6/16

Today we traveled to Machu Picchu! We left the hotel at 5:20 am and took a bus to the Sacred Valley. It was freezing cold and the bus had no heat. Also once we got to the train station to take the train to Machu Picchu we had to wait outside and it was so cold!

Finally, we got on the train and the trip there was beautiful! The train had large windows and the scenery was beautiful.

After we got off the train, we then took a bus to the actual entrance of Machu Picchu! There we showed our tickets, passports, and student IDs and we were off on our tour! Our tour guide first brought us to a site where we could see a beautiful view of the ancient civilization.

Then our tour guide brought us through the only door of Machu Picchu and brought us around all the ruins. It is estimated that Machu Picchu was built in 20-25 years and was not finished when it was abandoned. The Incan people grew all sorts of plants, including the cocoa plant which was used to help with illness and mummification.

The Incan trail actually goes from Columbia down to Chile and of course crosses through Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is believed to have been the capital of the Incan people. The language of the Incans was a language called Quechua. But unfortunately there is no written form of Quechua so it is hard to know what happened in the past.

Machu Picchu was extremely busy, and after our tour we had a few hours to do what we wished in Machu Picchu before we had to catch the train home. I went with a group and hiked the Sun Gate Trail which is part of the Incan Trail. It took us about an hour to hike up the trail and from the top you could see the mountains, the village below and the ruins of Machu Picchu. It was breath-taking and definitely one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. After that we took just a few more pictures and hiked back down. We had to catch a bus to get on the train and then after the train to the Scared Valley, we had to take a bus back to the hotel in Cuzco city.

It was a long day and we got back to the hotel around 9:30/10 and all just went to bed.

Machu Picchu is definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, and the long day was totally worth it!

The view from the train!

Another view from the train!

Another view from the train!

Machu Picchu!

The only door of Machu Picchu

A garden with the type of plants that existed during the Incan period at Machu Picchu

Ruins

Me and Anna at Machu Picchu

Me along the sun gate trail at Machu Picchu

Me at the top of the sun gate trail 

Enjoying my bologna and cheese sandwich