We woke up at around 4.15 in the morning to the lovely sound of torrential rain, all three of us wore some delightful plastic ponchos and began the trek across Aguas Calientes up to the first bridge where they check your passport and ticket. We had decided to wake up early and try and get to Machu Picchu in time to see the sunrise. It took us around 40 minutes and of course we had forgotten a torch, so we walked in the pitch black. By the time we got to the foot of the stairs up to Machu Picchu it was already beginning to get lighter. Already several other groups of people were beginning to also make their way up the gigantic staircase. To say it was handwork would be a serious understatement, climbing stairs at 3,000m in the pouring rain was no easy task. However, about 50minutes later we all made it to the top (poor Clem slightly straggling behind). We then showed our passports again and walked up the little path which took us to the top of Machu. To our disappointment the clouds had stayed firmly where they were, although the rain had slightly stopped a little- so no sunrise for us. It was no big matter though, and as our tour began around an hour later than we had arrived we decided to make our way up to the Sun Gate. It was around another 40 minute hike up the side of a mountain and again there were even more clouds up there. Our guide was really good (I have completely forgotten his name) and gave us around a 2 hour tour around and explained how there was a university for the elite boys and all the different sections of the ruins, agricultural etc. At around 12 ish the sun finally came out and we were able to get a view of the whole of Machu Picchu. We found even more llamas, took hundreds of photos and then began our way down which we found out was blocked by a recent landslide (we were told these were fairly common during the rainy season). Once we reached Aguas Calientes we treated ourselves to the best 3 course meal I think I have ever had, with more vegetables than I have had in the whole 5 weeks I have been here. In total the meal came to an extremely expensive £12.
Our first view of a very cloudy Machu Picchu
Jack and our tour guide
Even more llamas!!
The agricultural section of Machu
Our extremely attractive rain gear
Huayna Picchu mountain
The university
All of us with our tour guide
The sun finally made an appearance
Our best llama impressions
Last view of Machu Picchu
Landslide on way down
VEGETABLES!!!
A well deserved choccie mousse
