A little more Machu Picchu

Hi guys, Jeanie here to wrap up the blog with a few more posts.. we're back safe and sound in LA again, and I am finally getting around to posting the rest of the pics and blogging about our final days in Peru!

First off, a few more Machu Picchu pics.  The train ride was pretty interesting - although annoyingly expensive there were great views (sitting on the left hand side of the train is important for the best pictures!).  I bargained with a lady at the train station for an awesome colorful fedora that she was selling, it ended up being my most commented item from the trip so far on facebook, haha.  The whole train ride was along a river with crazy-looking rapids full of huge boulders.  On the way back we noticed a lot of ruins on the other side of the tracks but it was hard to get any pictures of those due to the angle and fading light, so some pictures of the river will have to do.

Please don't forget all the pictures are clickable for a somwehat larger size.

I really wish I could have gotten a picture of this beautiful mountain that was off to our side - every time I tried it just didn't get captured even close to how beautiful it was - craggy and snowcapped, it really stood out.  Oh well.  Here are a couple more pics of the river along the way.

 

Of course, Machu Picchu was super impressive as expected, I would say it definitely fulfilled its promise of being one of the new wonders of the world, although there were a lot more tourists than I would have preferred.  The hike to Huayna Picchu was most definitely the highlight - if you go to Machu Picchu you have to do this.  The views were amazing and you definitely felt more like you were among some unspoiled ruins and less like you were at a tourist attraction.  The only bad thing was that it was really scary coming down - there were no handrails or anything.  You can get an idea of how steep the fall is off the side by checking out this youtube video (not our video, but this is where we were).  I guess a couple people every year fall and die but hey, we were totally fine (of course) by just taking it slow and easy.  Here is a view during the Huayna Picchu hike and the rewarding view from the top!!

 

And to round out my Machu Picchu pics, I have one more picture of at Machu Picchu proper (I think Derik's pictures were in general better than mine), and a picture of the horrible horrible bus line back down the side of the mountain.  This picture doesn't really capture it's true horrible length.  Not pictured is the toilet just outside the park which cost me 1 sole to use.. why are the pay toilets always the most horrible toilets?  It just doesn't make sense..

After Machu Picchu we wandered around in the town Aguas Calientes before our train arrived - there isn't much in the town other than some tourist shops and restaurants.  We stopped and had a beer and one of the ubiquitous pizzas that seem to be everywhere in the Cuzco area. Then there was a nice train ride back (well, nice minus the obnoxious loud Italian foursome and the angry mom as mentioned by Derik already) where we got to have wine and cheese.  At some point this crazy guy dressed in a puma mask and a crazy rainbow colored outfit came onto our train car and I had to dance with him despite my protests.. No pics of that shall be posted here although I think a few might have been taken.  And we were met at the train station by our polite and kind cabbie who had brought his very cute daughter along for the ride back.  She slept the whole way - kids can sleep anywhere!  We looked at the southern hempishere's stars from the window..