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Peering through my plane window, I looked out across the Andes Mountains and gave a big grin. I have been thinking about these mountains and climbing up to the ruins of Machu Picchu for the last six years. Ever since Bobby returned home from his travels in this region and planted the seed with his pictures and stories, it has been in the back of my mind. Arriving in Cusco, I walked through the cobblestone streets and soon realized that many other people had been thinking about the same thing. This heart of the once-powerful Inca Empire is a haven for tourists from all over the world; young and old. Now, I do realize that it was the cities most festive week of the year and people had traveled from a far to experience it; but I still was shocked at the number of tourists around the city. But, even harder for me to believe was that, without even planning it, I ended up arriving here two days before Inti Raymi; and just in time to catch the parades and various other Inca traditions.

Empire Under the Sun

Jeremy Curl
2006-08-28 12:13:15

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the river's edge. There we paired up and crossed over the river in a cable-cart system. Standing at the foot of the cable system were three crosses in the ground to mourn the loss some locals that had died traversing the river a few years prior. It wasn't exactly the thing we wanted to hear just before hopping into the rickety old bucket to cross the river. Surviving the angry waters, we hiked up past the hydroelectric plant and then proceeded down some train tracks for 2 hours; until finally reaching Aguas Calientes (the town just at the base of Machu Picchu). That night we stayed in a hostel and had our final dinner together. We all said our farewells to the helpers, toasted to good times, and soon retired to our beds to rest up for our last big day.

Rising at 4am, we scarfed down a quick breakfast and began our death march up steep, stone stairs for an hour and a half. Reaching the top as the sun broke the horizon, we made our way through the gates and over to the cliffs edge; and there it was Machu Picchu - (Old Mountain) - The Lost
The Statue of Jesus Watches Over the Town Full Image
City of the Inca. What a magnificent sight to see. Mountains surrounded the ancient ruins on all sides; holding off the rays of the sun for a short while. For the next two hours, we weaved our way through the ruins as Jason explained the history and culture of the once mighty Empire. Following our tour, we all geared up for our last big climb - Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain). This was the small mountain that shadowed over Machu Picchu and gave a bird’s eye view of the ruins and surrounding peaks. The hike was steep but well worth it. The 360 degree view from the top was absolutely breathtaking. Looking down on the ruins, you could see the complete layout of the ancient city. Some claimed the overall design resembled the shape of a condor; but I just think they had chewed far too many Coca leaves. The view of Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountains ...