Machu Picchu is a truly amazing place, I cannot do it justice in a few words, nor can ANY photo come close to the grandeur. So I settle for the more mundane descriptions of our visit.
We arrived, as noted to the Sanctuary Lodge, and spent the day exploring the immediate grounds and had lovely meals. We went to bed early with the plan to awake early. We got up at 5AM and had breakfast at 530, and headed straight to MP, before the sun came up. We were among the 1st to get in, but there were still a substantial number of people there when the gates opened at 6. The climb up to the citadel is hard, steep steps and many switch backs. Though MP is a lot lower in altitude than Cusco, it is still pretty high. I was out of breath. We looked around for a short time, admiring the view. I went back down to meet our guide, Ronal, who then accompanied me back up the steep entrance (I was covered with sweat by then even though it was only about 60 degrees). We went through the ruins with our guide, learning much about the ruins. Went back to the hotel and had breakfast at 9:30AM and then headed back to the citadel.
There is a ancient long paved road from Cusco to MP called the Inca Trail, suffice to say it is very arduous. We decided to hike a ways up it, maybe 2 miles, though with a substantial gain in altitude, maybe 1000 feet. Then we came back down and went through the citadel again, finishing up about 4PM, headed back down the mountain, and boarded the train back to Cusco, arriving around 10PM. A truly unique and fulfilling experience that was worth every dollar we paid, drop of sweat, and aching thighs we possess.
jeff reeder 