The next morning a small group of us got up early to go back up to Machu Picchu to watch the sunrise
IT. WAS. AMAZING.
Can you spot the llamas
You get to stamp your own passport with a stamp from Machu Picchu! soooo fun!
There are the cutest dogs EVERYWHERE in Peru, this little buddy was so tuckered out.
It was a wonderful morning, we got there right in time to see the sun hit the mountains and then had some time on our own to do a little last minute exploring before it was time to head back to our hotel for our nature and bird exploration around the rain forest of our hotel.
Here are a few more pictures of our hotel ...
We got back just as our group was leaving for the tour. We had an adventure guide who took us through the hotel and talked to us all about the different birds that live on the hotel property. For example, they have 18 different kinds of humming birds! 18!!!
Then we went on an orchid walk where our guide pointed out all kinds of orchids big and small.
This orchid is the smallest variety of orchid in the world
They grow and brew all of their own tea right on the property so we got a mini tour of that process.
Here is their herb garden for their restaurants, how gorgeous is this? I would love an herb garden that looks like this.
Then it was time for our farewell to Machu Picchu lunch. I so did not want to leave this hotel, or the town, or Machu Picchu I wanted more time to enjoy it all! But Cuzco was up next and is not to be missed.
Here is the dining room of the hotel, gorgeous right?
After lunch we headed to the train station, which is on the other side of the endless market so so hard to resist stopping at all the stalls!
The train ride to Cuzco was rather entertaining. There was a fashion show, where the staff modeled lots of different items for sale, it was hilarious.
And this lion asked me to dance up the walk ways with him ....
Next up Cuzcotopia, oh yeah!
This is all pretty amazing Kate!
ReplyDeleteloved the hummingbirds...you stopped their wing action!!! Also enjoyed seeing M P at sunrise, awesome pictures of he sun and the layering of the peaks!
ReplyDeleteYour photos of MP are great and very unorthodox, which isn't easy for an over-photographed site like this. I wonder what type of lens did you use - the first one looks very wide angle, almost fish eye. I'll be visiting MP myself and could use some advice ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! The lens I used for all the wide angle shots is the canon 15 mm fish eye. I absolutely love that lens, it takes such wonderful shots. Enjoy your time at MP, it is such a beautiful place. Take lots of pictures :)
DeleteThanks :) I'll be spending two successive mornings at the site and looking at your photos, the lighting is great and the number of tourists low. Is this true also for the later afternoon hours?
DeleteThe morning is definitely a lot less crowded then the afternoon and evening. I would say the afternoon is when it is the busiest and there are a lot of big tour groups around everywhere, it is slightly less crowded in the evening right before it closes, that time of day is also great lighting for photos!
DeleteHi there, your pictures are amaaaazing! I am going on a trip to Machu Picchu/Cuzco next month. Which hotel did you stay at that has the beautiful dining space?
ReplyDeleteThank you! We stayed at the Inkaterra, it was amazing and I would highly recommend it. I hope you have a wonderful trip, Peru is a beautiful place!
DeleteHello! Lovely pictures. I will be visiting MP in 2 months, I am so excited!
ReplyDeleteCould you please tell me the location in MP from where the first few pictures were taken?
I will be taking the first bus up to MP to see the sunrise, so I am trying to figure out the best spots to take pics. I was also thinking of Hut of the Caretaker of the Funerary Rock location. What do you recommend?
Hello!
DeleteI am so excited for you to visit MP! It is definitely an experience to remember! Thank you so much for your sweet compliments. The first few pictures were taken on the trail leading to the main mountain from the entrance, we were walking in and I was nervous I was going to miss the sunrise so I just stopped on the path and took pictures from there to ensure I didn't miss a single ray. The hut of the caretaker is definitely a must, the view from there is amazing. You really can't go wrong in any location, MP is gorgeous and looks great from any angle. Hope this helps! Have a wonderful trip!
Hey, thank you so much for responding to my question. You have a great blog :)
ReplyDelete