Day 2 in Machu Picchu
Day we had an early stop, meeting at 4:50am near the bus station for the ride up to Machu Picchu. We were to see Circuit 3A, the Royal Route plus a hike up the mountain. After yesterday’s experience, I asked Nilton if Efrain could accompany me up the mountain (Susan and Tim were on the fence about climbing). He said yes, and that turned out to be a good call!
We started in the dark and rain but the rain stopped pretty quickly, though the fog moved in and out during the day. The tour covered the agricultural terraces, which we’d learned about already in Moray…the terraces have a drainage system not dissimilar to that for red clay courts…layers of stones of various sizes then dirt; also the terraces act as retaining walls. Our guide spoke at length about the history of Machu Picchu and the Inkas.

We next saw the Temple of the Sun. It is circular and was used by the Incas for astronomical and religious purposes. The guide showed us how Its unique design aligns with the solstices, and on specific dates, sunlight would shine through the temple’s windows to illuminate certain areas. The Incas’ advanced understanding of astronomy is on display there.
Following the Temple of the Sun we were in the Royal Sector and saw the palace, complete with an “on-suite” bathroom, a living room and an open living area with an Inca “kitchen” (basically rocks on the ground which I assume they heated up).

We saw “Pisonay Square” which was a large area for meetings and also had some Llamas eating the grass. We were facing another area of terraces some of which had been restored and others were not. They are starting to sink, so no one is allowed near them other than workers.

After our tour of Machu Picchu, we started towards our hike up with Efrain, the guide. His boss, Nilton was very surprised that both Tim and Susan were also up for the hike (Tim wasn’t 100% sure when he woke up that he’d ever go to Machu Picchu, but he quickly rallied). It was damp and foggy when we started the steep climb. The climb isn’t long…2.5 miles round trip (4km) and 1000 feet gain in elevation, but is considered moderately difficult, and the slippery conditions made it trickier. I scrambled up the mountain, trying to take some nice photos but the only view was of the little wild begonias which are very pretty. At one point there is a narrow set of ladder like stairs and so I used my hands to help me climb. Susan and Tim were troopers and Susan had a lot of new friends by the time they made it to the first viewing point…which at that moment was of nothing but fog.

After five more minutes we made it to the top and the fog lifted long enough for Susan and I to get a few photos of us with Machu Picchu in the background. If we’d had another 30 minutes to wait (and we could have if no guide…) we would have had a nice view I think. The descent was a bit tricky, as it was slippery but with Efrain’s we made it back down (Susan said without his help it would have taken her twice as long to descend) with a sense of accomplishment. Keep in mind that the KM 104 hike and this one were Susan’s first ever hiking experiences!


After we got down to Machu Picchu, the clouds had lifted and the views were pretty good. We were able to walk through quite a lot of the city on the way to the bus and take some photos. When we arrived back in Aguas Calientes we had lunch with both guides (and could finally use the bathroom, as there are no bathrooms once inside Machu Picchu). While we waited for the train, we took a look at the market next to the train station. We took a later train to Ollytaytambo and then had a long ride back to Cusco with a driver. The traffic was bad because there was a big religious festival (part of the Corpus Christi celebration) going on. But we made it by 7:45 pm…long day but satisfying one.

Today we toured Cusco, but more about that in my next blog tomorrow!