 1 |
 2 Parade outside our hotel |
 3 Lorraine and Pamela checking out the parade |
 4 Dinner at the Inca Grill restaurant |
 5 (Made to order) chocolate mousse dessert |
 6 Renee and Denise having breakfast at the hotel |
 7 View from the hotel breakfast window |
 8 Colegio La Merced |
 9 Plaza De Armas, the main square in Cusco |
 10 Plaza De Armas, the main square in Cusco |
 11 A side street off the main square |
 12 Tour of Inca ruins above Cusco - "sexywoman" |
 13 |
 14 How did they move and fit those huge rocks? |
 15 The zig-zag nature of the walls protected them from falling down during earthquakes |
 16 |
 17 |
 18 Image of a llama in the stones |
 19 |
 20 Pukapukara - possible lookout overlooking the Cusco valley, or a royal hunting lodge |
 21 Pukapukara - overlooking the valley |
 22 Pukapukara |
 23 |
 24 Ruins at Qenqo - area may have been used for animal sacrifice or for royal mummification |
 25 Exiting the Qenqo with Cusco in the distance below |
 26 Qorikancha Inca Temple to the Sun God Inti - now the Church of Santo Domingo, this Inca King's room was preserved |
 27 The dark grey wall on top is from the Incas - all others below it are pre-Incan |
 28 Our group outside the Incan Temple wall |
 29 |
 30 Route of bus ride from Cusco to town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley |
 31 Ollantaytambo |
 32 Van ride from Ollantaytambo to end of road at rail marker Km 82, where we start out hike along the river |
 33 Getting packed up to begin hiking |
 34 Denise and our guide Reuben |
 35 Off we go, heading to the trail along the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley |
 36 Lyn catching some shade along the trail |
 37 Catching some shade in a ruin along the trail |
 38 |
 39 Jon in ruins (so to speak...) |
 40 A later break on carved stone steps by another ruin |
 41 Lunch stop above the river, before the checkpoint and crossing bridge |
 42 Porters packing up the meal tent after lunch |
 43 Checking our passsports and permits at our first checkpoint along the trail |
 44 Crossing the river after the checkpoint |
 45 First night camp outside the ruins at Llaqtapata |
 46 First night's camp outside the ruins at Llaqtapata |
 47 Breakfast the next morning |
 48 Support crew and hiker introductions |
 49 Group photo with Llaqtapata in the background |
 50 Trail elevation profile (in meters) |
 51 Second day hike up river valleys to camp at Llulluchapampa |
 52 Ruins at Llaqtapata |
 53 Ruins at Llaqtapata |
 54 Llamas wandering around Llaqtapata |
 55 Llama wandering into Llaqtapata |
 56 ...and following his buddies into the tower |
 57 Hiking by Llaqtapata towards the Kusichaca river valley |
 58 Ruins at Llaqtapata |
 59 Ruins at Llaqtapata |
 60 At head of the Kusichaca valley overlooing ruins at Llaqtapata |
 61 Heading up the Kusichaca River valley |
 62 Another quick break to enjoy the view |
 63 Sign along the trail - SERNANP is an acronym for National Service of Natural Protected Areas of Peru |
 64 Lyn on the trail |
 65 Approaching the village of Wayllabamba |
 66 Where we bought water and Gatorade, and took a break |
 67 Taking a break at Wayllabamba |
 68 Checkpoint above Wayllabamba |
 69 "Historical Sanctuary of MachuPicchu" - National Service of Natural Protected Areas (Peru) |
 70 Another Inca Trail profile sign (we're travelling left to right on this one) |
 71 Flowers along the trail |
 72 Flowers along the trail |
 73 Flowers along the trail |
 74 The trail gaining elevation and becoming steeper as it heads up the valley towards Dead Woman Pass |
 75 Becoming rocky steps in the cloud forest |
 76 Tod and Lorraine in the cloud forest |
 77 In the cloud forest |
 78 In the cloud forest |
 79 |
 80 In the cloud forest |
 81 Campsite at Llulluchapampa - elev. 12,589 ft. |
 82 Campsite at Llulluchapampa |
 83 Map of day 3 hike |
 84 Early morning start to climb the final 800 ft. over Dead Woman Pass |
 85 Climbing up to Dead Woman Pass |
 86 Climbing up to Dead Woman Pass |
 87 Looking back towards our campsite at Llulluchapampa (it's just around the corner - you can't see it) |
 88 Climbing up to Dead Woman Pass |
 89 The footway to Dead Woman Pass |
 90 Dead Woman Pass (13,776 ft.) |
 91 Dead Woman Pass (13,776 ft.) |
 92 Dead Woman Pass (13,776 ft.) |
 93 Climbing down from Dead Woman Pass to a break at Paq'aymayo in the valley |
 94 Climbing down from Dead Woman Pass to a break at Paq'aymayo in the valley |
 95 On the trail still way above Paq'aymayo |
 96 Above Paq'aymayo in the valley |
 97 The Inca Trail heading down towards Paq'aymayo |
 98 Found on a boulder along the trail... |
 99 More descending trail going down to Paq'aymayo |
 100 Continuing on the trail out of Paq'aymayo to the next pass at Runkurakay |
 101 Looking back at Dead Woman Pass and the trail down to Paq'aymayo and then up to here |
 102 Approaching Runkurakay ruin |
 103 Runkurakay - probably just a waystation along the trail |
 104 Runkurakay - probably just a waystation along the trail |
 105 Going thru a tunnel on the descent from the 13,022 t. pass at Runkurakay |
 106 Emerging from the tunnel into the clouds |
 107 Descending through the clouds |
 108 |
 109 Trail traversing the ruins at Oochamarka |
 110 Late lunch at Chaqiqocha campsite - it rained for a few minutes while we were eating in the tent and then it stopped |
 111 Continuing on the trail |
 112 In the clouds again... |
 113 Colorful mosses on the side of the trail, extracting moisture from the clouds |
 114 Campsite at Phuyupatamarka (12,033 ft.) |
 115 Sleeping tens all set up for us |
 116 The view above the clouds |
 117 Packing up after breakfast |
 118 Farewell ceremony with crew - we won't see them again after lunch today |
 119 Farewell ceremony with crew, including passing out gratuities |
 120 Final group photo |
 121 Jon & Lyn purchasing a hand woven table runner made by his wife |
 122 Day 4 route to Machu Picchu |
 123 Big descent to the ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 124 The ruins at Phuyupatamarka ("city in the clouds") |
 125 More careful descending |
 126 The ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 127 The ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 128 Water & irrigation control at Phuyupatamarka |
 129 Ceremonial baths at Phuyupatamarka |
 130 Ruinsl at Phuyupatamarka |
 131 |
 132 |
 133 Steps on the wall for climbing up the terraces |
 134 Ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 135 Ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 136 More ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 137 Jon and the ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 138 Hiking thru the ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 139 Descending thru the ruins at Phuyupatamarka |
 140 Inca Trail through more cloud forest |
 141 MachuPicchu mountain - the ruins are not visible from here... |
 142 More slow descending |
 143 Getting passed by a porter from another crew |
 144 Another tunnel |
 145 Another tunnel |
 146 Lunch on a terrace near the Winaywayna ruins |
 147 Lunch (Lomo Saltado) on a terrace near the Winaywayna ruins |
 148 |
 149 Lichen |
 150 |
 151 Approaching Intipunku (the Sun Gate) |
 152 Incredibly steep stairs - hand-over-hand climbing |
 153 Final climp up to the Sun Gate |
 154 From the Sun Gate with Machu Picchu in the background |
 155 At the Sun Gate |
 156 Overlooking Machu Picchu |
 157 Descending to Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate |
 158 Machu Picchu |
 159 At Machu Picchu |
 160 At Machu Picchu |
 161 Room at the Casa del Sol in Aquas Calientes |
 162 Celebration dinner at the Casa Del Sol in Aguas Calientes |
 163 Celebration dinner at the Casa Del Sol in Aguas Calientes |
 164 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 165 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 166 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 167 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 168 Torreon - the Temple of the Sun |
 169 The Temple of the Sun |
 170 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 171 Example of Inca stone wall expertise |
 172 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 173 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 174 Possible stone quarry |
 175 The Prindipal Temple |
 176 The Inti Watana "Hitching Post of the Sun" astronomic clock - a sundial used for the soltices |
 177 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 178 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 179 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 180 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 181 Sacred rock echoing the shape of the sacred mountains behind it |
 182 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 183 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 184 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 185 Water mirrors for observing the sun... |
 186 For observing the sun... |
 187 The Temple of the Condor |
 188 Llamas |
 189 Llamas |
 190 Llamas |
 191 Llamas |
 192 Exploring Machu Picchu |
 193 |
 194 By the trail to the Inca Bridge |
 195 Jon napping by the trail |
 196 A llama that won't take no for an answer... |
 197 Pamela in Aguas Calientes |
 198 Denise aboard the PeruRail Vista train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo |
 199 Saint and Kelly on the Vista train |
 200 Tod and Lorriane on the Vista train |
 201 Denise and Pamela |
 202 Jon and Lyn |
 203 Reme and Pamela |
 204 Performing a dance while waiting for the track to clear |
 205 Lorraine and Tod at the San Pedro market in Cusco |
 206 At the San Pedro market in Cusco |
 207 At the San Pedro market in Cusco |
 208 At the San Pedro market in Cusco |
 209 At the San Pedro market in Cusco |
 210 At the San Pedro market in Cusco |
 211 At the San Pedro market in Cusco |
 212 At the San Pedro market in Cusco |
 213 Outside the Inca Museum |
 214 Plaza De Armas, Cusco |
 215 Plaza De Armas, Cusco |
 216 Plaza De Armas, Cusco |