Machu Picchu and other Inca Ruins

We don't think anything could have prepared us for Machu Picchu. In elementary school history or geography class we learned a little about Inca society and saw stunning photos of Machu Picchu. But, those photos don't capture it all (the thing itself, the surrounding mountains and valleys, etc.). They just can't.

There are many ways to arrive at Machu Picchu, all of which begin in Cusco. Our path was the 4 day/3 night (21 mile) Lares Trek, which took us up and over into the Sacred Valley. We chose to go with Alpaca Expeditions (nothing but amazing things to say!) and our full itinerary can be found here. Some highlights from the journey (pre-Machu Picchu) include:

Thermal baths outside of Lares to begin the trek

Campsite for the first night

Incredible reflections from our campsite lake the next morning

Pitusiray mountain/glacier, which is at 18,700 ft high, from the Condor pass is at 15,354 ft high

Grazing alpacas at our second campsite

Lunchtime cake, we weren't hiking with an oven so not sure how the chef made this

Maras Salt Mine: in existence since pre-Inca times,  now run by a local cooperative

To get to Machu Picchu we finished our hike at Ollantaytambo and took a train to Aguas Calientes, the town just outside of Machu Picchu. The hot shower was really the only highlight of Aguas Calientes, as the town only exists for people to visit Machu Picchu. The next day we woke up at 5:00 am to make sunrise at Machu Picchu and the rest we will leave to the photos:

With another few days left in Cusco we ate at some more delicious meals at the many local veggie restaurants, saw other Inca ruins, and explored the Rainbow Mountains (see other post). The Inca ruins were multiple and diverse:

Experimental agricultural terraces at Moray (each level had a slightly different climate/temperature)

Intricately carved stone wall

Terraces at Chinchero

Climbing the Inca stairs

Saqsaywaman ruins, just outside of downtown Cusco

What an unforgettable experience! After all those treks we really needed those Cusco hour-long $10 massages. We went twice and each time allowed us to reflect back on all the amazing things we saw and did...or just pass out in total relaxation. After this, we find ourselves a bit snobby with Inca ruins and comparing them all to these wonderful sites.