Machu Picchu

An obvious site to see if you are going to Peru is Machu Picchu. I decided to end my trip with this UNESCO world heritage site as I thought it would be a nice way to wrap everything up. However, if I could go back, I think I would’ve done just the opposite.

I had finished Rainbow Mountain on Saturday, and that really took the life out of me. I was already going into that hike haphazardly due to altitude sickness, but my time was limited and I love to push myself in any way, shape, or form. Sunday morning, I left Cusco to take a tour (which is basically required in order to go to Machu Picchu). I learned about the different types of potatoes and corn grown based on the vegetation and it was actually pretty interesting to finally learn a little bit about the culture and history of the country I was in. Also, I love food so I’m always interested in the history of it.

After the tour, they send you on a train to get to where you are staying near Machu Picchu (all of this is included in the tour price, which was around $150). I got to my hostel, stepped out for some food, and got a good night’s sleep. I woke up at 6am in order to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu.

It is otherworldly and breathtaking. There’s not really a way to describe it. It looks like the postcards, but greener, and just… better. It is one of the few times in my life I’ve been left speechless. I took it all in, but my brain was so fried, and I was so tired, that I didn’t stay as long as I would have liked because my level of physical exhaustion had really hit its peak. I stayed for about three hours and headed back to sleep for about twenty.

My advice to anyone wanting to go to Machu Picchu: either make it your top priority, a few days AFTER you get over the altitude sickness, or if you are saving it for last, don’t go into it haphazardly like I did. I am still so grateful to have seen it, and I still feel like I had a good experience, but I would’ve liked to stay all day as it is a HUGE place with tons more to see that I’m certain I missed.