Fair warning: this will be a picture-heavy post. Also fair warning: the pictures do NOT give an accurate portrayal of this site.

Once I got off the bus, I followed everyone to the entrance where again, it was very organized. They let you in strictly according to the time on your ticket and even then, in small groups. There are no “facilities” inside the site itself, so I made sure to “go” before getting in line. I was approached by a guide named Mario and asked if I was looking to join a small tour; I accepted.

We ended up being a group of 6; 2 couples and 2 singles. Mario was an excellent guide and later I found out he was 60 years old and had been doing this for 40 years.

Our first task was to climb. And climb. And climb some more. The stairs were rocky, uneven and weirdly high. Mario was extremely helpful and let me use his arm as a stabilizer. I was damn glad I’d brought my walking cane. As we climbed, there were folks coming down the other way; these were the hikers that had reached the top the night before and arisen at 2:00am to make the final climb at sunrise.

The climb was strenuous! But I made it and the view were spectacular.

Once we got to the top of the “circuit” we started to make our way down. A little less strenuous, but still difficult. Mario described all the temples and sacred sites, as well as the lower “houses” where the workers lived.

One fascinating thing is that the Incas worked on Macchu Picchu from 1400 – about 1500 and then…they left. No known reason, they just picked up a left, leaving several buildings incomplete. The site was abandoned and not rediscovered until 1911 by an American explorer named Hiram Bingham.

Bingham returned to Peru in 1912, 1914, and 1915 with the support of Yale and the National Geographic Society. Bingham believed that Machu Picchu housed a major religious shrine and served as a training center for religious leaders. Modern archaeological research has since determined that the site was not a religious center but a royal estate to which Inca leaders and their entourage repaired during the Andean summer. Apparently, Yale still has the largest collection of artifacts from Macchu Picchu in the world.

The views continued to astonish. And of course, there were stratgeically placed llamas for our enjoyment.

I exited the site tired, hot and happy. I am determined to return.