Peru - Machu Picchu

I took nearly 100 pictures at Machu Picchu. It was just as amazing (or more) than what I was expecting.  The only not amazing thing was no bathrooms.   So once we went into the gates at 8 a.m., we had to play a "to hydrate, or not to hydrate" game since we didn't leave until 2 p.m. 

The peak behind us is Wayna Picchu (new peak versus Machu Picchu, old peak), which allows 400 hikers up each day - 200 at 7 a.m. and 200 at 10 a.m.  The next series of pictures is during that hike, which we did from 10:15-12:45.   It took us around 1 1/2 hours to get up, we spent some time up top celebrating, and then another 45 minutes to get ourselves down.   The altitude was a real challenge (Racing heart?  Check!  Out of breath?  Check!), but our guide was great about letting us pace ourselves and take water/breathing breaks.   The hike was not as scary as I was expecting (thanks for the freak out YouTube!) because the entrance/exit paths have been switched in the past few years and the trail up at the top around the "Stairs of Death" is now one way.   There were also some rails in the narrowest/steepest parts to help keep you sure footed.   

This was what we had come for, and it did not disappoint!