Thursday, August 10, 2006
The Machu Picchu Double
We made it! The climax of our 14 day tour of Peru came in the form of Machu Picchu. We managed to drag ourselves away from peruvian doctors and hospitals to visit these spectacular inca remains. If you arrive at Machu Picchu at the right spot you feel part of a living postcard. It really lives up to all the hype.
Oh and see that mountain in the background? The tall one? Well Rhod and I can proudly say that we have climbed to the top of that!!! It is called Wayna Picchu and it took us 1 hour to climb the endless stone steps once trodden by the incas. We were joined by Karen from our group was also mad enough to attempt it and fortunately our fantastic guide Jose came with us. He told us that his record for climbing it was 22 minutes but this is nothing compared to the porters on the Inca Trail who have races and regularly hit 9 minute ascents! The view from the top was incomparable and we spent about an hour just taking in the panoramic views (and catching our breath!)
But that wasn´t enough for the three thrill-seekers. Oh no. We had heard that the view from the sun gate was also amazing so after a further 45 minutes trekking in the midday sun we finally arrived. The Machu Picchu double had been completed.
# posted by Rhodri @ 11:37 pm 
