Machu Picchu, 1

Our guide, Charlie, wanted us up and on the road at 5AM again, so we could see the sun rise, or maybe it was to avoid the long lines. We compromised on 6:30, waited in relatively short lines, and were on the mountain by 8AM. The lines were for the bus: we had already entered the site the old-fashioned way--on foot, via the Camino Inka--and were quite content this day to ride the bus up the dusty 10 mile road.

View from the bus

We had superb weather for our visit; the rains were gone, but
there were intermittent clouds, which add to the atmosphere,
um, so to speak, of the place

The park service keeps a number of camelids on site, largely
to keep the grass well-trimmed

Iconic Facebook pose

I really enjoyed the cloudy aspect

I am still trying to visualize the workings of a trapezoidal door

Cyclopean stones, indeed (and I have seen the originals, at
Mycenae and "wall-girt" Tiryns); of course, the Incans did not
have to move them very far

A cloud rolls in over the numerous terraces

The semi-circular solar observatory (so they say)

Every now and then, a big out-crop left in place

Water feature

Ditto

Another water feature

Irrigation in the terraces (in a rain forest?)

Right in the middle of things, there is a nice garden of rain/
cloud foresty plants for tourists who have not walked to
Machu Picchu

Among the weirder bromeliads

Coca

Spare parts