Day 7: Trek to Machu Picchu

We were packed up, dressed, and fed by 4:30am - I was used to waking up early, but this felt like I hadn't slept. While I was lying in my sleeping bag, I was laughing at all of the people who would be waking up with hangovers from the previous night.

The gates to the last section of the trail do not open until 5:30am, so we went to stand in line for about an hour. Raul's planning couldn't have been better - we were one of the first groups in the line, and because of our extra days of trekking, we could keep a fast pace in order to stay away from the large group. Maybe our pace was too fast - Sanjay and I both looked like we were going to have cardiac issues. Think about mall speed-walking uphill at 3000 meters; we kept up the pace until we reached the top of a brutal set of steps leading to the famous Sun Gate (Inti Puku). While Sanjay and I didn't even realize where we were (it was extremely foggy and there was no way to see Machu Picchu), we kept walking.

Common sense caught up with our frantic pace and we decided to wait for Raul and Nirupa. Raul laughed at us when we saw him, as we were walking back towards the Sun Gate after noticing that there were no people following us. Raul assured us that we would have to wait another 4 hours for the clouds to burn.

When we arrived, it really felt like we had done something special. We set out to see this place 7 days ago and we were now surrounded by the majesty. The clouds were still moving over the face of the city, which reinforced the mysteriousness, and probability of being hidden from the Spanish several hundred years earlier.

Raul has impressed me during our trip; his knowledge of biology and history is incredible. While we've been on the Inka Trail, I've had to chance to listen to other tour guides. They've said a few words, taken pictures for their guests, and have then moved onto the next photograph. Raul has taken a different approach. Throughout our journey, Raul had taught us about ancient Inka culture. I saw all of these ingrained in Machu Picchu; the fountains for the gods/people/spirits, the shrine to the sun carved from the natural rock, the diamond-shaped stone that aligned with the points of a compass.

We bid Raul farewell after the tour; we had 3 hours to explore the ruins before the bus back to Aguas Calientes. Sanjay was feeling ill, so he stayed with Sunil & Enov (friends from NYC). Nirupa and I were determined to climb Huanay Picchu, the peak overlooking the entire site. We reached the top in 45 minutes. On our way up, I was thinking that this would be illegal to climb in the US. The trail was narrow, the pitch was somewhere around 55 degrees (this is just a guess), and someone could fall to their death with a misplaced step. The view from the top was breathtaking; I took several photos that capture the great views of the valley, Ururbamba River, and Machu Picchu draped over the spine of the mountain. Nirupa and I took 20 minutes to relax and enjoy the world splayed out below us.

After carefully climbing back down, we took the bus to Aguas Calientes for lunch. Sunil and Enov took us to a wonderful restaurant, where we had great food and jovial conversation. I agreed to meet up with them in Cuzco in the upcoming days - I was blessed to have such great people accompany me on the trek.

As with all great places in this world, to be here is to experience it. I could study pictures for years and still miss the essence of this mountain. My eyes could see the beauty, my skin feel the breeze, my legs feel the ache, my hands touch the ancient stones. This place was remarkable, and to think that people travelled such a distance to arrive in this majestic city. There's a cliche that I cannot recall right now, but here's something similar. All great things are meant to be earned, and only then can you appreciate the work invested in the endeavor.