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So there you have it! The most famous attraction in South America - Machu Pichu!
In order to get there you have a few options, we chose the non-trekking one - the train :)
You take a bus from Cusco to a city called Ollantaytambo (try saying it). From there you can take a train all the way to a city called Aguas Calientes "hot water" (and yes, there are hot springs there).
This small village is even more touristy than Cusco, as it's the place you have to go through if you want to see Machu Pichu.
Now there's an important thing you must know about the lost city of the Inca. There's a huge mountain next to it called "Huayna pichu". It has an incredible view of the city and the nearby mountains, but they limit the amount of visitors on this mountain for safety reasons (narrow trail) to 200 people at 7:00a.m. and 200 more at 10:00. Just 400 people each day, on a site that's being visited by thousands every day.
So... If you want to be one of the lucky 400 - you have to be there early. REALLY early. We stood and waited for the bus at 3:30a.m. while the first one leaves at 5:00.
There was a huge line of people waiting for the busses, I was number 9 on the first bus :)
The other way is to climb up to the Machu Pichu by foot. It would take about an hour and a half and is extremely exhausting (and you might miss your chance if you're too slow).
Luckily - we got there in time for the stamp that grants you the right to climb at 10:00am (the popular options) and we even got to see the unlucky people who were there before 6:00am and were number 401 and on... The look on their faces made the waking up early worth it.
Machu Pichu - What an incredible site! It was built by the Incan, abandoned and hidden from the modern world for many years. That's the only reason it survived until now. The city itself is very impressive and proves that the Inca was a very advanced culture with vast knowledge of masonry, astronomy and agriculture. But what's more impressive about the Machu Pichu is its location - right in the middle of 4 huge mountains that surround it and makes it seem magical. So much green, so many trees and such a lovely contrast - the gray stones, the green grass and the blue sky.
The climb to the Huayna Pichu was very hard. It's a huge mountain with an old crumbling trail of stairs that lead up to its top. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the top and when you do you are extremely tired. The view is worth every step.
Magnificent view of the old city from the top of the world and a great view of the surrounding make it all worth it. I'm glad I got up at 3:00a.m. for this!
The day was exhausting but one of the most interesting in South America... A great combination of an ancient archeological and historical site with beautiful nature and mountain climbing.
What's next? :)
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