Unless you’re willing to shell out $1000 a night to stay at the hotel right at Machu Picchu, the only lodgings in the area are in Aguas Calientes, at the bottom of the gorge. AC is an odd town in a number of ways: flat land is in short supply, so unlike most settlements of its size, all the buildings are multistory. The only mechanized connection to the outside world is via the railroad, so the streets are pedestrian zones. There is a bus depot on the edge of town, but the buses only go one place. Some years ago, all the transportation services were Balkanized but they have since joined together under a single service that efficiently shuttles people up and down the mountain all day long (though that doesn’t mean you won’t spend an hour in line waiting for a bus at peak times). On the other hand, to walk the streets of AC at night is to suffer an endless series of solicitations from representatives of the restaurants that line the first floor frontages and given the isolation, bargains are hard to find.

We were just as happy to board our bus at shortly after 7 AM for our ride up to the ruins. (Actually, many of the buildings are not ruins at all, other than being short a thatched roof and some plaster on the walls – the stonework is in remarkably good condition overall.) Visits to MP are tightly controlled these days – everyone must enter with a certified guide and a ticket tied to you passport, and then must travel a prescribed circuit (don’t think about leaving to go to the restroom in the middle or you won’t get back in), but with Juan leading us, the visit seemed very natural and the timing was perfect. Though clearly there were many people about, we often had spaces to ourselves in some of the most interesting areas.

We had gotten great views of the overall site the day before, but actually being in the buildings afforded opportunities to view through windows, into courtyards, and out to the surrounding valleys. Coupled with Juan’s detailed explanations and historical perspectives, we got a good feel for the ancient city.

A highlight of the day was our hike up Wayna Picchu. This is a side trip requiring an extra ticket of which only 400 are issued per day due to the limited space on the steep trail. The hikers are released in two groups and partially by luck we were some of the first through the gate in our 10 AM cohort. Thanks to our time acclimating to the altitude and our “warm-up” hikes earlier in the the trip (remember the ones equivalent to hiking the Grand Canyon?!), we were faster to the top than other groups without really meaning to be. Well, Ben actually did want to be first to the top, and he was. 🙂 Rowan was next and the parents followed a bit later but we still had the peak to ourselves for close to 15 minutes, allowing us to take some family shots and creative panoramas.

Back in MP proper, we encountered a wandering llama who was inspecting the guests to see if they had food. Interestingly, the MP llamas have been unintentionally trained to come toward the mere sound of a crinkling wrapper. This proved useful to lure our camelid friend close close enough for some photo ops with Rowan.

After taking in a few more sights, it was time to go, riding the bus to AC and then the train back to Ollantaytambo, carrying our memories of the inspiring Incas with us.