We were fortunate to have been able to coordinate a trip to Machu Picchu with our friends Matt and Bailey. We weren't so fortunate, however, when we arrived in Cusco, where both of us got pretty sick from the altitude. But we made the best of it!
We spent the first night in Cusco checking out the main square. On our way, Bailey made a special friend, an 'Alpacita' :)
Matt commented that the Alpacita lady lit up as much as Bailey did as they walked towards each other. I'd have to agree -- Bailey met a special friend, the lady got her tip, and it was probably the world's most successful business transaction that day.
We spent the next day exploring the Sacred Valley. It rained pretty heavily at times, but it was all so gorgeous and peaceful nonetheless. Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes that night, I noticed immediately that the cliffs seemed incredibly high, so high that I couldn't tell where they peaked... I also noticed a fairly loud, constant whirling noise. It sounded like water, but seemed way too loud at times to be water. It also sounded like wind, though it wasn't windy at all. It all felt a bit mysterious, and made our next day in Machu Picchu all the more exciting.
When we went downstairs for breakfast the next morning, we found out what the noise was. It was indeed water, rushing down one of the fastest rivers I've ever seen.
Machu Picchu was absolutely breathtaking. We got there early to hike Waynu Picchu, for which we arrived just in time after waiting longer than expected for a bus ride then hustling to get to the entrance -- sorry again about your hat Bailey! :(. We struggled a bit on our way to the top, due to the altitude and steepness, but we made it! The views from the top were amazing. Breathtaking for sure, but so much more... Taking a moment to wonder how it was all built, what it was built for, how people lived there, what the people were like... I felt a lot of gratitude. And as I have on several occasions during our recent travels, I thought about how there's so much I don't know, and so much of the world to learn and explore.
We spent the rest of the day taking it all in and hiking to the various viewpoints. Capping our great day, a double rainbow!
We had such a great time experiencing Machu Picchu and exploring the Sacred Valley with Matt and Bailey... It was definitely one of our favorite experiences in South America, and one that we'll always remember!
