It was hours and miles to travel– layers of time and history.
Inca ruins along the way
It was layers of distance up: first by plane, then by car, and finally on foot– Layers of air, up in altitude, that made our muscles ache and lungs burn… step by step.
Step by step, mile after mile
It was step after step, over three days and through three climates. Up past the mighty Salkantay: brilliant blue skies, the shocking white of the Andes, and our bodies working almost to the breaking point. Bringing tears of joy to my eyes. Layer after layer of emotion.
Salkantay
Layers of physical pain. Layers of culture and landscape. Layers of experience upon experience. Moments of beauty that took our breath away.
The final miles. My girl and Machu, the dog who adopted us… for part of the journey.
Layers and more layers… Ending in total awe. Behold!
Behold: Machu Picchu
Check out: the Weekly Photo Challenge here. Read more about our trip to Peru: here (Trekking), here (Trekking), here (Trekking), here (Machu the Inca dog), and here (Machu Picchu). Check Tales From the Motherland on Facebook, and hit Like. Or follow me on Twitter, where I am either very boring or exceedingly clever.
TALES FROM THE MOTHERLAND 
Reblogged this on InvisibleSource.
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did u walk the trail up to machu picchu? i tried to do it,( i was with a group camping and touring peru in a van and when the tour leader said we are hiking up there, i foolishly went along thinking it will be an easy walk. haha.); and also because the rail to there was on strike ,but had to turn back as it was too difficult. luckily the strike was called off and the train resumed so i got there in the end. and it is one of the wonders of the world to see. i see in oneof the pics you were walking along the railway track. i wonder if it might be easier to go there using the railway track. … but i think i prefer to take the train . so much more pleasant.
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Welcome to Tales From the Motherland! I appreciate your time. We actually hiked the Salkantay trek, which is not the “royal Incan trail” but the far more challenging mountain trek. It took us three full days, and we cut out 2 days by having our gear dropped further along. We had to hike up to the pass, down through the valleys and then up again. The picture near the railroad is the last few miles, when we’ve come out of the “back country” and we are headed into Aguas Calientes. From there, we took a bus up to the gate, having hiked the trail to that point. It was THE hardest thing I’ve ever done, and we were all exhausted!! A hot shower never felt soo good! 🙂 The train is by far a much easier and more pleasant way, but I would not trade the adventure and challenge we all shared (my 3 kids, husband and i) in doing this trip together! Again, thank you for stopping by and leaving your comment; it’s much appreciated!
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Reblogged this on Freedom of free discount coupons shopping.
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Thanks for sharing my work; much appreciated!
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pleasure is mine………….♥ your blog is so nice like you
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You are too kind! But your words are much appreciated.
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Wow! Gorgeous photos, Dawn! And so many, many layers! What a perfect interpretation of the challenge! I’m so glad you got to go to Machu Picchu. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit and a trek I’ve always wanted to do. Also, I’d love to spend some time in Cuzco…
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YOU would love it Cathy! You need to make it happen. Cusco is incredible, but the trek is amazing! We did the Salkantay trek which is significantly more challenging, but so breathtaking and (for now) not as crowded as the royal Inca trail… which is gorgeous, but stone stair after stair. The mountain trek is so amazing, and something you and your husband would really enjoy! I’m glad you liked my work. 🙂
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What beautiful pictures. Must have been breathtaking to witness in person. Simply gorgeous.
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Stunning… deeply moving… and tore my miniscus doing it, but worth it! If you can imagine that. 😉
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Given I have a torn meniscus myself, it MUST have been worth it. 🙂
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It was! Had to have surgery in December for it… (last year). But the trip was incredible!
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Thanks so much for sharing my work; much appreciated!
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Quite simple breathtaking and stunning….
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Thank you so much, and welcome to Tales From the Motherland. I appreciate you taking the time to check out my post and comment. Please stop by again and share your thoughts!
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This is what I should do to lose a few pounds! Completely enervating to watch you do it…
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Thanks for stopping by hugmama! I did in fact lose a few pounds, but the food in Peru was so good, that it wasn’t really the weight loss program you might imagine. 😉 It was an amazing journey, all the way around!
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Peruvian food…I’m salivating…
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It was all good! I have to say though, when you’re trekking, everything tastes fantastic! 😉
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Your photos are stunning, Dawn, and the words compliment them so beautifully. I went to Macchu Picchu last year by train and bus, but it was wonderful to see the parts of the surrounding mountains and countryside in your photographs that I missed. The place has such a strong spirit. Cuzco… fell in love with it, too.
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It is truly an incredible place! The trek was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, physically, but worth every step! I’m glad you got to see it too, Karen. We went a year ago this past summer (June/July 2012). When were you there? Hard to take a bad picture in a place so special. 😉 Thank you so much for taking the time to read, and comment; much appreciated!
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We were there in February last year. We stayed 2 nights in Aguas Calientas and went up the mountain both days. The first day was sunny and clear – amazing views. The second was misty and the ruins were partly obscured until you got up close. There was a muffled silence like in a cathedral. We were extremely lucky to experience both moods.
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Wow! Wish we had had both… we did kind of, but a bit limited. We woke to POURING rain, after days of nice weather. When we got up there everything was shrouded in low clouds, eerily silent. It was really powerful. It cleared before we went down, and I got that lost shot and a few others, with sun on the ruins. It was such an incredible place, I would have loved 2 days up there! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Wow, what an experience!
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It was indeed!
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