Submitted by Meredith O’Neal on the 2017 summer session program in Peru sponsored by the School of Nursing…
On Wednesday, July 5 we spent the day exploring Machu Picchu. We woke up early for our five o’clock bus ride to the train station in Ollantaytambo. Then we took a two hour train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes located at the base of Machu Picchu. Lastly, we took a thirty minute bus ride before hiking into the site. We spent the first hour viewing the site from some of the many terraces around the ruins while our tour guide Luis began explaining the history of the site. We also saw a condor, a very symbolic bird in Peru, flying around the top of the mountain, which was very special. Next, we started our climb of Wayna Picchu, which is a mountain that perfectly overlooks the ruins of Machu Picchu. The hike consisted of miles of stairs built straight up into the mountain, reaching just under 9,000 feet in elevation.
After carefully climbing back down the mountain, we spent two hours listening to Luis explain the history of each area of the ruins which was really fascinating. My favorite spot was the Temple of the Condor, which shows the figure of a condor built into the rocks of the room. After the tour was over, we rode the bus back to the town of Aguas Calientes where we had a delicious pasta dinner before spending our last hour exploring the city. At seven o’clock, we took the train back to Ollantaytambo and continued by bus back to our bed and breakfast. I have learned about Machu Picchu many times in classes over the years and it still feels surreal that I was actually able to see the site with my own eyes. This adventure is something I will never forget and I can not wait to visit this amazing site again in the future!