We arrived in Cusco at 6am by bus, dashed around the city to buy train tickets and entrance tickets to Machu Pichu - pretty expensive affair I tell you... Anyway after that we walked around the city admiring its beautiful squares and mountain side views before hopping in a collectivo (same as a SA taxi and about just as full with Lamas, chickens, my luggage strapped to the roof) to the train station (approx 1:30hr away from Cusco, in a town called Ollantaytambo! Try pronouncing that repeatedly and fast!).

We then spent the night at the base town called Augus Calientes woke up early the next morning and caught the 5:30 am bus up the mountain side to Machu Pichu! We managed to make it through the entrance and stand over Machu Pichu by 6 am- the clouds had just lifted, not yet sunny, no tourists...it was such a beautiful view! Like a postcard!... ... ... ( just imagine standing over the view for a few minutes)... ... ...

By 7 it started to rain and thick mist rolled in, so we tucked ourselves away in the hut built for those lucky 400 peeps who got tickets to climb Huanna Pichu (the big mountain in the background of Machu Pichu... Unfortunately they only allow 400 ppl per day so buying tickets in advance is a requirement), anyway after 10 the sun came out to play and we did the other mini walks both through Machu Pichu and around the 2 side mountains, took loads of pics both for us and for other posing tourists AND I took a pic of a lama with Machu Pichu in the background!!!! I said to Tim before we got to Cusco all I want is a lama and Machu Pichu (just like the cover of lonely planet, except not photo shopped in!) and I got it! I was so ecstatic about it- so were about another 100 tourists so the poor thing posed there a bit star gazed with all the flashes. Lilly the lama AND Machu pichu!!

By 2pm we started our accent down about 3000 stairs to Augus Calientes. (no bus this time) picked up our backpacks and hopped on the train back to Ollantaytambo. That was it! Machu Pichu over!

The next day we took a collectivo to Urumbamba and then to Pisac and eventually back to Cusco. While each of these towns were nothing to write home about the trip strategically wound us through the sacred valley which had awesome views of huge mountains on either side, some with snow caps just on the top and the rest of the mountain grass green with terraces all the way down - a few Inka's ruins dotted around on the hillsides. That night we sped off to Nazca.

PS - Tanya and Debsie - happy birthday from Machu pichu!!