Spring Break: Part IV

We woke up at 3:20am to get in line for Machu buses so that we could be within the first 400 that entered and receive tickets to climb Waynapicchu. We got hungry in line so Steven and I went back up the hill to the hostel to beg for the complimentary breakfast that they start serving at 4:45am. Even though it was 25 minutes early, the girls there went out to buy bread and bananas for us. We were the heroes when we brought the bread, bananas, and left over jelly from PB and Js to the rest of our family at the bus stop.
It was a 25 minute ride up to Machu and then a 20 minute wait to enter the park. We got in around 6:30 and had an hour and a half to ourselves before we were to meet our tour guide our front. It was breathtaking seein the sun come over the mountains and slowly shed light over the Incan city. It was chilly in the morning, but as soon as the sun was high enough (around 7:15am) it was time to shed the layers and sport the t-shirt.

The tour was a great source of information. I think most of us would have been completely lost without it. We finished the tour around 10:05 am. At this point, we had been up for almost seven hours, but we had so much adrenaline going that we were still ready for more hiking. After a quick pause for more PB and Js that we made in assembly line format the night before, Steven, Katy, and I headed up Winapicchu while Austin, Emily, and Leanne peeled off to do their own thing.

Waynapicchu is a steep and precarious climb, but a lot of fun. It´s harder going down the climbing up because the stairs are really small and very steep. We survived it though, and it was completely worth it. It was supposed to be rainy, but it was about 70 and sunny. A bunch of us got burned, but again, well worth it.

We headed back to the hostel around 2:30pm, took a short rest, and then Steven, Leanne, and I headed up the hill in Aguas Calientes to the agua caliente (the hot springs). We realized it´s kinda the equivalent to the community pool and people are not shy. There was an old Peruvian woman in a white t-shirt who shouldn´t be entering any wet t-shirt contests anytime soon. We also saw a woman shaving her legs in the showers there. The highlights of the springs were the views and the one hot pool there. The views were absolutely magnificent. Seeing the Peruvian mountainside from the bank of a creek was an unforgetable experience. The best part of the springs themselves was the gravel at the bottom of the pools. You could dig little holes for your feet and feel the hot water bubble up.

After 45 minutes or so at the springs, we headed back to the hostel, changed, and went to an early dinner. Bedtime right after because we were all tired and Emily had sprained her ankle. The cold beer at dinner (Pilser (we had Cusqueño the night before)) was enough of a reward after a day of hiking that we didn´t feel the need for helado or discotecas.

Day 4: Saturday, September 12th at 3:20am to Saturday, September 12th at 9:30pm