Boarding the train from Ollantaytambo
We hopped off the train and started our hike at kilometer 104 of the Inca Trail.
Only a few minutes into the hike, the ruins of Chachabamba
Kimberly on the trail
Daniel ready to climb lots of steps!
The ruins of Winaywayna in the distance...we were on our way there.
Daniel in front of this spectacular waterfall
We made it Winaywayna!
The ruins were incredibly preserved!
Every month, workers have to cut down the grass that grow on the terraces.
You can see the trail we hiked on the other mountain (we started all the way down by the river!)
At Winaywayna, ready for hike part II!
Wildflowers in the Machu Picchu Nature Reserve
A millipede!
"Yellow shoes" flower
Kimberly hiking on the same steps the Incas built hundreds of years ago!
Our guide, Marisol was so excited to find this little insect...
...which she is convinced is a new species yet to be named!
The train rushing through the valley below.
We chose to go this way instead?! With all these steps!!
Finally! Intipunku, the Sun Gate!
Our first glimpse...
...of the incredible city of Machu Picchu!
Daniel in front of Intipunku
Bromeliads and wildflowers were blooming
The view from the guardhouse, just incredible!
The next morning, we arrived just after sunrise to lots of fog!
The Royal Tomb; note the stairs cut into one piece of rock!
The Temple of the Sun
Look at how perfectly the stones of the wall fit together!
The fog added such a mysterious air!
In the Temple of the Three Windows
The fog started to lift and revealed the beautiful Saltankay mountains
It was a real treat...we were apparently really lucky that it was this clear!
These terraces were used as retaining walls, to protect against erosion
The famous 32-sided stone
The Intihuatana, popularly called the "hitching post of the sun" likely an astronomical and agricultural calendar.
There were llamas grazing in the main square!
There were llamas grazing everywhere!
The Guardhouse in the distance
The Temple of the Condor (Can you see the wings?)
On our way to hike Waynapicchu! (The big mountain the distance)
For reference, we were climbing the huge mountain peak on the right!
Oh my god! It was an incredibly strenuous climb!
The view of Machu Picchu from the almost top
Daniel literally climbing through this small cave to get to the summit
Almost there
We made it!
The way back to Machu Picchu...for some silly reason, we did NOT go that way...we went the other way!
It was the WRONG decision!
So many ladders!
It was crazy!
We climbed all the way down into the cloud forest!
We finally made it to the Temple of the Moon
The Temple was carved into a cave
Bromeliads clinging to the side of the mountain
The trail back to Machu Picchu
Orchids in bloom along the trail
Another llama!
