At Macchu Pichu

Aquas Calientes is along a river. This is the walk from the train down to the bus loading area for the drive to MP.

At MP.

You would think that the mountain in the background is Macchu Pichu. It isn't, MP is behind us.

Our guide said that in Peru, they don't think of winter and summer. They think of the wet season and the dry season. The rain has a tremenous effect on agriculture. Accordingly, the windows track either the winter solstice or the summer solstice, which told the farmers about what precipitation to expect. Machu Picchu averages 83 inces of rain each year. Rain means everything to them because they were agriculture based. 

Hydration is still very important. 

Note the mortarless, stone joints. Incredibly precise. 

A hinge.

Again, note the stone precision. 

There is a system of dykes and waterways which flows through MP. 

View from a "church" looking out over the mountains.

On the "church" side, the stone work is much more intricate. Note the church side to the right and compare it to the left. 

In Peruvian culture, everything is in threes. Note the three windows.

There is a fault in the mountain, and the area is prone to earthquakes. The reason why the walls don't fail is because the stones bounce, as there is no mortar. Here, this wall is along a fault line. 

A roller, the type used to move the stones. 

The amphitheatre. 

On Wayan Picchu, the pinnacle most associate with Macchu Pichu, you can climb to the top of the pinnacle during the dry season. It is 1,000 feet up, and does not look like fun. You need reservations, and this is where you pay your fee to enter. 

Water mirrors, so you can look at the sun without being blinded.

The head of the Condor. 

The tail of the Condor. 

Our bus for taking us up the mountain, and down the mountain. We don't have photos from this part of the trip, as it was so terrifying. We didn't want to look out the window.