...end of a path :-)

picnic rock

exploring

It was really pretty!

And they got that to stay...just right!

favorite of the whole mountain

Ariel

This one turned out the best of my llama pictures

Me and Rachel

At the Inca bridge that we hiked to

Lots of rocks!

We were eye level with the mountains!

favorite with us 3

you see the ruins well in this one

I like the photography aspect of this one. This was the "Temple of the Sun"... you can see the finer stonework and everything. I kept thinking of the song "Our God is Greater" (it was Ariel's alarm every morning) but it is so true! This "Temple of the Sun" isn't being used, but the different believers around the world can't be stopped. God's Word will prevail!