What’s that? You want to see some photos of Machu Picchu? Oh, alright. :)

When we arrived around 7:30am, the clouds were covering Wayna Picchu but soon afterward, the sun burned them off and we were treated to the classical view of Machu Picchu.

We definitely recommend spending the night in Aguas Calientes and taking an early bus to Machu Picchu in order to beat the crowds of people being led around by tour guides. We had no trouble finding several places to relax off the beaten path where we were undisturbed by other visitors.

I took this 360 degree video to give everyone a taste of the surrounding area. It’s not just the grounds that make this location absolutely stunning.

Getting close to several llamas was a lovely surprise and I noticed that when eating they scissor the grass with their teeth rather than chomp at it. Llamas also make a soft purring noise, not unlike a vibrating cell phone. Out of respect, we declined to mention anything about the delicious alpaca we had the night before.

(the view from the main square looking toward the cultivation terraces)

We occasionally eavesdropped on a few tour groups to learn some things, but mostly stayed to ourselves. As if to prove how small a world it is, at one point we were passed by an elderly woman wearing an NC State ball cap!

As the sun got stronger, we spent more time in the shade exploring all the various rooms and storage spaces. Don’t let the long sleeves fool you, it was quite warm but we didn’t have sunblock, so being warm was better than the sunburn I would have earned. I should add that this conclusion was largely reached after I discovered the sunblock for sale at the Lodge was $21 for 4 ounces. Note to self: plan ahead!

(photo taken before I discovered all my bug bites!)

Unfortunately, I am still paying for my choice of footware as the biting midges (noseeums) snacked on my ankles and feet all day. [Photos redacted.]