Machu Picchu

As we waited in the dark for the first bus of the day, we were in a long line of other people ready to be up at Machu Picchu in time for opening.  The bus wound it's way up a long series of switch backs and we were very glad we weren't walking up the 1,700 steps with the rest of our group.  They arrived hot and puffing but looking pretty good just after 6am so after a short rest stop we headed in to Machu Picchu.

The ruins starting to reveal themselves through the cloud

The cloud starting to roll back and reveal more

The dramatic surroundings

Inside a precision built room

More precision stonework

Looking across to Wayna Picchu

The clouds rolled back in . . .

. . . but finally cleared to reveal Wayna Picchu completely

Wayna Picchu looked a bit daunting as we waited at the bottom to start the climb.  It's hard to even see the steps that lead up it.  The climb was pretty arduous with steps of all sizes and no guard rails to be seen.

The view from Wayna Picchu was phenomenal

Rainbow around the sun

Lizard hanging out at the summit

The precarious descent; somewhat exposed

The classic tourist shot

Beautiful panorama showing the valley we walked up the day before

The classic postcard shot

Relaxing in one of the greatest wonders of the world

Llama keeping the lawns tidy

The guardhouse in the distance

Machu Picchu is another place that is impossible to capture in photos.  We spent nearly ten hours on the site and still didn't see it all.  The sheer scale of the site and the surrounding mountains make it somewhere completely unforgettable.