We spent three days at Machupicchu. The first day we arrived at about 11:00 AM. The train fare included a guided tour which covered the main site over a period of about 3 hours. It seemed comprehensive and the guide seemed to know what he was talking about. The second day was spent climbing Waynapicchu followed by a walk along the Inca trail as it enters the site at Machupicchu. The third day we walked over to the Inca Bridge.
The site at Machupicchu opens at 6:00AM and closes at 5:00PM which means sunrise and sunset shots are out of the question.
On sunny days there’s good shadows before 8 or 9 AM and after 3:00PM. On cloudy days there’s a lack of contrast and definition.
Most of my shots were with my 14-45mm (28-90 equivalent) lens which was quite satisfactory for the most part. Something a little shorter would have been useful in a few cases.
I took some close-in shots on the Waynapicchu hike with my 135mm (270mm equivalent). I used the same lense for some of the Llama shots. I switched between the 135mm and 200mm for some of the floral and bird shots.
There 3 ways to get to Machupicchu: bus/car; train; hike the Inca Trail. The hike is four days from Urubamba. The train takes one and one-half hours. We opted for the shorter “hike”.
On arrival in Aguas Calientes we were immediately bused to the entrance of the site of Machupicchu. The immediacy was good; Aguas Calientes (from what I saw) is a place to be avoided.
We camped just outside the gates of Machupicchu which turned out to be very convenient. The accomodations offered a view of the mountains and the jacuzzi under the stars provided a nice relaxing venue after a full day.
People on the Inca Trail, the 4-day walk to Machupicchu
The Hiram Bingham Train; the travel approach we opted for
Onboard the train.
A Market in Aquas Calientes: A place I thought worth avoiding
Hotel where we stayed for the three days we were in Machupicchu
The view from our hotel room
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