Winter Solstice at Machu Picchu

Being awoken at 3:30am with no tea service was a bit disappointing and then we were further disappointed to find that "breakfast" consisted of one slice of stale bread with jam and butter. We couldn't help but feel like the care factor was gone now that the porters and cook had received their tips. Our spirits were still pretty high though given we were about to head off to see Machu friggen Picchu!!!

The walk took us about 1.5 hours to reach the sun gate. It was actually quite an amusing walk as with any trail, some people walk slower than others. Given we were racing against time in order to beat the sun to the sun gate, our group was pretty keen to keep up a good pace. This meant having to overtake some people who were going at a more leisurely pace which meant a lot of comments directed at us like "geez some people are in a hurry" etc. 

We finally reached the sun gate as the sun was still hiding behind the hills, but giving us enough light to be able to see the majestic sight of Machu Picchu laid out below us. We had made it! The Inca site is said to date back to around 1450 but was deserted after the Spanish conquest, most likely due to illnesses. The site wasn't rediscovered (although was known about by locals) until 1911 by an American named Hiram Bingham. It's said that he asked a local where he had found an ancient clay artifact and the local pointed up the hill. Bingham requested he show him the whereabouts of this site and he refused but offered his sons services instead and low and behold, the boy led him to what we now know as one of the seven wonders of the world. Since this time the site has undergone restoration and is still undergoing it to this day.

 

After taking in its beauty for about half an hour from the sun gate it was time to go down and join the hordes of other tourists who were arriving by bus from Aguas Calientes. As it happened, the 21st of June is Winter Solstice which means the sun enters through the central window of the temple of the sun and falls directly on the large ceremonial stone located inside of the temple. Being one of the most important days of year on Machu Picchu's calendar meant there were a larger number of people than usual there according to our guides but it still couldn't take away from the sheer beauty if the place.

Our guides gave us a tour for a few hours around the site and then we were free to wander around and soak up the scenery ourselves. 

Understandably so, the Peruvians take the sacridity of the site very seriously. This meant that our afternoon was punctuated with whistles being blown by guards when they decided someone was doing something they didn't like. Two of our group got in trouble for doing a little dance when they stepped into some sunshine. Jimmy's jump shot and jandal shot definitely wouldn't have been allowed either but we managed to get away with them without any whistle blowing. What was the real shame was the fact that as we were lying on a non roped off grass terrace enjoying the view and the sunshine with many others, a guard suddenly decided we weren't even allowed to do that and moved us all on. Feeling a bit disheartened we figured it was time to go down to Aguas Calientes and get some lunch and a much dreamed after cerveza.

Lunch was a little disappointing and so were the hot springs that we had been dreaming of after 4 days without a shower. But it was still great way to share a debrief with all the crew and say our farewells to those that were heading off in their different directions.

It was a bit surreal all in all but definitely happy to have ticked that one off our bucket list as it's an incredibly impressive, stunning location that everyone should try and visit. Doing the 3.5 days of hiking to get there absolutely added to the whole experience and I would even go so far as to say that the hike was as much of a highlight as Machu Picchu itself. A big thanks to Peru Treks and our awesome group of comrades for making it one of the most memorable four days that we will ever have I'm sure.