We crawled out of bed as the 4am alarm sounded. Moving as slowly as our aching bones we allowed, we took breakfast in a semi lucid state. My first true memories of the day don't really get going until about 5am, and so I shall begin from there. Almost as much has been said of the beuaty and mystique of Machu Picchu as has been said about the swarms of tourists which supposedly devalue this specail site. We were aiming to catch the first bus up to the ruins at 5am. We arrived about 10 to 5 and there was already a line of over 100 people. We had visited the site the day before and it didn't seem too crowded at all, but then that was almost at sunset. Considering that it was only 5am, another couple of hundred people would arrive by train later, and there were around a hundred people hiking the inca trail due to arrive that day. Standing in the line at 5am behind the epic wasteline of Hal from Pittsburgh and the painful tones of Phil from Indiana, the town and the processes of reaching Machu Picchu took on a somewhat disney like feel. The freedom, scenery and serenity of the Inca Trail had been shattered, and as the buses snaked up the the mountain side one behind the other, packed with tourists touting cameras and wearing Machu Picchu sun visors, I wondered if it would be irrevocably so. As we arrived, the lines at the gate were as long as they were at the bus terminal. They snaked and doubled back on themselves to give the illusion that they were shorter than they were. A brief split in the line allowed people to stop and stamp their passports, providing the proof needed if anyone ever challenged them about wearing a Machu Picchu T-Shirt. (Its quite amazing how many people buy Machu Picchu T-Shirts before even setting eyes on the place). After queuing we finally passed through the gates. A short walk and the path dissolved into as many different directions as there were people at the gates. The crowds were gone, and as I passed through a passageway, everything that Machu Picchu was supposed to be unravelled below. We were standing on one of the layers of the terraces which surrounded the outerlayer of the city. Infront and below lay one of the main squares and all around stretching up to the top of the mountain were the ruins of the city. The sight itself has actually been painstakingly rebuilt. Whilst almost everything is original materia, about 70% of the site was rebuilt, giving it the deserted ghost town auora. We were to be given an hour and a half guided tour of the site by carlos before starting the climb up wynapicchu, the large mountain that overlooks the site. With the sun still firmly behind the clouds, a somewhat eery light hung over the the various terraces and stonework buildings. Our tour began with some history relating to its existance and discovery before we began to visit various places of interest. We visited various residential buildings, farming terraces, temples and evena burial chamber. The individual sites are somewhat tame. The true brilliance of the place is only understood and established when taking it as whole. The buildings them selves are small and repetivive, though still atmospheric. Our tour finished at the sun dial, one of the highest points wihtin the city, where we would wait overlooking the main square (a rectangular patch of green dominated and surrounded on all sides by buildings and terraces) for sunrise. Looking up towards where we had come from yesterday, sungate and its surrounding viewing points and platforms were lined with people. Shards of light poked trhough various gaps in the mountains illuminating, at first, sporadic patches of the ground. Gradually the light crept and edged up some of the stonework, first stroking the terraces and then clinging onto the buildings. As the minutes went by, the light grew in intensity and the shards that once poked through the mountain, cascaded down it with all the force of Iguasu, flooding the inner sanctuary and bathing the onlookers in a warm illuminating glow. It is in this new light that Machu Picchu deservedly takes up the title of a world wonder. With everything illuminated brilliantly, despite the crowds and the obvious reconstruction of certain areas, you cannot help to be charmed and overcome by the sheer beauty of the place. The audacity of its location, the power of the surrounding landscape, and the sheer beauty of the terraces flowing into stonework buildings, all the time offset by the lush green hills of the surrounding mountains. We finished our tour at the start of the Wynapicchu climb and said goodbye to our guide Carlos. As you climb higher, the intricate detail of the site is somewhat lost, however this is more than compensated by the overall view of the whole site once you reach the top. The walk up is steep and arduous, and at times becomes a climb with ropes. However, the views of Machu Picchu and the surrounding scenery is exquisite. At the top lies another smaller ruin, probably a guard house and a temple. From here there are panoramic views to be taken in as the urubamba winds its way around the base of Machu Picchu, creating a circular course and carving a dramatic route out of the limestone tree lined cliffs before disappearing into the distance. We spent quite some time at the top, taking in the sun and the view. The climb down, being so steep, was very challenging, and given the excessive walking of the previous days, my legs had quite simply had enough. Once at the bottom we wandered around various corners, up and down the site taking it in from every angle possible before collapsing, on one of the most scenic terraces. We spent a good hour here, before finally dragging ourselves away. We had a train back to Cusco that day and we had to leave. Turning one more time to take in the views, we passed through the main gate and boarded a bus back down to the town. Exhausted we had some lunch and then boarded the train. As we left the station, the mountains that had been our home for the last few days waved us farewell. Their ancient secrets hidden from ground level, and had we not have seen them first hand, we may not have believed stories of the ancient cities that grace the clouds. As the train hutrled (at about 5mph) along the banks of the urubamba, the light faded, and soon even the river gave way to darkness. We had one final night in Cusco before catching a plane to arequipa. As our dinnners disappeared rapidly from our plates, and tiredness overcame us all, we looked back upon the last few days achievements and were thankful for the lasting memories that we would all undoubtedly be taking with us on our flight to Arequipa. That Machu Picchu is one of the new 7 wonders of the world is certainly deserved, and it is one of the most uplifiting, intriguing and amazing sites on the planet.