The actual trip up Machu Picchu included a train to Aguas Calientes (a very expensive tourist town), and a bus ride up the mountain. I was having flashbacks of her car ride up Mount Washington (a very narrow road with steep drops - absolutely no room for error). There were hundreds of people constantly being transported up and down the mountain, and when we got to the top, it was like being herded like animals into tour groups. It is a requirement of entry to Machu Picchu to have a guide. There are two times to enter Machu Picchu, so when it was time to enter, there were literally hundreds, perhaps even a thousand people that were all entering at the same time. All people were in a tour group, but each tour group wanted to stop in the same places for the same photos, so it was very crowded. The first part of the tour was climbing up the side of Machu Picchu to the Caretaker’s House (probably the highest structure in the area). It was a decent hike, but a bit tiring on Adeline. The best part was when we got to the top, not because it was the top, but because there were llamas and you could pet them and take you picture with them.
After some llama love, we headed down into the ruins. The architecture was very impressive, especially being so high up in the mountains. I can’t imagine how much work had to be put into creating the community of Machu Picchu. I think what impressed me the most about the architecture was the connection with the sun. I know that the people that lived in Machu Picchu celebrated the sun and the moon, but the way that the windows were designed to use the light of the sun perfectly is something that I admire.
While the architecture was very interesting, I was amazed by the swallows! There were so many on top of the mountain, and they are such crazy birds! Their agility as they fly is amazing! And they are not shy of people! There were times that two people would be standing about 2 feet apart and zoom! A swallow would fly right between them! While it made a few people jump, I am sure many people were grateful that they were eating the bugs. We were even able to find a nest in a tiny crack behind some rocks in one of the walls. They truly are remarkable birds!
When we finished our tour, we found out that it was a one way loop and we were only allowed to go around the site once, which was a bit disappointing because the kids really wanted to see the llamas again, so when we exited the site we went and asked if we could go in just to go see the llamas once more. While the attendants at the gate were pretty clear that the entrance fee was for one tour only, I think they did us a favour for the kids, and they let us in once more. We were really lucky because this time, most of the tours had all finished and the only people on the site were people finishing the Inca Trail. When we made it up to the llamas again, we pretty much had them to ourselves. The kids took the time to draw some of the llamas, but didn’t finish the pictures because the llamas came to us to hang out. Instead of the kids having to cautiously follow the llamas to hopefully get a nice photo up close, it was like they wanted a little more attention or someone to pet them and tell them how wonderful they were. And how can you refuse a chance to get a selfie with a llama? The kids were in heaven! That will be an experience none of us will ever forget!
If you haven’t had a chance to see our photos from Machu Picchu, you can check out our Instagram pictures at:
@greatbigfamilyadventure or @vida_sabatica
No comments:
Post a Comment