Machu Picchu

Our wake up time was set for 4:15 am, but Paula was up at 3:15, excited to get to the ruins. We were hoping to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu, but it ended up being too cloudy. We lined up at the entrance, some of us hoping to get a ticket to climb Waynu Picchu, but they only give out 400 tickets per day & they were gone. Apparently everyone has the same idea to get there to see the sunrise, an hour later there was no line at all.
As we climbed the first few levels, it seemed eerie, the ruins were covered in clouds & mist. Suddenly it would clear & we could see part of the ruins, then more clouds would waft in to obstruct our view. Once we realized the sunrise would not be visible, we headed back down to find our tour leader. He taught us a lot about the advanced architecture, science, & culture of the Incan people. We saw how they lived, created a calendar, farmed, & heard theories of their unfortunate disappearance. By late morning the sun came out & it was a beautiful day. I had never understood what the big deal was about these specific ruins until being here: it is amazing to see. The way the city is nestled into these huge majestic mountains could make anyone stare in awe. We had the afternoon free to wander or hike around the ruins. We saw lots of llama & a chinchilla peeked out from the rocks.