Today was our highly anticipated visit to Machu
Picchu.
Our day began bright and early (4am) to ride a bus,
a train, and then another bus to take us to our final destination. We had
gorgeous views of snow-capped mountains and streams as the train navigated
through the mountains. Waking up long before the sun and taking various forms
of travel was exhausting, but well worth it.
Machu Picchu is absolutely breathtaking. It is one
of the Wonders of the World, and rightfully so. The ancient Incan ruins are
prominently featured within the lush mountainsides of the jungle in the Andes
Mountains. Machu Picchu was built in the 1440s by ancient Incans and its name
translates into "Old Mountain," a title given by the locals. We had
the opportunity to see Machu Picchu from a bird's-eye view and walk through the
ruins, on the same ground the Incans once walked. Viewing the ruins at
different angles and heights only intensified its ancient beauty. In addition
to the lush vegetation, llamas also roamed the ruins. Llamas are larger and
stronger than alpacas. Alpacas cannot handle the heat in the jungle area of the
mountains.
After seeing Machu Picchu and taking more pictures
than we will ever know what to do with, we shopped in the local market and ate
lunch at a buffet in town. Although we could have stayed and admired Machu
Picchu all day, we had to make our journey back to our hotel In Cusco to
prepare for our visit to the Panticalle School tomorrow.
~ Caitlyn Sampson
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