Huayna Picchu

Our second day at Machu Picchu we hiked the great mountain of Huayna Picchu, climbing up to around 8000 feet above sea level to reach the summit that overlooks the lost city of the Incas. It was scary at times as I could have easily fallen off the edge to my death at any given moment-- so it took me longer than the estimated 1 hour to ascend. The views from the top and along the way, however, were breathtaking and I could understand how so many people (400 maximum allowed every day) venture up and down the mountain despite fear of bodily injury and death!

Machu Picchu

 So here's the main reason we all came to Peru. To see the beautiful and well-preserved remains of the Inca empire. They created an intricate civilization along the slope of a mountainside! Our guide tried to convey to us just how brilliant the Incas were-- use of natural, raw material, precisely constructed walls and buildings, and brilliant architecture (complete with water distribution systems and built to withstand earthquakes) which supported a highly cultivated urban population and agricultural system. At the end of our walking tour, we climbed up to the House of the Guardians  where we had a gorgeous view of a rainbow.