When I set out on my around the world adventure, one thing I knew I wanted to do from the get go was visit Machu Picchu.
Although I didn’t know to much about it, I was aware that it was one of the most spectacular places on Earth full of mystery and awe.
I’d also seen the pictures which, incredible as they are, simply do not do it justice.
Once I left La Paz, Boliva and the amazing Cholitas Wrestling I made my way across the border to Peru. I spent my first couple nights in Cuzco which would be my jump off city to visit Machu Picchu.
Built in the 1400’s, the city is one of the most intact examples of the Inca world.
Now, there are a number of ways to get to Machu Picchu. You can hike, take the train, bus and so on.
Although the hike is highly pursued and said to be a gruelling but unbelievable 3 days, I opted for the train.
With Peru being my 35th country in 11 months, I was understandly worn out. I was content to hop on a train and enjoy the beautiful views all the way up to Aguas Calientes, the nearest village for accessing Machu Picchu.
Along the way I made some more friends and the 6 of us decided to take on this adventure together.
We had to wake up crazy early to be sure we’d get all the tickets we wanted and when the alarm went off, all we heard was rain.
Still we soldiered on, hopped on a shuttle bus and by the time we arrived at the gate the rain had stopped.
Perfect!
We then each got a stamp to climb Huanya Picchu. There are limited tickets for this climb so we were lucky.
Once we were finally allowed in I led the group up a random path which oddly enough landed us exactly where we wanted to be and with the most stunning video of Machu Picchu.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t brought to tears in that moment.
Walking out to the ledge and seeing this city before your eyes, nestled in the mountains, is something you never forget.
We then spent the rest of the day walking through the walls and paths of Machu Picchu and got out just as the rain started to fall.
While photos and videos simply can’t do Machu Picchu justice, hopefully mine will give you a small glimpse into how truly miraculous it is.
Not to mention, give you a few laughs!
