#3: Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu

6/22
The day had finally arrived! The day we would hike Machu Picchu: a bucket list item for all of us.
I was pretty nervous about all the details working out, because I had heard that only the first 200 people who arrive actually get to go up the mountain.



With tickets in hand, we got to the bus station at 5:30am. Already, it looked like there were three bus loads of people there! There were crazier people than us!?








The bus ride took place in total darkness, and when we arrived, we had to stand in line again. I was excited and anxious, so I walked directly over to the Huayna Picchu entrance. We were too early! And it turns out, I didn't have to worry, because our ticket specifically was for H.P. and reserved a spot for us from the 7a-10a shift.

So we had a minute to breathe and marvel at the impressive, giant structures the Incas had erected in the mid-15th century and wonder at their purpose and why on earth they chose to build here, in the middle of nowhere!

Well, that morning I had prayed for the Lord to teach me more about humility, and boy, did he answer. On the climb, my fear of heights (which I thought I had conquered in Costa Rica) came back in full force.

So, as I clung to each rock step, and slowly made my way skyward, I prayed constantly.

There were parts where you could see off the edge, and you only had a cable to cling to as a railing. I was so grateful for Mami and Danae, who allowed me to stop frequently for breaks and another excuse to take pictures :)


My friends were incredibly patient and encouraged me along the way, and the whole experience put new meaning to several scriptures I had read about patience.

The altitude made it difficult to breathe, and even people who looked like they were in top-notch physical shape were struggling. After several resting points, my lungs got acclimated to the height, and my heart began to slow its pounding. Mami, Danae, and I were able to take some fun pictures, but still I wouldn't step anywhere near the edge.
















 


Finally, about an hour and a half (maybe more) into the climb, we ran into people on their way down saying, "You're almost there!"

One last set of steep rock stairs carved right in the mountain, and then (I imagined) there would be a flat platform to take pictures and relax. But nooo...I was very wrong about what was at the top.


At the top of Huayna Picchu, there is a series of caves which you have to duck under and a thick ladder which you must climb to reach the top. Instead of a flat platform, you are pulled up and out of the cave to step foot onto a large boulder. It seriously feels like you are at the top of the world.

But you can't stand there long, because there are masses of people crowding their way out of the cave and trying to maneuver safely across the boulders. I stood on the top boulder for a minute, slowing my breathing, and surveying the gorgeous scenery around me. This is the highest elevation I had ever been (outside of an airplane), and I had climbed the mountain to get there! (solo con la ayuda de los amigos y Dios)

When I found a resting spot, where not too many tourists were snapping pictures, I sat and contemplated the beauty of what lie below me. Sure, you have an amazing view of Machu Picchu from above, but I spent more time admiring the sunlight illuminating grand mountains dipping down into a lush river valley. Wow!! We have an awesome Creator and His creation is glorifying Him in all its majesty!

Psalm 19:1-4

1 How clearly the sky reveals God's glory!
    How plainly it shows what he has done!
² Each day announces it to the following day;
    each night repeats it to the next.
³ No speech or words are used,
    no sound is heard;
⁴ yet their message goes out to all the world
    and is heard to the ends of the earth.

We were sore even for a few days after the Huayna Picchu hike, but nothing could compare to being reminded of God's grandeur and beauty. So "indescribable and uncontainable," that it is hard to even put words to describe Him.