Machu Picchu

Boarded the train this morning and traveled for a little over an hour to Agua Callientes. Then another half hour up the mountainside to Machu Picchu. Although we have seen a lot of Inca ruins, this was jaw dropping. The day was clear and sunny, although our guide said it is often misty, adding to the mistique of the area. There are 18 different kinds of walls, some with huge blocks so well shaped that you can't fit a credit card between the stones, others more slapdash held together with mortar. We hiked around for several hours. It's so hard to believe that these people did this all without the wheel, computers, etc. There are no remains of a written language, but they used knotted ropes to keep track of stuff, like an abacus. Sadly, they concentrated power in the hands of a few, which the Spanish killed and all that knowledge was lost with them. Tonight we are staying in Agua Callientes at the Sumaq Hotel which is lovely. Again, I wish I could send photos. It's almost Pisco Sour hour. More later. BTW, we did eat guinea pig yesterday, tastes like honey boney chicken. Check that one off the list.