The wake was early ! Very early!
And it was bitterly cold. We managed to be second in queue for park entry. Although we now had about 2 and a half hours to wait for the gates to open. Huddled up with the guys to keep warm. Once the officers arrived at the entrance those who wanted to really go for it stripped off to be more comfortable as it was guaranteed once moving a little quicker that you'd be swearing. Me and the Norwegians were heading the pack with rosa.
The terrain is reasonably flat but very very dangerous. And with the amount of people trying to make it to the sun gate first you really need to be careful.
Once some people from another crew were trying to pass us rosa said you guys can go for it if you like. Osten, aksel and myself just went for. Picking of people one by one when we could see them fading. We were literally running on empty from the last three days and how hard we'd pushed ourselves but were determined to get up there without the crowd for our moment at the sun gate. This is what we'd been working hard for all trek!
We were very Nearly first in line. The last stage is and almost vertical set of stairs that that you need both hands to assist in scaling to the summit. With close to nothing left to give we made it to the top. Round corner in the sun gate and there we were!
We made it! The Norwegians myself and maybe 3 other backpackers up there to soak in the tranquility!
Wow!
Arms raised we were absolutely pumped! Got amazing pics and had plenty of time to chill and soak in the the views while the crowds began to now stream in.
A kiwi guy (not in our crew) that I met when working in lapaz actually got down on one knee and popped the question to his mrs at the top! Really cool!
The sun gate is called so as it is the best viewing point of macchu picchu from above that of a morning you can see the sun burst through the mountains and slowly illuminate this amazing piece of ancient phenomena!
I was literally buzzen! Felt on top of the world, something id dreamt about and talked about for so long and here I was looking it face to face and breathing the frshness deep into my lungs!
We cruised down from here to the site itself for our guided tour from rosa.
Snapping away like the super touro that I am.
Bumped into tash, girl (mega babe) that I met also when working in lapaz. She'd taken the soft option of taking the train up cause she had a badly infected mosquito bite from when she was on a papas tour back in Bolivia! Reminded me of her birthday in a few days back in cusco at the Loki hostel, my attendance was to be expected.
Rosa's guided tour was fantastic. Exploring all the major elements of this historic wonder. It's hard to believe that 70% of the entire site is still completely in its original form- meaning only 30% has had restoration! The craftsmanship and architecture behind macchu picchus design is absolutely phenomenal and hard to understand how this was actually possibly so many years ago with no technology what so ever. There is many theories behind how it was made and one idea that is still circulating is that it was actually created by aliens. You would understand why if you seen the intricacy of its design.
When macchu picchu was discovered by Hiram Bingham it was said to of been littered in gold. Macchu picchu was a special place of religious events and ceremonies for royalty. The king had accommodation here but he did not love there, he lived back in cusco. Cusco was said to of been the centre of the universe.
All this gold however that was found had been stolen during the Spanish invasion and was now making the ciestine chapel look all the more blinged out! Very touchy subject the Spanish are among passionate Peruvians!!
After our guided tour we had free time to explore more and relax. I took off with a few guys to go and get the "post card picture" and enjoy some more amazing views. Sitting up the top of the site with llamas strolling around you eating grass, butterflies fluttering around and birds circling above head it was as though all the elements had come together to make this place everything that it was. If there was a heaven I probably rekn it would look something like this, just a beautiful holy feel about the place.
Could not count how many times I said while I was sitting with Keith, Simon and Sophie "how good is this!?!?!!"
It's just beautiful - really! And having slogged it out hard for the last for days makes it all the more sweeter.
Getting the bus back to macchu picchu town for lunch was unreal. Beef tacos and beers was sensational.
A few more beers on the train back to aguas caliente before the bus back into cusco.
Sat with Sophie on the train and had few more beers and tubes of Pringles. Sophie work on the accounts for the recent movie the great gatsby, pretty cool I thought! She agreed to take me out to dinner in London later in the year to repay me for carrying her bag on day 1. I do plan on exhausting this invitation..
After another 6pack and a more Pringles on the bus to cusco I was getting a nice little buzz on. Everybody was keen for dinner and drinks and a night on the town.
After arriving back at our hotel prisma say our said goodbyes to the amazing super guide rosa we showered up and regrouped down stairs for a beer.
Jamie had organised for us to meet up with two mates he'd met from Chicago. They were of the smoking hot female kind so it was safe to say we skipped dinner. All the guys met us at an Irish bar and the night turned pretty wild!
Great last hoora with alot of the guys and piecing stories together next day with Jamie was hilarious.
Adventure of a life time with amazing people is very fitting summary of the entire 6days.

Thank you macchu picchu , rosa and my entire inca trail team
Ill never forget it !