Macchu Picchu!
There were 200 people in our camp and everyone was trying to get to the sun gate as soon as possible. We got up at 3:30 so I slept in my clothes. The porters packed everything up so quick they practically dragged my sleeping bag out from under me! Debbie, Kathy, and I actually got to have breakfast with the group. We started down to the permit control at 4:25. It took less than 10 minutes then we waited until it opened at 5:30. It was really funny to hear people concerned about walking down in the dark for only a few minutes. I started and ended the last two days in the dark!!
Kathy, Debbie and I walked with Nancy and Michael and watched as all these people passed us. Michael and Nancy were here two years ago when it was ran as a race in ONE day. I can't even imagine. I took 29 hours ( lunches included) I have no idea how people finished in less than 12 hours. Michael was very helpful telling us what to expect especially when we got to the monkey wall. It was straight up and I guess some people walked up with their poles!! Crazy. We crawled on our hands and feet. We reached the sun gate soon after that. It took a little over two hours total.
From the sun gate, you can see the promised land - Machu Picchu!! It was a perfect sunny day!! Cathy and I barely made it into the group shot. That's the problem with being in the back. I think there were a few group shots that the three of us are not in...
The whole point of hiking the Inca Trail was to get to Machu Picchu, but some people were so exhausted that they had a hard time enjoying it and just went to the hotel in Aguascalientes. Kathy and I explored for about an hour and a half. We were looking for the condor :)
There were 200 people in our camp and everyone was trying to get to the sun gate as soon as possible. We got up at 3:30 so I slept in my clothes. The porters packed everything up so quick they practically dragged my sleeping bag out from under me! Debbie, Kathy, and I actually got to have breakfast with the group. We started down to the permit control at 4:25. It took less than 10 minutes then we waited until it opened at 5:30. It was really funny to hear people concerned about walking down in the dark for only a few minutes. I started and ended the last two days in the dark!!
Kathy, Debbie and I walked with Nancy and Michael and watched as all these people passed us. Michael and Nancy were here two years ago when it was ran as a race in ONE day. I can't even imagine. I took 29 hours ( lunches included) I have no idea how people finished in less than 12 hours. Michael was very helpful telling us what to expect especially when we got to the monkey wall. It was straight up and I guess some people walked up with their poles!! Crazy. We crawled on our hands and feet. We reached the sun gate soon after that. It took a little over two hours total.
From the sun gate, you can see the promised land - Machu Picchu!! It was a perfect sunny day!! Cathy and I barely made it into the group shot. That's the problem with being in the back. I think there were a few group shots that the three of us are not in...
The whole point of hiking the Inca Trail was to get to Machu Picchu, but some people were so exhausted that they had a hard time enjoying it and just went to the hotel in Aguascalientes. Kathy and I explored for about an hour and a half. We were looking for the condor :)
Our guides kept telling us there were facilities at Machu Picchu - actual toilets! with SEATS! hot running water and soap! It was so awesome we used them twice :)
Aguascalientes is a 30 minute bus ride away. We stayed at hotel presidente. The town only exists for tourists coming from Machu Picchu so it is really expensive and several people had incidents of not being treated fairly at stores and restaurants. I explored town a little and rested before dinner, but I was still really struggling with walking - so much pain!! We all ate together at a restaurant and celebrated our accomplishment.
Aguascalientes is a 30 minute bus ride away. We stayed at hotel presidente. The town only exists for tourists coming from Machu Picchu so it is really expensive and several people had incidents of not being treated fairly at stores and restaurants. I explored town a little and rested before dinner, but I was still really struggling with walking - so much pain!! We all ate together at a restaurant and celebrated our accomplishment.
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