Our trek, like the Inca Trail itself, culminated at Machu Picchu. We left camp just as the sky began to lighten and trekked uphill for two hours. We finally crested the ridge at “The Sun Gate,” where we first laid eyes on Machu Picchu. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed at first sight. It was just a little town of ruins in a spectacular setting. As we hiked down towards it however, it became more impressive. Its scale was much larger than I imagined or first saw. It buildings, ramparts, and walls were massive and extraordinary. My initial disappointment had been replaced by awe.

terraces on which buildings were going to be built

temple

houses

Yet, I still feel that the valley surrounding Machu Picchu was the most inspiring sight. Having seen the ubiquitous Machu Picchu postcards for the past two weeks, I was prepared for how the ruins would look. But I was not prepared for the surrounding scenery. MP sits atop a ridge that drops straight down 800 meters to the Urubamba River, while mountains rise from the river to surround MP in every direction.

looking into the valley

We did get a tour of the ruins, but the details were not so interesting after hearing about the Incas for 3 days already. After the tour, we were free to explore the ruins a bit more. Some people milled around, but Alex and I, along with a few others from our group, decided to scale Wayna Picchu. Wayna Picchu is the peak that towers above the MP ruins in most photos. There is another temple at the top, which sits 360 meters above Machu Picchu. It is a steep and dangerous climb, but I figured I might as well go all out since I spent a ton of money and three days walking here. It was a steep climb up and kinda sketchy at some points, but it was short and well worth the effort. From the top, we had awesome views of the valley and the ruins. A great way to end our trek and exploration of Machu Picchu.

ruins on Wayna Picchu

MP (on the left) and Urubamba valley

Alex and I atop of Wayna Picchu

Alex, Joylani, and I at Machu Picchu