Day 55 June 11, 2016
Countries 7 Hotels 25 Cars 37
Flights 12:flying time 46.52 hours
Rickshaws 4 Buses 8 Elephant 1 Boat 3
Cog-wheel train 2 Cable cars 6 Subway 4 Ferry 2
Minibus 31 Coach 2 Catamaran 1 Funicular 3
Pick up truck 1 Land Cruiser 8 Hydrofoil 4
Llama 1 Cycle Taxi 1 Train 3
Up early this morning for my second trip to Machupicchu, it was raining and the cloud was low. As the little green bus made its’ way up the mountain the clouds got thicker, this was the view when I got to the top. This is what locals call a cloud forest.
My first intention was to walk to the sun gate so this is what I did, in Inca times this was the main entrance to the city, it takes about 40 minutes. On the way it stopped raining but the cloud didn’t lift. So when I got to the sun gate I didn’t get the view I was hoping for. These are photos of the trail to the sun gate.
I saw lichen growing which is a sign that the forest/jungle is healthy. How lucky was I yesterday with the weather, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. These are photos of the sun gate.
Back from the sun gate I walked up to the parts of the city I didn’t visit yesterday, and then I just sat and waited.
Eventually the cloud lifted a bit and one could see the main buildings again. Then the sun came out.
Apparently the original name of this city isn’t known as the Incas hadn’t developed a writing system, so it was called Machupicchu by the local people, which means old mountain, and here they have it as one word not two.
My time was up and I had to go back down to catch my train. These are the little buses that take people up and down the mountain every day, the rest are photos of the town of Machupicchu.
I had a fab seat on the train back to Ollantaytambo, right at the front, so got excellent views of the journey.
When I got back to Cuzco, there was a parade in the square, with dancing groups in sparkly outfits, and marching bands, there was fireworks too, all part of the Cuzco anniversary celebrations.
Although it’s warm during the day when the sun is out as soon as it sets it can get quite cold, partly because Cuzco is 3,400 meters above sea level, and it is winter here now, so it’s lovely that this hotel bring round hotel water bottles, if one is out they put them in the bed for you, blissful.
