After getting up way way before sunrise (a 4am brekkie again!) we left Agua Calientes which is the town at the foot of Machu Picchu and headed up towards the runs. I wasn?t able to get a pass so was unable to do the Inca trail so instead was bused up there!

I never actually saw Macchu Picchu as being one of the highlights of this trip, but being there especially as the sun was coming up and seeing the all the rainforrest covered mountains sourrounding the sight I have to say I fell in love with the place. ..

After meeting the rest of my tour group and having a guided tour around the Inca ruins, I got a far better understanding of why they were there (they were built so high up to be nearer the sun, which the incas worshiped) and why they were abandoned (possibly a foreign disease brought in by the Spainish conquerors, killed off the inhabitants), me and a few others decided to climb what i thought was the smaller big mountain you can see in the picture below just behind the ruins (the altitude must have frazzled my last few brain cells because for the life of me I can´t remember what its called!). We heard it was a steep climb, bit little did I know what was in store for me.....the next 2 hours or so we climbed the mountain, in any other country in the land I´m convinced we would have had railings to cling onto for dear life and guide ropes, but nevertheless we made it and at the top the views were stunning over the tops of all the mountains and yes, if you do get to take a look at the pics I DO look exhausested!! the climb down was a toughy too as we had to get back to Agua Calientes in tme for the last train home! it was SO steep I had to climb down on my bum (attractive!) hence the picture of my VERY messy t shirt! In true Louise style it wasn´t till we got to the bottom and were looking up at where we had been that I realised that we had in fact climbed the HUGE mountain directly behind Macchu Picchu, not the smaller one - no wonder I was pooped!! but happy