OK, no wonder I'm so tired! Intipuncu or Intipunku is an Incan Trail connected to Machu Picchu. The term translates as "Gate of the Sun" or "Gateway of the Sun., Wikipedia called it a trail, but it definitely had lots of stairs! It was the last of the 3 Inca ruins on this part of the trail and 8,692 feet high! That's higher than the pass over Donner Summit which is about 7,000 feet high! While on the trail, we had gone through several micro climates including a rain forest which is why all the orchids were growing along parts of the trail. The picture on the left...the last set of stairs. that I was to "hurry up" and climb....and then crossing to the back side of the mountain, was the Gateway of the Sun which then leads down....yes! I did say 'down!' a path to Machu Picchu. It was getting dark and my guide and I were the last two on the trail. I drug myself up a few steps then rested, a few more...then rested....I did that until I reached the top. My body was really feeling the no fuel to run on. It was beginning to get dark, and I was trying to hurry! OMG, what if the bus didn't wait! We'd have to walk all the way back to the little town that we were to spend the night at. As I crossed over the last step to the other side of the mountain, there it was, Machu Picchu! The pictures on the right above are what it looks like from the top of Intipunku.
No comments:
Post a Comment