After wandering around Machu Picchu for the morning, we were lucky enough to have gotten tickets to hike to Huayna Picchu in the afternoon - they only sell 400 tickets a day, for two different entrance times, either the morning or late morning (we were the later one- our entrance time was at ten). We really had NO IDEA what we were in for - the hardest, most terrifying hike of my life. It was equal parts amazing and OMG WTF.
Pretty early on Elaine went ahead with some guys we had met and it was just Matt and I. It was a hard climb- mentally because every step was terrifying, and physically because going UP (again!) in the elevation was not something either Matt or I were super enthused about. It took us about a hour to get to the top.... and it was so worth it.
At the top there are three different platforms, and then the real "top" - which I have no pictures of because you literally climb thru a tiny hole and come out, and OH, you're on the top of a rock face. I have no real hight problems, but I was like GET ME OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW. Even thinking about it now, makes me kind of sick.
There is a small grouping of houses at Huayna Picchu as well. Why? Who knows. It's totally insane to think that people might have lived there (or done that hike daily!) and no one really knows for sure why it exists. I guess thats part of the mystery, and what makes the entire Machu Picchu experience so special.
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