Sanctuary...... quite literally. Thanks Aunt R & Uncle J!!

We left off last time checking into the Santuary Lodge as we arrived at Machu Picchu cold and wet! We went up to our room to drop our bags and change out of sopping wet clothes quickly before our tour started at 8. When the door opened we were greeted with a beautiful room with a splendid bathroom and a huge fluffy bed.... I dared not touch it for fear that the previous 27 miles may take its toll and I´d pass out before my head hit the pillow! We changed and reluctantly left the room.

The rain had stopped with perfect timing for our tour. The last 4 days had all been for this moment when we would enter into the Inca Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. We had followed the same pilgrimage route that the Incas would have followed 500 years previously. We had already seen the site from the trail, it was now time to enter and see the buildings from up close.

When we entered, our guide, Casiano, sat us down and we listened to the history of the site, its discovery in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, the myths and legends and the findings that had been made at the time. The information we were getting was wonderful and no one could wait to explore further.

The 1st thing that was so striking was how the Incas incorporated the natural rock formations in everything, whether it is the building itself, alters within or pools of water to view the constellations, the natural rock was ever present. Just as amazing was the use of a single natural spring to give water to the whole community. Elaborate channels, plumbing and irrigation feeds the whole site with fresh water. Machu Picchu is 60% agricultural and 40% residential. The seemingly endless terraces were used for all different kinds of crops and the residential area is comprised of palaces, temples, living quarters, a jail and more.

We also learned just how ingenious the Incas were. Many buildings and large structures are built on stone rollers, earthquake protection, and nearly all structures are built with an incline of at least 3 degrees, again for stability. Many of the alters are bult from the natural rock formations, but all with directional purpose. North, South, East and West points are used in the alters and are aligned to the degree (Jen has a little compass so we confirmed this!).

All in all we had a great tour, it is too difficult to put it all into words and do it justice. This really was a fascinating people and Machu Picchu really is a Wonder of the World. For me, the trek and the site itself was one of the most fulfilling things that I have ever done, the sense of achievement and sheer amazement at the site itself was something incomparable!

This was, of course, until we experienced the Sanctuary Lodge!! We went back and finally showered and lay down. We ordered room service and dined with just each other for company. It was wonderful! Next on our agenda were our complimentary massages.... They were fantastic, and much deserved! We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Macchu Piccu further and had a wonderful time doing so. As the light of the day faded we retired to the hotel bar and had a couple of drinks before relaxing on the bed watching TV before dinner.

We decided to sit and have dinner in the dining room, so after a quick drink, we sat down to indulge in the haute cuisine we had seen other diners partaking in. The whole 3 courses were wonderful for the both of us, including a delicious bottle of wine. I dined on crab and some amazing duck, whilst Jen enjoyed a wonderful avocado salad and Chicken in Tarragon sauce. We left the table plump and content and enjoyed the rest of our evening watching movies and lying in the oversized bed!

Unfortunately we had to leave the Sanctuary in the morning. After the buffet breakfast of course.... smoked salmon.... mmmm!! Thank you once again Aunt Rayna and Uncle Jimmy. It was amazing and even better as we had just hiked for 4 days. Thank you!!

More to come soon. We are having issues with uploading pics here I´m afraid. We have over 500, some from the tail end of Quito, some from Cusco, but mostly from the trail!

We are now in Huacachina, a little oasis in the Peruvian desert- south of Pisco and north of Nazca, 3k from Ica. It´s cool! We are going sandboarding and dune buggying this arvo!

Love to all! Feliz Navidad!