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Last Day......
So 4am our guide comes around to wake us up and tells us to start getting ready to hike. We quickly get our bags ready (we had to carry our rucksacks again today as there were no porters for this last bit) and get dressed for the last day of trekking. We assemble in the main campsite building for a short briefing by Ruben. He tells us that after the first checkpoint which we will go through at 5.30am there is approximately another 1 and half hours walk around Machu Picchu mountain to the other side from where our campsite is to Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) where we'll watch the sun rise over Machu Picchu city.
The first hour or so was pretty easy going and we overtook quite a few people on our way around the mountain. We did stop briefly before the last 20 minute of the journey and the climb from then on was probably the toughest of the trip. At one point i was going up steps on hands and feet as it was so steep but eventually we made it to Inti Punku just as the sun was beginning to come up behind us as we looked down to Machu Picchu covered in cloud.
Gradually, as the sun rose above the mountain and shone through the sun gate the clouds just started clearing and rising, and Machu Picchu city just appeared from the mists. That was possibly the most majestic and amazing thing I have ever seen in my life and made the hours of trekking, the insect bites, the sunburn, the sore legs, everything completely worth it. It made me realise just what a marvelous site that must have been in the Inca times. It really made me want to do the whole thing again, and I hope I will do sometime soon.
After seeing the sunrise, we trekked half an hour down into the city itself and took some amazing pictures (like the one shown) and Ruben took us on a short tour of some of the most important parts of the city - the temples, the sun dial, the quarries, the medical centre and so on. It was really interesting to get his view on things as it was quite different from some of the guide books.
Quite a few of the others decided to climb Wayna Picchu the mountainous outcrop. Kim and I decided to explore the City on our own for a bit and visited the Temple of the Condor amongst other little places. It was quite good to spend an hour just wandering the City before getting the bus down into Aguas Calientes.
In Aguas Calientes, we said goodbye to most of the group (just Peter and Daniel, the Ozzies remained with us at the hostal). Later that evening we walked up to the hot springs at the top of the town where we relaxed in some of the pools, supping beer and congratulating ourselves on successfully completing the Inca Trail.
The most amazing experience I have ever had and I can't wait to go again!
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