Machu Picchu

The day had finally arrived to visit Machu Picchu. We woke up at 4 a.m., left the hostel in Aguas Calientes at 4:20 a.m., and arrived at the gates just before 5 a.m.

At the gates before sunrise

We met up with a few more friends from the trek while we waited for the gates to open. As you can see, it was raining so I had to sport my rain jacket over our backpack. No one could pull off that humpback better than me!

Walking on up

After the gates, we climbed step after step for about an hour to get to the entrance. My legs were suffering from the past four days, but I pushed through. We had to be careful though as the steps were a bit slippery. 

Exhausted

Machu Picchu at 6 a.m.

Unfortunately, lots of fog was present when we first spotted the iconic ruins. 

Obligatory Machu Picchu pic

It slowly burned off over the day and was clear when we left seven hours later.

Perfectly manicured 

Much larger than I expected

A bunny squirrel?

There are different types of walls throughout the site, but this one was by far the most impressive. The stones are perfectly fitted and very smooth. This type of architecture was most likely reserved for the highest class. 

Look at that construction

Leo showing us the Inca cross

Llamas! 

Phill cannot get enough of these guys

While it was hard to peel Phill away from the llamas, we needed to get to Machu Picchu Mountain before 11 a.m. Then you have to be out by 2 p.m. and we wanted to have time to enjoy the view from the top. Considering it would take 1.5 hours to reach the peak, we needed to get moving. While I was very sore, going up was not as difficult as I thought it would be. The hardest part for me was that at times the steps were narrow, steep and right on the edge of the cliff!

30 more minutes until we reached the entrance to the mountain

More steps

View a quarter of the way up

We were walking along that river just yesterday!

That lady ahead of me is showing me up

It felt like the steps would never end

Finally!

What a view

At the top with our new friend Katie

The fog sure did roll in quick

After enjoying the view from the very top, and chowing down on Inca Corn and Mike & Ikes, we made our way down relatively quickly, in about 45 minutes. Once back to Machu Picchu, the weather had finally cleared up, but the crowds were everywhere!

It was time to say goodbye

Lima with a local

We started with a night bus from Cuenca, Ecuador to Chiclayo, Peru. The bus played their usual 1-star Hollywood movie with air conditioning and sound set to full blast. After a quick 2am border crossing, we continued traveling through the night and arrived in Chiclayo in the early morning. We spent the day walking around their famous witch-market and trying the national drink, pisco sour. Six piscos later, we boarded the second bus from Chiclayo to Lima and it was absolute luxury. First-class leather seats, a full meal, and personal TVs made the night bus the easiest journey we've had so far. In total, 650 miles of high-altitude Andes zig-zagging and unending desert roads finally gave way to Lima. Draped in fog almost the entire year and inhabited by nearly 8.5 million residents, the city has a deservedly cramped and slightly dark look to it. The people, traffic, and commotion engulfs the city. However, if you can peel away this layer, you will quickly find why Lima is known as the gastronomic capital of South America. For five days, we took our appetites across the city and ate ceviches, lomo saltados, churros, chifas, and countless other dishes while washing them down with piscos. During our stay, we were lucky enough to be guided by our local friend, Jhony, who knew all the best spots in town. In between our food comas, we still managed to do a little sightseeing around the city.   

Hotel Maury, where they claim the first Pisco sour was made

Round two

Shanta and Jhony

San Francisco Monastery

Monastery courtyard

Over 25,000 people are buried under the church

Most were Lima citizens that died in the 19th century

Big pit of skulls

Making art out of bones?

I recognize him!

Many died in this fashion

Looking up from the tombs directly into the church

Spanish mosaics in the monastery courtyard

First bar in Lima

Plaza Mayor

Presidential palace

I'm sure we're the first ones to do this

Make your own drink

Ceviche with a tomato sauce

Tacu tacu with seafood

Lima's jagged coastline

Lighthouse

Looking south

Hundreds of feral cats live in Kennedy Park

The cats hanging out 

Street art

Always fly high

Inside the Gran Hotel Bolivar

Plaza San Martin

Case (of beer) of the Mondays

Plaza San Martin

Old Spanish church near the plaza

Capping off Lima at Brujas De Cachiche

Lomo saltado

I could have drawn that

Old Spanish mansion converted into a bar

The entrance

Happy girl

Great end to our stay in Lima