Let the explorations begin! We arrived in Peru today. I left for Machu Picchu with my father yesterday evening and after 16 grueling hours of travel and two connecting flights, we finally made it into Cuzco this afternoon.

Things are still going smoothly. My father and I embarked on an all-day tour of historic sites in and around Cuzco. This included Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Cinchero Church. Below are some pictures from today.

We started our hike to Machu Picchu early this morning. It was a slow start with a late departure from Cuzco. However, when we finally made it to the entrance of the Salkantay path, things started to come together quickly.

Just as Jean had warned me, I got sick! The feeling I had this morning told me that things would not go well today. Fortunately, I did not skimp on my medication and opted for most of the recommended just-in-case medications. Best decision I made before leaving! Although I hardly ate anything for breakfast and only had Gatorade for lunch and dinner, I was able to keep up. It is said that today is the most difficult day of this 5-day hike. I can’t speak for the next three days, but today was nearly 24 km (15 miles), and it was very painful. Still, I am excited that I was able to make it through the day.

I went to sleep soon after we arrived at our camp yesterday and I woke up feeling much better this morning. Good enough to hold down food and really enjoy this part of the trek. Ironically, this part of the trip was much easier than yesterday. We only hiked 15 km, compared to 24 km yesterday, and it was mostly flat. We also had a chance to drop by a hot spring after settling into our campsite.

Today, like yesterday, was relatively easy. We had a big breakfast and went zip-lining all morning. Eventually, we finished the evening hiking along the railroad tracks that led to Aguas Calientes (the city just below Machu Picchu).

We finally made it to Machu Picchu! We woke up at 4:30 AM to get ready and spent the whole morning exploring the ruins. It was pretty amazing to see for myself just how breathtaking the views were from the top of this mountain. Also, as I mentioned in my previous posts, the weather is very dynamic and changes quickly here. There were instances where I would look out into the distance and I could watch the clouds and fog cover swallow the canyons below me and just as quickly dissipate. These ever-changing weather patterns and high mountaintops provide some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever encountered. Below are my pictures from today.

This is our last full day in Peru. Ironically, this day came as a bit of a surprise to us. After being away from civilization for the better part of the last week, I got confused and thought that we would be leaving today for San Francisco. Fortunately, we actually have one more night in Cuzco and one more day to explore this beautiful country. As a final hurrah, we spent most of that time exploring the neighborhood and streets around us.