And the Adventure Continues

So, today saw us up bright and early for the start of our Machu Picchu adventure, and although 6:30am may not have been when most of us would have liked to be up, there was a tangible excitement among the group in anticipation for the days activities.
7:30am saw us at the train station at Poroy, from which we embarked upon a three hour train ride to the town of Machu Picchu (or Aguas Calientes). Thus ensued much ´oohing´and ´aahing´as we whistled past gloriously highy mountain ranges and saw the heart of Peru´s agricultural centre, with many fields filled with corn crops. Streams turned into rivers as the landscape changed into deep valleys and ravines, in which we caught our first glimpses of Incan ruins struin over a few hillsides. As well as enjoying the scenery, many energetic games of cards and Uno were played to while away the time, often ending in playful banter and the slapping of tables =)
Due to a little hold up on the train, we arrived at the town of Machu Picchu around 12:30, and were treated to a lovely buffet lunch at Totos. The boys seemed very excited about this, but they were not the only ones to tuck in heartly when we saw the spread that was provided for us. Among salads, bread and vegetables many of us tried Alpaca meat (some unknowingly ;-) ) and were also treated to traditional music by a band playing such hits as La Bamba and There´s only one Che Guvera on the pan pipes and guitars.
After this we took the short bus trip up to Machu Picchu, by which time we were eagerly anticipating the adventure we were about to take, and also ardently praying that the rain would stop. Which it did, praise the Lord.
Getting to Machu Picchu and seeing it for the first time was surreal. Something that so many of us have seen in photos and posters was there, living and breathing before us. We had a very enthusiastic tour guide, who filled us in on all the theories, facts and fantasies about this ancient ruin. As we saw temples, gates, aqueducts, fountains, houses and more, many of us were struck by the precision, knowledge and understanding that this ancient civilization had, down to every 36 sided, perfectly fitting, block of stone. The way the sunlight hit the mountains around the site, the way the verdent green almost shone from the centre of the town, the way the clouds floated lazily through the valley was simply the most amazing sight to behold. If a soul does not sing at such wonders of creation and creativity, I´m not sure for what else it would.
The tour ended with some rather unobliging, camera shy, llamas, who seemed to do everything in their power, including jumping up stone stair cases, to elude our camera ready grasps. Many team photos later, we left for the long trek back to Cusco, which once again contained many heated games of cards and Uno, though less ´oohing´and ´aahing´ due to, well, the night.
Tomorrow we set out to conquer the city one tourist site at a time, shall inform you all of how that goes. Once again, thank you for your constant prayers and thoughts, they mean the world to us.
Love and blessings,
South American PHCS mission team
xo