Iv been Slacking.

My bad.

Last weekend was Machu Picchu.

Woke up a bit earlier then I should have and went for a walk before meeting the rest of my group (Allie and Paola) at the San Blas school.

From there we met our coordinator who gave us all of our tickets and important information and sent us on our way. An hour an a half in taxi (Michael Jackson blasting) and we made it to the train station. From there it was another hour and a half next to a very annoying British group, who put a lot of effort into making me feel bad for sitting in my assigned seat (window).
"You want to sit on the isle? So you can talk to your friends?"
"no, Im fine thank you"
"Okay, its just that you should sit here so its easier"
"no really. Im fine thank you."
"Sit here, so you dont have to talk over us."
"I wont talk, I would prefer to sit here."
"It would just be better."

Yeah right. For who?

But other then that it was a very pleasent ride, I got to listen to my ipod which i havn´t done in a very long time and got to watch the scenery change from vast mountain to the jungle, and feel the humidity through the open window.

The train stopped in Aguas Calientes which is named fairly respectively for its natural hot springs. We stayed in a hostel with clean sheets and a hot shower. Only one cockroach that we could see so we were pleased.

It started POURING on saturday, actual buckets falling from the sky, so we sook refuge in a cafe and had a cup of coffee. After walking around a bit and exploring the market we sat down for a three course dinner with fresh avocado and grilled alpaca. All of the food for a grand total of 15soles. 5 dollars.

It was an amazing atmosphere with live music (which I can share since I bought their CD)
and an open kitchen.

We crashed fairly early and woke up at a reasonable time of 5am.

Sunday morning we met our guide at the bus station and took another bus for about half an hour up to Machu Picchu. We got a glance on the ride up but we convinced ourselves it was painted into the bus windows. With the morning mist and rays of sunshine it was far too gorgeous to be real.

We made it to the top and our guide took us through a short canal to show us a typical house in this time and how they made their roofs. Then a few more steps in and we walked onto a terrace as all of Machu Picchu opened itself up to us. Going from this thin pathway into this open field only enhanced the experience that much more. From here we could see the structure of the entire city.

It really is an experience that is probably the most difficult to describe. You could see all of the work put into the city, you could see how it was still expanding, you could see the designs. Every house was built to fit the pattern of the city to form a circular structure similar to the snake, representing knowledge of the people.

There were different religious places specifically for sacrifices or rituals. There was the temple of the moon that was built differently then all the other buildings because it was circular. The rocks had been rounded to form this cilinder with its windows placed so specifically so when there is a full moon the entire temple is illuminated.

The rocks used in all of Machu Picchu are also a good percentage of quartz, so when there is a full moon the city is named The Silver City because all of the rocks glow.

Our guide took us around to the most important areas and explained their significance, then we were free to explore on our own.

We looked around for a bit longer and then decided to climb the mountain that you always see in pictures of Machu Picchu. It took us a good hour an a half of practically virtical climbing but once we made it was it worth it. We sat on a terrace overlooking all of Machu Picchu and had a picnick consisting of the mass quantity of snack foods purchaced the night before. I took a nap in the sun and we had some good conversations.

We eplored the ruins at the top of the mountain as well (that used to serve as a lookout tower for the soldiers of Machu Picchu) and then began our decent.

A dark storm cloud threatened us so we went a bit faster then we probably would have normally. Once at the bottom it began to drizzle so we caught the bus back to Aguas Calientes.

We had about 4 hours in Aguas Calientes before our train back so we sat and had an amazing lunch with the most spectacular chocolate pancakes to follow.

Definitely ate well this trip.

Then we sat for a bit, so tired we were actually just sitting, not even talking, and then we caught the train back.

we got off at the stop our ticket told us to and the same stop our coordinator had told us, but there was construction at the top of this station and so the bus we were supposed to catch would be picking up its passengers at the next stop.

Luckily we were not the only ones with this problem so we coordinated a group taxi and found our way back to Cusco.

Arriving around 1130 I took a personal taxi straight home and passed out after my host mom checked to make sure I wasnt a tomato or eaten alive by all the bugs.

(The sun is very strong in Machu Picchu and the bugs are everywhere, so its a good thing I bathed in spf and deet before hand.)

she was impressed.

Thats all for my Machu Picchu weekend, I hope pictures can help illustrate my time once I get those up.

Now we´re back into a normal week with school in the morning and Remar in the afternoon. Tomorrow we´re bringing beads and string to make bracelets so that will be messy and definitely a lot of fun.

As of now, I should be heading home because it is the mother of the mothers birthday and she is turning 90!

I bought her a cake and we´re going to have a little party.
Ill write tomorrow about the bracelets and Im sorry I dont have the effort to spell check this, I hope you can look past it.