Wednesday 6/19 (Gianni)
We were all prepared for this day. We woke up at 3:30 o beat the other groups to the checkpoint. It opened at 5:30, but we wanted to get there early to ensure our place in line. We were all ready to go, and many of us literally sprinted after the first group. After a tense period of about five minutes, someone in the group in front of us slipped up and we passed them. Our group continued to run, and tried to get to the Sun Gate as quickly as possible. We ascended the steps, also known as the “Gringo Killers” with gusto. The Sun Gate energized us, and we were the first people on this particular morning to lay eyes upon one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We took some pictures with the group, and later walked down some of the steep steps to get into the site. We took pictures on the grass overlooking the citadel, and then went down to registration, stamped our passports, and got out tickets. Cesar led us on or tour of Machu Picchu, and we toured the Casa Inca, the exterior of the Sun Temple, and some of the residential areas. All of us were amazed at the scale of the site. The tour lasted about two hours.
We took a bus down to Aguas Calientes and ate at a restaurant called Apu Salcantay. The food was good, and the went to the soccer field and went around the town. A soccer team arrived at the field, and we played them in a pickup game with them. We headed to the gym to play basketball. I was on a team with Gustavo against Harry and Thibeaux, and Gustavo’s great shooting enabled us to emerge victorious.
The train ride to Ollantaytambo was very long, with an approximately, thirty minutes because we waited for another train to pass. We arrived in Ollantaytambo, and after a few brief delays, ate pizza on the bus and watched as it was devoured before our eyes. We arrived in Cusco around 8:30, and walked to the hotel. We were all very tired, and retired early, ready to wake up in the morning for our last day.
 |
| At the Sun Gate. About to start our descent to Machu Picchu. |
 |
| Harry, Duncan and Gianni at Intipunku, which was once a fortress of the sacred city, Machu Pichhu. It's the name of the final section of the Inca trail Between the Sun Gate and the citadel of Machu Picchu. The rising sun would pass through the Sun Gate each year on the summer solstice. |
 |
| Machu Picchu. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World |
 |
| The group listening to Cesar's history talk about Machu Picchu. |
 |
| Listening to Cesar's history talk about Machu Picchu. |
 |
| Above the Urubamba river. Machu Picchu serves as evidence of the Inca Empire at the peak of it's power in the 15th century. |
 |
| Inca stone work is precise but artful. The incas were engineering masters. |
