Top of the world to you!!

Yes where we are does feel like that. In fact we stayed two days just so we could see Machu Pichu in all its weathers. Plus we had great ideas about climbing the smaller Pichu but then after all the walking and climbing of stairs on the first day taking shots of the incoming weather seemed to satisfy us. You've seen the early morning image before I can't resist showing it again. The heavy cloud pattern coming together with rather extreme cold. Luckily the climbing and walking soon warmed us up.

 These images show areas used for sacrifices in order to appease the GODS...the mountains being the GODS...and thus often showing shaping of the slabs of stone in their image. But how the shaping was achieved without modern-day equipment has remained a puzzle. Then again time was on their side as was the supply of labour.

The fascination of this secure and hidden area
came with the size of each slab and rock....how on earth were they brought to this site so high in the sky? The answer has come to some and they figured that to have built anything at such heights the building must have been started from the bottom up. Not bad logic! And so the most recent explorations have begun much lower down. Low enough to find signs of further stony
excavations.

Friends were everywhere...and not all paying tourists either. The Alpacas were not going to be put off finding their breakfast simply because I was pointing my camera. And then nor were the local lizards put out by my interest.




The north gate proved a good place for contemplation...perhaps prayer...or meditation or
perhaps a few days exploration down to the river and the tourist village.






The southern exit however... the fascination of the intricacy of stone works... was regarded as unsafe for the enquiring tourist and was blocked off in case of some intrepid discovery by a nosy tourist.
Click on the images to enlarge.