Machu Picchu: El maravillo de los Incas
Maravilloso. Fantástico. Calor. Breath-taking. Once in a lifetime experience. A true wonder of the world.
These are some of the words used by Pisac Session 1 students to describe their weekend excursion in Machu Picchu this past weekend. We had been anticipating this day the whole trip, and when it finally came, the views and memories made did not dissapoint.
Our day began temprano on Saturday as we gathered at 5:20am to load the bus en route to Ollantaytambo, a small town in the Cusco region. From there, we caught the Peru Rail train to Aguas calientes, which blew us away with incredible views the entire ride and a tasty snack.
We arrived in Aguas calientes, the town of Machu Picchu, around 10am and students had free time to go eat and explore the town a bit before we gathered for the big event.
Around noon, we made our way to the buses to take the windy road up to the entrance of Machu Picchu. After stamping our official tickets, we hiked up to find the citadel of Machu Picchu. It truly was breath-taking view, one that many said pictures do not do it justice. We had two amazing local guides, Alberto y Jersey, who guided us on a two hour tour of Machu Picchu with plenty of opportunities for photo-opps. Students were fascinated by the history of the Incas and the explanations behind the structure.
The magical moment for our group came around 4pm, when we were some of the only people left in Machu Picchu. We had the final hour to enjoy each other's company and the beginning of a beautiful sunset. We left with full hearts and great memories. Students went out to dinner when we returned to Aguas calientes and enjoyed a nice hot shower in the hotel.
On Sunday, we rode the train back to Ollantaytambo and spent the day walking through the local ruins and spending time in the pueblo. The bus ride home was pretty quiet as you can imagine due to a weekend well spent.
See the below video created by Program Leader, Megan Huffman, from our amazing journey through Machu Picchu to mark our halfway point of our month in Peru. !Enjoy y hasta la próxima!
Related Posts
¡Adios, Pisac!
It's hard to believe, but our month in Pisac has come to an end. Although in many ways it has flown by, we have experienced and learned so much that... keep reading
Getting to Know Huchuy Cusco
Our last weekend in Peru had to be something special, and our visit to Huchuy Qosqo ( quechua for “little Cusco”) was just that. This close-knit community about half an... keep reading
Visit to the Amaru Community
If you scroll through the photos or view some of the videos in this post, you will notice lots of color, smiles, laughter, and togetherness. However, no photos can do... keep reading