It was my 4th visit to Machu Picchu. Someone asked me if I was getting tired of the the place. "No," was my reply. I feel like a virgin visitor every time. The ancient city of the Incas is so vast, that even after 4 visits, I still haven't seen everything. The weather is different each time. The time of day is different. My companions are different. (the guide is always the same. Vidal Jaquehua at Adios Adventure Travel has been my guide for every visit).

Each visit feels fresh. It's like I have never been before. Three of the 4 visits to the ruins have been on the Inca Trail. Two of the visits were the easy one day hike. I strongly recommend hiking in on the Inca Trail. At the very least, hike the one day trail. Board the train in Ollantaytambo. Ride for about an hour before the Perurail train stops next to the Urubamba River at Km 104. You hop off the train and literally stand next to the tracks, trying not to slip or get in the way as the train pulls away. Then you are alone in the jungle. It's very cool. It feels like authentic Peru. The feeling you are somewhere remote. It feels real. You have to rely on your guide and yourself. (get a good guide! get Vidal!)

The train is gone. You find an opening to a path down to a footbridge that crosses the crashing river. Brown water surges and collides with rocks and riverbanks under your feet. Once across the river, you'll arrive at the guard shack. Show your passport and permits (you have to have a permit and a guide), use the toilet (bring your own paper) then start your hike that winds gently on a path that threads diagonally through the wooded growth up the canyon to Winay Wayna ruins.

You'll see waterfalls, wild orchids, bromeliads, giant millipedes, It might be warm and sunny, especially in the morning. By afternoon, it could be cloudy and drizzly. You are in a cloud forest. The Winay Wayna ruins are located on a steep mountainside. How the Incas surveyed this site and chose it to build a city, is a mystery to me. The view is incredible. Maybe they wanted the view? The aqueduct system is still in tact and flows through stair-stepped rooms. The steps are steep and straight up.

Breathe, breathe becomes your mantra. You pass through the campground used by the 4-day hikers on their last night, through another check point where you show your passport and permits and then wind up and down through dark, dank forests and steep stone steps. So steep you will reach out with your hands in front of you to keep your balance. Like climbing a stone ladder.

Then you arrive at Inti-Punku, the "Sungate." If the sky is clear, you'll see the Machu Picchu ruins in the distance and should snap a photo right away. The cloud cover can shift & change in minutes and the ruins can disappear. Start your 30-40 minute descent into Machu Picchu. You'll meet a few industrious visitors who arrived at Machu Picchu by shuttle bus, on their way to the Sungate. This is your last chance to enjoy the trail and the view before arriving into the ruins where you will find lots of people.

Want to try it?  Contact Adios Adventure Travel anytime.