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Well I have done enough steps over the past two days to cover me for three months of step classes!Denise in our group for the two days stopped counting at 2,000 and by god did it feel like it at times but as everyone says it was worth it. I opted for a shorter version of the usual four day Inca trail taking train most of the way just hiking for 6 hours on Friday to reach the submit. 6 hours was plenty with lots of being uphill and steps most of the way.All in all though I was quite please with myself, I was consistently at the front end of the group and survived much better than I expected. God help the poor porters who do it daily carrying 25kg on their backs. The landscape was spectacular, surrounded by the Andes and a lovely cool breeze we were blessed to have some sunshine as it had been raining for the past week. Henry, our guide was on a tight schedule and had to get us to the submit for 5 so we could catch the last bus down.He had a great way of knudging us along without seeming that he was putting us under pressure. We reach the Sun Gate around 4.50 and after a 40 uphill ascent beforehand , Henry awaited ahead of us to greet us with a big hug 'Look, You made it! Machu Piccu sat below us. A big cheer went up and everyone sat for the usual photo session. Apologises, there are lots of ' look at me at Machu Piccu' photo's in the album but you know it's got to be done.
We were called yesterday morning at 4.30 to join the masses to catch a bus back up to the site. Everyone stays in alittle town 30 downhill called Agua Calientes. We woke to a wet misty morning but we headed off in good spirits albeit some of us still alittle shell shocked at the hour. Henry took us around explaining as he went but despite the mist of and fog, it only seemed to add a more mythical quality to everything. As you an see from the photo's the site is divided between old ruins and what appear to be terraces. The Inca's prime ecomonic activity was agriculture so you always have this distinct division between residental and farming land. We had some free time afterwards to stroll around by ourselves. The sun came out and it was lovely to sit above and look down on this spectacular site below.
Tomorrow I'm travelling again moving on to Lake Titacca on the border with Bolivia.
lots of love from Peru XX
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