Day 36: Machu Picchu pt. 2 (Aguas Caliente)

3/1/2017

Yesterday had cleared up to be beautiful with blue skies and sunny by the afternoon. However, the weather report for today showed it being cooler with clouds and rain all day. Having heard of how beautiful the sunrises are at Machu Picchu, I set an alarm for 4:45am to check the weather in the hopes and possibility of clear skies. The first bus to Machu Picchu leaves at 5:30am which is just in time for the sunrise.

So I got up at 4:45, went down to the front desk, and through broken Spanish asked about the weather. The man at the desk said that it was very cloudy out and would not be a good day for the sunrise. However, I went outside, and could see stars. I went back to the room and tried to convince dad to get up and go, but it was 5:10 by now and would be too late to catch the first bus anyways. Instead we got up around 6 and left at 7 to head back up to Machu Picchu.

This morning was gorgeous. I definitely over dressed, even though I was only wearing pants and a t shirt. It was so warm with the sun shining down. We could see clouds surrounding us just on the other side of the Andes. We headed back up to the watch gaurd hut for an amazing, clear, uncrowded view of Machu Picchu. We spent a while up here just enjoying the view. Afterwards, we took our time revisiting the rest of the site. By the time we left around 12pm, the clouds had rolled in. Then once back in Aguas Caliente, it was starting to sprinkle. We got some lunch, check out of our hotel, and caught the Vista dome train back to Ollyantambo. By this time, it was pouring rain. Our timing was perfect.

The train ride back was gorgeous again. The crew even did a traditional festival dance and then a fashion show of alpaca clothes that were for sale. It definitely made the ride more lively!

Back in Ollyantambo another transfer picked us up and brought us to our hotel to get our luggage and then to our new hotel in Cusco. By the time we arrived, it was late and we were exhausted. Tomorrow we have a free day to ourselves to explore Cusco.

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