Again, Bruce ran to the top - reaching Dead Woman's Pass in about 40 minutes. I clocked in around an hour.

A highlight of the trail. This ruin is a short walk from the third night's camp. Only a few people bothered to visit, and it was breathtaking.

Me on route to machu Picchu

Peru 2005 - Inca Trail

Peru 2005 - Inca Trail

One belief is that this site was to provide provisions for Machu Picchu, another is that it was a fortress.

Trail to Sun Gate

Serving tea for our indispensible porters and cooks on the evening of the Day 3.

Oh wait-- we're not done yet?!

Inca masterpiece

So instead we'll walk down that way. Alex (our guide) told us that it was an easy, relatively flat walk down. We didn't see how that was possible but Alex did not lie - it was an easy stroll from to lunch.

Woke up at 3:30 to take a place in a queue to the final checkpoint before Machu Picchu that opens at 5:30. We were 5th in the queue (pretty impressive considering that there are about 300 people at the final campsite).

Laura and I at Intipunku, the Sun Gate, with Machu Picchu behind us. The sun was just starting to rise above the mountains to the East. The ridge just behind my left ear is getting the first rays of sun.

a spooky cave. hahahaha.