Machu Picchu and the start of Cusco!

Okay! A lot of things have happened since my last blog post. We spent the week in Urubamba which is in the Sacred Valley, and it was really nice. We did a hike from our AirBnB and we also did a longer one from Moray to Maras. In Moray there is a super cool archeological feature of the spiraling terraced field. This was used for agriculture and now it is just for education purposes. We walked from there through the town of Maras to the Maras Salt Mines. It was about 6 miles and a pretty cool walk. We walked through fields and desert. There are tours that take you to the different locations, but it was fun to walk it and get to explore more of the area and take in the awesome views.

So that was on Friday, our last day in Urubamba. And then on Saturday we woke up bright and early to take a taxi to Ollantaytambo which is the town that you leave from in order to get to Machu Picchu. We met our guide, Jose Tito, and got on the train. The train technically goes all the way to Aguas Calientes which is the actual town that you stay in when you want to visit Machu Picchu. BUT we got off early (at kilometer 104) because we were hiking part of the Inca Trail! I was honestly feeling a bit nervous because this was a big hike, but everything went so well. We got off the train, got prepared and then started! Our guide Jose Tito was so wonderful. We were able to connect with him because Annika's boyfriend and his family did a tour with Jose Tito several years ago and held on to his contact information. So, we technically did not go through a tour agency which was a bit of a leap of faith, but it worked out wonderfully. We did not have any strangers in our group, and it was basically a private tour. And Jose Tito was so knowledgeable and supportive! He told us all about the orchids along the trail as well as the several Incan ruins that we passed. He told us about Pachamama which is Andean Mother Earth. He is from a small village that speaks Quechua and just knew so much about the Inka. He also had nice conversations with all of us and I got to speak to him in Spanish! Very cool. Also, we saw a tarantula and wild llamas!

The hike itself was so different from what I was expecting. They only allow 200 people to do the section that we were doing each day so there were not too many people. It was also sooo humid because Machu Picchu is actually near the border of the Amazon rainforest. We got pretty lucky with the weather as there was only a little bit of rain and that was nice to cool us off. We were doing the last section of the Inca Trail which meant that we were ending at Machu Picchu. I didn't really realize that we were actually going to get to see Machu Picchu at the end of the hike, so it was a wonderful surprise. We got to the top of this hill and were at a place called the Sunrise Gate. It is called this because on the Summer Solstice there is a window that is perfectly flooded with light. When we got to this point, we could see Machu Picchu from a distance, and it took my breath away. Even though we were far away I could still make out some of the structures and just the overall sight of this city nestled in these crazy mountains was so wonderful. Then we hiked down a bit, turned a corner and BOOM we were actually walking around Machu Picchu. I could not believe it. I have learned about Machu Picchu for years and to actually get to experience it was something that I never really imagined would happen. I never really conceptualized me getting to walk around and touch these Incan ruins, but it happened! I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and awe. 

So we got to walk around the top loop of Machu Picchu and get that view. I am so glad that we visited on this day because the next day it was very cloudy and rainy! We woke up and went to the park with Jose Tito and he walked us around for about 3 hours explaining lots of things about the area. We could not see the whole area, but we could see the ruins around us. One thing that was so crazy was how the rocks fit together in the stone walls. They did not have steel tools or anything mechanized so everything was done by hand. And everything fit together so perfectly! We also learned that the buildings with the smoothest stones and those without mortar were the most important buildings like temples. Whereas the stones walls were textured and sometimes filled with mortar. I was not too disappointed because we had such a great view the day before and the second day was about exploring the city anyways.

We returned to Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Ollantaytambo and I just felt so wonderful. I think we made the perfect decision to only do the 1-day trek because it was challenging but not uncomfortable. I also was so happy to get to experience that with my friends! One of the most difficult things about solo traveling is not getting to share experiences with the people that I care about. Machu Picchu was so special, and I am so glad that I got to do it with some awesome people! 

When we got off the train, we had a car waiting for us and we drove all the way to Cusco. We are in Cusco for a while which is exciting, Unfortunately, we got takeout on our first night and all of us got really bad headaches and two of us threw up. I think that it was a combination of dehydration, being exhausted from our adventures, altitude sickness, and the food. Some people in my group think that it was because the food had a lot of MSG in it but I am not sure! So, because of that travesty, the first day in Cusco was a bit of a wash. I watched 4 movies and just did pretty much nothing because I did not feel well. The next day I felt so much better and was back to normal which I was very grateful for. 

Yesterday, Wednesday, was a big day! I am planning to visit the Amazon and so I figured that I should get my yellow fever vaccine. I was supposed to do it on Monday but that was not a possibility, so it was my mission to get it done today. I ended up having to go to three different health centers and it took three hours, but I got it done! I went to the general hospital, then to a health center where I met a German couple who were also trying to get the vaccine. We went to the third health center together where we were finally able to get the shot. The couple did not really speak Spanish, so I had to act as a translator, and it actually went pretty well! After we got the shot, we had to return to the hospital to get our yellow fever vaccination cards filled out. I am glad that I got it done but boy was it quite a morning! Then I went to a couple stores to buy decorations for Annika's birthday which is today. I know that it can be hard to be away from home on special occasions so I wanted to make her feel really celebrated. The afternoon was spent souvenir shopping and general shopping. Busy, busy!

Cynthia, Grace, and I decorated last night for Annika's birthday. We blew up a bunch of balloons and had two different happy birthday signs that we hung up in the apartment. When she woke up this morning, she was so surprised! We went out for a really good breakfast and then we've had to work quite a bit. Tonight, we are going out for dinner and some drinks. I think that it is going to be a great time! Peru has been so great, and I cannot believe that it has already been three weeks! I have decided to extend my time in Peru by about a week and a half. I am really excited.