Peru 3 - The Inka Trail & Macchu Picchu
Casapagina
When You�re in Peru you have to go do the Inka Trail and see Macchu Picchu, it is a four day trek between ancient sacred ruins that were built sometime in the 15th or 16th century as a pilgimmage to Macchu Picchu.  It was re'discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham and over the next 4 years he discovered many other ruins along the trail that had long been forgotten about.  Nowadays you have can� t do the trail solo (due to robberies and other heinous crimes they changed the laws 4 years ago) so you have to pay between $150 and $350US to join a group and hike the four days.  We went for the cheapest option of course and while the food wasn� t the gourmet fair that many had it was passable and our guide and porters were impressive.  If you want a blow by blow of the four day hike SAS Travel has an excellent website with a breakdown of the trail and it�s many ruins.   Other?wise, here was Darryl and My experience. 
Here is the ruin at LLactapata, the first ruin along the trail.
Our First Camp near Wayllabamba, Those porters down there, did everything for us...that's what $150 gets you.
There were heaps of flowers along the trail too.
oooh, pretty.
Monkeying around at a lunch stop.  The porters had to carry our stools too, I was giving an example to the group of how we could all carry our own and lighten their load...you shoul have seen me try and Houdini my way out of this thing.  
It wasn't all ruins, flowers and horseplay though, the second day is notoriously hard as you summit the highest pass on the trail - Dead Woman's Pass (4215m).  It was practically sleeting when we got there, we lingered only long enough to eat a Snickers and get a photo.  Then we beat the porters to camp.
On the 3rd day we crossed the 2nd highest pass on the trail (4,000m), it leads into the final valley which is thick with ruins. 
This is Sayacmarka.
Again, we beat everyone there by 20 minutes and had some time for batting practice off the precipice of the ruin into the valley below (see above).
The final ruins before Macchu Picchu are situated with this spectacular view of this bend in the river below.
The ruin complex is known as Winniwayna.

How many Terraces does this ruin have??
That's me in the Blue poncho at the top right of this ruin at Winniwayna.
Still climbing stuff.
Finally we made the Sun Gate and Macchu Picchu at around 7am on the Fourth Day.
The Classic Macchu Picchu shot with Wayna Picchu in the background.
The Classic shot from Che Guevera's Motorcycle Diaries
This is from the tippity top of Wayna Picchu.  Note the shape of the ruins is undoubtedly that of a condor. 
South America is Last Month - Let Me See Central America!
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