Saturday, 3/2. Today began with heavy clouds and rain in the air. But the day ended up being rain-free with gorgeous views.

The plan called for choosing from several options. Climbs to the mountain seen in most pictures (which isn’t Machu Picchu Mountain) is restricted to only 400 people a day and involves scrambles plus cable handholds. Pass. Climbs to the actual Machu Picchu Mountain (located behind most photographers) also has a 400 person limit and rises 2,000 feet above the site. I had the chance and passed, mostly because of potential of cloud cover making the walk a waste. Options 3 and 4 were relatively short walks to the “Sun Gate’ or to the Inca Bridge. While most did one or the other, two of us chose both. Views were spectacular. The Inca Bridge was very impressive. Building a stone foundation alongside a cliff wall while leaving a section missing was brilliant. The log bridge could be pulled back. Excellent defense. The Sun Gate had two purposes. It was the main (and grand) entrance to Machu Picchu and had seasonal importance with a calendar marker at MP. The sun rises through the pass on the summer solstice (or something like that).

Returned to town in the afternoon for a late lunch and free time. I watched a soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Met two delightful people who shared (too much of) their wine with me.

Machu Picchu totally lived up to expectations.

Friday, 3/1. Before boarding the train to Machu Picchu we visited a shaman(?) to get our spirits cleansed. Long ceremony that loads a host of various material into a wrapping that’s then burned. The tradition goes back before the Incas.

The train was cramped and bumpy. Nice seats though. View was poor since it follows a brown river. The track was laid a hundred years ago not to get people to Machu Picchu but to build a hydroelectric plant. The town of Machu Picchu sits in a sliver of a valley and is clearly a single-purpose center. A large number of people move from train station to bus station. We did the same. Bus ride winds up the mountain slope at an astonishing speed. Entry to the Park is time controlled, so there is a crowd marking time. We all visit the restroom because there are no facilities inside (thought to be a means to get people to leave the park). Entry is followed by a long, steep hike through thick foliage. Our first view of the ruins is from above and is breathtaking. See the view, grab your camera.

We slowly walk through the ruins with frequent stops for interesting tidbits of information. Much the who/what/why of Machu Picchu is based on conjecture. The walking tour is a one way route, to again discourage people to from overstaying. Llamas populate the grounds.

It rained on and off all afternoon, changing the surrounding views constantly. (A theory for the “Why here?” question is its 70 inches of rain per year. Irrigation not required.) One of the key takeaways from the visit is the incredible scenery all around the site. Cliffs covered in greenery. Soaring mountain tops. There is evidence that many terraces were build to hold hanging gardens.

Just breathtaking. Tomorrow we return to do one or two hikes.

Thursday, 2/28. Busy “Day in the Life” segment of the trip. We were fortunate to be here during some kind of women’s day tradition that I can’t find on the internet. Defies description, but it appears to be all in fun. Mannequins are dressed up in weird ways and prizes awarded to the group with the weirdest. A tree is put up, decorated with useful household goods then competitively knocked down on Sunday. The winner gets the goods. A local market makes their mannequin in the likeness of their favorite saleswomen. Foreigners festoon her with confetti and gets hugs. The crowd goes wild.

Had lamb tongue and cheek, plus lamb stew. Preferred the cheek. Had a delicious juice from a local fruit. The “cup” is a plastic bag and straw. Visited a baker with a huge wood-fired oven who also cooks whatever the locals bring to him (for a fee). Guinea pigs again. The oven is hot 360 days a year. Five days off to replace the bricks.

Cemetery is similar to those in Bolivia, but some private ones are much more ornate. They all feature lots of glass for public viewing.

Corn Beer. 1.5% and sweet. Strawberry-flavored option (the “girlie” version). Played a coin-toss game that I was horrible at.

Home-hosted lunch. Traditionally at harvest time everyone helps each other with the expectation of being fed each day by a particular family, so houses are usually equipped with two kitchens and a very large dining room. Got a real lesson in how to convert a living Guinea pig to a main course. Lots of conversation about life in Peru. Courtships are backwards in Peru. Meet, date, move in, have children, buy a house, get married (optional). It was a great time.

Pottery Factory. Frankly Morocco and China had much better products. Lots of Incan reproduction. Not a big fan of abstract art.

Busy day. Tired. Tomorrow, after two weeks of touring, we finally visit one of the two main purposes of the trip. Machu Picchu.