Peru Day 13 - Inka Trail

At 6 am we were again greeted with coca tea in our tents.  Breakfast was tasty and we left camp in time to walk into town to catch our train at 7:45.  The train took us along for about an hour where we joined a section of the inka trail.  At this point our group was joined by some folks who were only doing a two day machu piccu experience.  We stopped almost immediately at the ruins of Chachabamba before starting a warm hike up along one of the sides of the river valley.  A couple hours in we reached a pretty waterfall and shortly after the terraces and ruins of Wiñaywayna.  Its is expected that a large amount of the food for Machu Piccu was grown on the many terraces of Wiñaywayna including beans, wheat and the obligatory potatoes.  Shortly after Wiñaywayna we reached a campsite and stopped to eat our boxed lunch.  With the weather looking like it was going to change the four of us plus one lady from Alaska headed out at a fast pace to try and reach the sun gate, Intupunku, before the rain hit.  We made great time arriving at 2:40 and spent the next hour waiting in perfect weather until the rest of the group rejoined us.  From the sun gate we got our first views of Machu Piccu and took many photos from this hilltop vantage.  Around 4 we started the descent down to Machu Piccu and took in the wonderful views of the surrounding valley all the way down. After some photos from a view point overlooking the city we caught a bus down into Aguas Calientes where our hotel and a hot shower awaited us.  At dinner we discussed how we were all very happy having had the chance to see Machu Piccu without clouds and in the pretty late day light.  As a group we opted out of trying to get up to Maccu Piccu for sunrise and instead we agreed on a time and place to meet which allowed a handful of us to see the Inka Bridge before hand.

Tori and Mandy decided to call it a night after dinner while Scott and Sean opted for one more round of beers at a craft beer spot by the river.  A great way to end a wonderful day.