My Machu Picchu Adventure

An hour and a half train ride took me to the city of Aguas Calientes, where I then took a 20 minute bus ride to the current entrance of Machu Picchu ruins.  I was so filled with excitement and adrenaline that I decided to hike up Machu Picchu Mountain before getting a tour of the ruins.  Now this is where I learned why people really call Machu Picchu breathtaking.  This mountain is a 2,139 foot hike that takes you 10,000 feet above sea level, and let me tell you it is not for those with a fear of heights.  The air is so thin on Machu Picchu and it gets more difficult when you try to hike up a mountain a couple more thousand feet.  The path up the mountain is a 30 degree ascent along the original stone Inca trail that is mostly a staircase leading straight to the summit of the mountain.  From here, you can see the start of the hike, the Machu Picchu ruins, and Huayna Picchu mountain to the north.


At least 10 times during my hike up the mountain, I thought that I could not handle the altitude and that I needed to turn back.  Every corner I turned, I approached yet another staircase with steps so steep that I needed to hold onto the boulders lining the mountain just to stay stable.  So many times I wanted to quit, but I did not make it four thousand miles away from home just to quit halfway up the mountain.  I kept telling myself that it would be worth it once I got up to the top.  Sidenote: If you would like to see a fun video-series of me suffering during the hike up the mountain, follow my travel instagram @nicocoabroad)

Me at the top, happy to have made it up alive

Observation hut at the summit of the mountain

After about 1 hour and 30 minutes of hiking, I finally reached the summit of the mountain.  Which is where breathtaking took on a much nicer meaning.  I had this spectacular view of the mountain ridden valley and at one point in the morning, the sun broke through the clouds and the sky cleared to provide a picturesque scene.

View of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu Mountain (left), and Happy Mountain (right

Panoramic view from the summit

Sunny selfie of me and Machu Picchu

Hiking down did not prove to be an easy feat either.  The hike down was just as steep and windy, and the steps were so tall that it made my knees ache just to get down the mountain.  Finally at the bottom of the mountain, I got to the entrance of the ruins where the Machu Picchu tours began.  Enjoy the photos I've taken and please if you plan on going to Cusco, Machu Picchu, or the Sacred Valley let me know because I would love to give you advice.

Original Entrance to Machu Picchu

Llamas and alpacas can be distinguished in a few different ways:

1. Llamas have longer necks than alpacas

2. Alpacas are shorter and more stout, whereas llamas are taller and lanky

3.  Llamas are prone to spitting, but alpacas are lazy by nature

Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, but both have really soft fur.

Turn this horizontal photo of Machu Picchu 90 degrees to counterclockwise, and you 

can see the outline of the Incan Man in the mountain landscape.

Incans constructed their doorways, windows, and shelving in the classic 

trapezoidal shape below to keep the walls from collapsing over time and maintain 

integrity of the structures during earthquakes

Eastern view of the valley from the suburban section of Machu Picchu

Incan Sundial

Me and our group tour guide Willie

Me, the perfect height to fit through ancient Incan doorways

Me being happy in front of Happy Mountain:

On the trek back down to Aguas Calientes from Machu Picchu Historical Ruins:

Statue of the Incan Commander of Aguas Calientes with the 

sacred figures of the condor and the panther