Wednesday 14 August 2013 - Day 26 - Phuyupatamarka / Phuyupatamarca (3,650m) - Intipata (2,840m) - Wiñay Wayna (2,650m) - Inti Punku (2,720m) - Machu Picchu (2,400m) - Aguas Calientes) (2,040m)

Our last day on the Inca Trail turned out to feature a lot of Inca site sightseeing en route to Inti Punku - the Sun Gate - and Machu Picchu (2,400m) itself.

After breakfast we said farewell to our porters and kitchen crew and tackled the 3000+ stone steps down through the jungly-forest to Intipata, aka Sunny Slope. There we sat on one of the terraces enjoying the view out over the Willkanuta /Urubamba River and, to a lesser extent, the over-zealous attentions of the local llamas.

Next up, the Inca ruins at Wiñay Wayna followed by an early lunch at the adjacent camp before a long, winding section hugging the forested mountain slopes and providing plenty of opportunities to photograph some of the many species of the Wiñay Wayna (Forever Young) orchid, and lots of other flowers too.

A final set of steep stairs brought us to Inti Punku where John and Lonnie were reunited with their wives, and we were all rewarded with the classic views out over the ruins of Machu Picchu.

After making the most of the multiple photo opportunities, we boarded one of the steady stream of buses back to Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly, and universally still called, Aguas Calientes) (2,040m) - I think the person who wrote KE's trip notes must had one too many cerveza when s/he wrote "This little town has a very special atmosphere...", or perhaps they mean 'special' in the Belgian sense...

Leaving John, Lonnie and Co at their hotel (H and I concluded we were definitely on a second rate package compared to theirs!), Julia led us to (and left us at) our hotel - Inka Town - which turned out to be located right next to the train station. This meant we heard every train horn blast and every PeruRail departure warming up (the last is at 9.30pm, the first at 5.35am) - not ideal after a 4 day trek (coming on top of the Huayhuash too, we were both tired). The hotel staff were lovely, and the room itself fine - but all we really wanted was an undisturbed night's sleep. The complimentary ear plugs in the room weren't reassuring.

Whilst we'd see John and Lonnie tomorrow for our guided tour of Machu Picchu, it was weird being back to the two of us again so abruptly, and not having had celebratory drinks or a group meal to mark the end of the trek.

After a good shower (other than location, Inka Town gets most things right!), Hazel and I headed out to explore the mean streets of Aguas Calientes. Lots of tourists, lots of people wanting you to come into their restaurant/bar/shop. Later on that evening I had a celebratory beer, although Hazel stuck to tea; and our dinner venue proved a poor choice, somewhat lacking in terms of value for money and ambiance... All in all Aguas Calientes proved a bit of a let down.

Read more about the Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit plus Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

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Ready for an unforgettable experience? The Inca Trail will take you through amazing landscapes, ancient trails and the impressive Machu Picchu. Book now bit.ly/BookIncaTrailPeru and live the adventure of your life! #incatrailperu #incatrailbooking #incatrailtickets #incatrailhike #bookincatrail #peruincatrail #incatrailbook #bookingincatrail #incatrailinperu #theincatrailperu

Ready for an unforgettable experience? The Inca Trail will take you through amazing landscapes, ancient trails and the impressive Machu Picchu. Book now bit.ly/BookIncaTrailPeru and live the adventure of your life! #incatrailperu #incatrailbooking #incatrailtickets #incatrailhike #bookincatrail #peruincatrail #incatrailbook #bookingincatrail #incatrailinperu #theincatrailperu

Booking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu can be a bit challenging due to restrictions on the number of visitors allowed each day, as well as the popularity of the trek. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to book the Inca Trail. #BookIncaTrail #IncaTrailBook #IncaTrailBooking #BookMachuPicchuTrek #IncaTrailReservations #BookTheIncaTrail #IncaTrailCena #IncaTrailTickets #BookingIncaTrail #BookingTheIncaTrail

Ready for an unforgettable experience? The Inca Trail will take you through amazing landscapes, ancient trails and the impressive Machu Picchu. Book now bit.ly/BookIncaTrailPeru and live the adventure of your life! #incatrailperu #incatrailbooking #incatrailtickets #incatrailhike #bookincatrail #peruincatrail #incatrailbook #bookingincatrail #incatrailinperu #theincatrailperu