Peru - Day 2

So I'm finally here! Me and the rest of my group (7 people in all) flew into Cuzco where we spent the night, then bused over to a town called Aguas Calientes so that we would be closer to Machu Picchu when the first bus left at 5:30 am the next morning. We got up bright and early so that we could get there before all the other tourists, and it was definitely worth it. Machu Picchu is one of the most breathtaking sights I've ever seen, and the relative lack of tourists in the whole village made it seem even more special. Here's what it looked like from one side:


At 10, we hiked up an adjoining mountain called Huayna Pichu (spelling?), which was definitely really challenging because of how steep it was, the occasional rain showers, and the high altitude which made breathing difficult. Also, I'm not exactly a seasoned hiker, but finally gasping my way to the top was totally worth it. There was a great view of all of Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountains, which was really cool. The original plan was to hike back to our hostel from there, but we ended up buying a bus ticket back, catching a train back to Cuzco, and for the most part everyone passed out either on the train, an hour after getting back in to the hostel, or both.

(Us at the top of the mountain!)

We also met some cool other travelers who are staying in our hostel in Cuzco, and met up with them at Machu Picchu, which was fun (they're in the picture above). I really like how friendly everyone is, and open to making spotaneous plans and taking unplanned trips. It's a much more exciting way to see new things than trying to plan out every last detail. We're going to visit some more ruins tomorrow, and then I think we're going to try and leave Friday morning for Lake Titicaca (I can't wait). Hopefully some of our new friends come along too!