Unfortunately, because we didn't know we would be visiting Machu Picchu again, so we did not purchase our tickets in advance and we ended up having to wait in line to buy tickets and to enter (because we were entering behind a ridiculously large tour group and their guide hadn't thought to tell them to sign their tickets before trying to enter--every person in line had to stop and sign their name, and it was really slow going).
As it turned out, however, our guide from Day 5 was correct when he referred to Machu Picchu as a "Cloud City." Early morning high in the Andes is a gorgeous sight to behold.
Highlights of the day:
Getting to see and photograph the primary temple and temple with 3 windows without any other tourists around...
Seeing Winter Solstice--the sun comes through the window and hits the center of the stone no more than 2-3 days per year, and this was one of them. We may not be dead center here, because it took awhile for the sun to break through the clouds and fog, but it's pretty darn close:
Mr. Y's mastery of the camera focus capabilities:
Discovering just how good the zoom on the video camera really is (first picture shows how far away we were, second shows what was happening on the mountain a little more up close and personal):
Intipunku (the sun gate), the official entry to Machu Picchu:
Running into llamas on the path (that's Mr. Y's shoulder):
Actually getting a picture of the sun dial without people crowded around it trying to feel its "mystical energy":
And running into our friends from SFO, who had been bumped from the flight with us, on the way to Intipunku. We also learned that the earlier Delta flight they had fought to get on wasn't such a good idea after all--their flight was way delayed the following day and they arrived in Peru even later than we did.
And, finally, simply the view of Machu Picchu in the clouds and fog. Here is a slideshow depicting Machu Picchu from early morning until just after noon:
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