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(Click on any of the thumbnails for a larger image)

The very start of the Inca Trail... 82km start point to Machu Picchu...	Porters bringing up the rear, then very rapidly overtake us enroute to the first stop for lunch	Walking down the Urubamba river valley...	Short break with guide called Freddy... giving us our first Inca history lesson...	The ruins of Llactapata
Looking back from where we came early in the day...	Terraces of Llactapata	First stop for lunch - map of Inca Trail	Freddy, Rolando and Julian our guides	Lunch tent - everyday consisted of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner setup by 25 porters who attended to our every need - amazing service! Three course meals, 3 times a day!
Joyce making freinds...	2nd morning looking up toward forest microclimate...	walking through the forest at about 3500m	...yes, walking sticks do help...	Lunch with a panoramic view of the mountain range and glaciers in the distance, halfway up the mount...
...still to go another few hours up 'Dead Womens Pass'...	Almost at the top...	...eventually... with our tour group at 4200m. We climbed 1000m in about 4 hours...	...	Porters taking a break - they each carry aprox. 25kg. The average backpack per tourist is between 10kg and 15kg...!
Walking down into the next valley toward camp...	3rd morning looking across the valley at the next Inca ruin, Runkuracay - look for the path up the left side of the valley toward the centre, halfway up...	Looking back from Runkuracay across the valley towards our camp...	after the clouds have lifted. We came down the gorge on the left the previus day ('Dead Womens Pass')	Close up of our camp in the centre of the photo to the left.
Peruvian kid on tour.	Ruins of Runkuracay which was one of the first checkpoints enroute to Machu Picchu	Notice the trapazoid shape of the doorways, windows and walls to be earthquake proof...	...	Looking down on Runkuracay as we climb up to the next pass...
Over the next pass, looking down at Chaquacha...	...the 'Haunted Lake'	Still going down with the next ruin of Sayacmarca ahead...	...a panoramic view of the next valley	A small storage building across from the ruin of Sayacmarca
Joyce wal king through Sayacmarca	Small holes cut out of a rock in a small niche, used it seems to secure goods inside...	One of the kids on tour photographing their own heritage...	...of the same hole. Often found in doorways as well, to 'close' the entrance by rope.	...
I am resting my arm on on e of the roof stones shaped in a cylinder to secure roof beams.	...	'Rainbow Room' of Sayacmarca with ceremonial niches - pure theory - no one really knows.	Aquaduct from mountain into building...	...continuing down the side of the building into a ceremonial bath - again, hypothesis.
We left Sayacmarca and started the rest of our hike to the next pass	One of the tunnels along the Inca Trail...	Joyce descending...	...and out the other end	Stopped taking photos for the rest of the afternoon as we got drencehed in rain and hail - the climb down the last pass on the 3rd day consists of over 2000 steps toward the Machu Picchu 'base campsite' The image is of terraces built by Incas with Machu Picchu Mountain ahead.
Just outside Machu Picchu, Winaywayna ruins...	...a small settlement with terraces built on the hillside...	...looking across the valley of the Urubamba river	Dinner on the 3rd night...	...group photo. Go to the 4th Day and Machu Picchu