We woke up at 3:30 a.m. so we could stand in line at 4 a.m. to catch the 5:30 a.m. bus that would take us to the entrance of Machu Picchu for its 6 a.m. opening.Our awesome guide, Henry met us at the hotel lobby.  Since we would be missing the buffet breakfast at the hotel, the hotel gave us a brown bag breakfast with fruits and banana bread and a sandwich to fuel us for our day going up to Machu Picchu.

When we got to the line at 4 a.m., the line was already long enough that we would be on the third bus going to Machu Picchu.  Waited in line in the cold but the time went by quickly as we thought about the amazing sights we would see that day.

At 6 a.m., the gates at Machu Picchu opened and our guide Henry took us (as I huffed and puffed) to a spot where we got a spectacular view and took “a few” photos.

We walked around and then got to watch the sun come up.

It was super chilly (40s) then got a little warmer (60s) after the sun came up. We learned about Incan history, saw llamas and just soaked in the positive spirit of the area.

One llama even tried to eat Misty’s chia cookie snack when she put it down to get a picture.  Lot’s of squealing and a little bit of scolding from our guide ensued.

The Yamadas did an extra hike at Montana Picchu while Misty and I explored more of the ruins.

After Misty and I caught the bus back down to the town, we had some time to do some shopping and exploring.

We visited the mercado which is a local market and saw familiar fruits but of very large sizes.  We also saw cuy (guinea pig) ready to be purchased, taken home and cooked.  We also found coca candy to bring home for our friends.

We met our guide Henry for lunch at Chuta restaurant. Then we caught the train back to Ollantaytambo.

Stayed at Hotel Pakaritampu.  We had dinner at El Albergue.  Unlike Mama Mary’s where we had lunch yesterday at a house, this restaurant had lots of great reviews!

We ate alpaca carpaccio.  The total for 5 entrees, 1 appetizer, 2 desserts, and some wine was only $150.  What a deal for our 8-hour dinner!  We shut the restaurant down.  Again.  Living Hilo Style in Peru.