Sacred Valley to the Amazon

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Sunday, 14 April 2024 - Returned to Machu Picchu at sunrise to hike Huayna Picchu for amazing views over the ruins and clouds, lingered exploring the Inca site as the fog lifted, then took the Hiram Bingham train back toward Cusco enjoying the scenery and champagne onboard.

peru2024 — When we arrived at Machu Picchu there was heavy cloud cover, so it looked dicey to make the climb.

peru2024 — The clouds were thick below the edge of the site.

peru2024 — You could not see but a few hundred feet.

peru2024 — We had a chance to linger looking at the buildings while we waited for the weather to improve.

This is the space below the Condor rock that seems to be a temple. The bedrock was carved with stairs and a platform.

peru2024 — The skill needed in carving rock to sit between two bedrocks is amazing.

peru2024 — The weather was still hazy - but some nice atmosphere for black and white pictures.

The Sun Temple is on the left of the picture.

peru2024 — A classic Inca door leading to a hallway.

peru2024 — Beautiful stonework with the niches.

peru2024 — An interesting room which includes bedrock which has been chiseled to be part of the floor and the wall.

peru2024 — Looking out through a double trapezoid door into the clouds.

peru2024 — Looking down to the terraces and below that clouds in the Urubamba River valley.

peru2024 — Clouds all around us as we wander through the ruins waiting for the fog/clouds to burn off.

peru2024 — Fog starting to burn off but still in the air.

peru2024 — The Urubamba River valley shrouded in clouds.

peru2024 — The fog would not burn off, so instead of climbing the high mountain of Huayna Picchu we went up the smaller Huchuy Picchu and still had a good view of Machu Picchu.

peru2024 — Cal and the clouds still preventing a great view of the site.

peru2024 — While waiting for the clouds to move on a millipede crossed the summit.

This seems to be an African red-legged millipede (Epibolus pulchripes) - odd that an African bug is in the Peruvian jungle.

peru2024 — The sun and clouds continued to provide great pictures.

peru2024 — The clouds finally lifted and you could see the entire site - still cannot see the Sun Gate on Machu Picchu mountain.

peru2024 — With this view it is possible to see how the city of 750 is perched on a very narrow ridge of land.

peru2024 — Cal maneuvering down the mountain.

peru2024 — Sunlight through a small window.

peru2024 — Temple of the Condor built around a dramatic bedrock.

peru2024 — Temple of the Condor.

peru2024 — The homes of the royal Inca.

peru2024 — Our hotel had beautiful grounds including an orchid garden.

Some sort of seed pod as large as a coconut.

peru2024 — A very tiny orchid.

peru2024 — Pretty orchid in the diffused light.

peru2024 — A type of orchid which grows below a host plant leaf.

peru2024 — Odd spider/starfish looking plant.

peru2024 — Beautiful yellow flower and seeds.

peru2024 — Pink and yellow orchids.

peru2024 — Small star shaped orchids.

peru2024 — Virginia Ann on the ritzy Hiram Bingham train from Machu Picchu trip toward Cusco.

peru2024 — Cal enjoying champagne on the Hiram Bingham train.

The food was good but the trip was not worth the money - loud and noisy - not the elegant experience we expected.

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