Machu Picchu

Our South American traves are nearly complete, we just checked off the often considered most important tourist atraction of South America. Machu Picchu, discover about 100 years ago draws thousands of tourists per day. The "dry season" begins in June, so we waited till the end of our trip to see these spectacular Inca Ruins. June 1st, we woke up at 3 AM to dark cloudsand drizzle, Murphy's Law.
We started hiking from Aguas Calientes, it was Erik and me plus Brian from Virginia, Tomer from Israel, and Jaime and Crystal from Vancouver. Our early wake up and vertical hike turned out to be well worth the effort as we were ther first people to the entry gate. We arrived about 5 AM only to find out that the park doesn't open until 6. We tried to bribe the security guard but it didn't work. The important thing was that we were "Number One!" Every time the rain and mist got us down we chanted "We're Number One!"
Truthfully we were bummed at first about the rain, but it really turned out to be an amazing day. I personally got to lead the procession of tourists into the park. It was so misty though, that we ended up walking the opposite direction from the ruins. I was within 10 feet of the first ruins and couldn't even make them out. After a quick look at the map, we changed course. The mist started to clear slightly and we had our first glimpse of the famous Machu Picchu from the classic post card location. The mist and rain added a magical touch to the whole valley, so we weren't disappointed.
Picture after picture, we took in the scene. Since we got there so early and stayed allday we got to see every different type of weather and lighting situation. What a cool site. We took a nap in the sun, hiked around, just sat and stared, the day went by quickly.
The company was pleasant too. We entertained ourselves constantly remembering the fact that we were "number one!" and making sure the other lesser tourists knew it. It was fun and memorable.
Tomorrow we are off to Lima to finish off the trip. The Peruvians are having another Presidential election on Sunday so hopefully that does not effect our travel. We'll be home Tuesday afternoon, see you all soon!