Machu Picchu day one

After a relaxed day in Cuzco, realizing that on 3.300m even the 200m difference to Sacsaywamán is a though hike :), we took an early morning taxi to Poroy to board our 3h PeruRail train ride to Aguas Calientes. 3h of pan flute music is definitively way too much. Aguas was nicer than expected, but then we had very low expectations. It’s for sure compact, all buildings are shops, restaurants, hotels, no space in between. And it has its own price level, comparable to Switzerland. We had tickets for two days in Machu Picchu, giving us the opportunity to go there on the first day during the less crowded afternoon. It was a bumpy 25min bus ride up a very steep slope. On the last turn, we got the first glimpse of the city. It was spectacular!!! We spent the next few hours walking through the Inka citadel, looking for the best spot for the next day’s sunrise pictures, admire the citadel’s layout and how well it’s still preserved, taking selfies with alpacas. Dorin went all the way to help an elderly man in need, unfortunately not receiving enough karma points to spare us the one hour queuing for the bus down.