Jan 2009

Wayna Picchu is the mountain in the background, and it forms the nose of the "Inka", the ruler of the "Inka" people. Try and find the face the mountain range forms :D

Having been very lucky with the weather, we saw amazing skies and clouds. We climbed up to Wayna Picchu ("the young peak", Machu Picchu being "the old peak") and got the whole image of the Machu Picchu site.

Waking up at 4 am, we went up to Machu Picchu in the dark on day 4. Arriving around 5:30 at the entrance, we made sure to be among the first to get in touch with the local community. Unfortunately, the llamas weren't so eager to talk to Cris - but she paid them back, as you'll see on later pictures of the day

Machu Picchu was very nice and interesting. The stories behind are fascinating and you will find them in many places. Among them are, that it wasn't discovered by the Spanish, that's why it still is so beautiful. But it could be nicer, and more complete, hadn't some Yale archaeologists taken their findings... Machu Picchu was constructed in the 15th and early 16th century, until messengers brought news that Cuzco, the capital of Tawantinsuyo (the "Inka" empire) was invaded. The inhabitants of Machu Picchu fled to the jungle, and blocked the trails leading to M.P.

Now it is a beautiful and huge site for a day of discovery, even though the local brewery destroyed the most important sun clock when filming for an advertisement.

This is a special entry dedicated to our moms, Carmen and Elena - flowers of the Jungle. (Mart insisted to take the pictures!!!)

So that is what I was talking about: walking and eating the "freshest fruits" :D - cacao fruit.

Certain parts of the route were demanding, getting on the top assured us, though, that every muscle-effort was worth it.

So we arrived in Cuzco, all excited to finally get to see Machu Picchu. We celebrated a quite Silvester and made sure we are fresh for the 4-day-trek called Inca Jungle. (The other 4 people from our group had all alcohol intoxication, so we had a very romantic way to the "lost city" - the two of us and the guide :D.) It was amazing to just walk in the jungle and pick up fresh papaya, maracuia, chocolate-fruit, bananas, pineapple or mangoes. There was so much life in the jungle, thousands of bird and insect songs, monkeys jumping from tree to tree, colors, mountains, violent river, beautiful skies and finally an astonishing Machu Picchu.

The first day started with 30 km bike ride, which, let´s say, Mart and the guide completed successful :D

On the way we observed life.