Tuesday means it´s the second day in Aguas Calientes

Hola! So it´s been two days of nothing but climbing stairs here! The stairmaster sales would not do well here. It´s been great though as I´m really learning how to breathe properly. Being at 11,000 feet will do that to you! I sit in an internet cafe in Aguas Calientas otherwise known as the town closest to Machu Picchu. First- Machu Picchu was yesterday. It truly is an amazing place. While we climbed and walked the Inca Trail in the morning with a guide, which led to the most widely photographed place (in the city of MP), the afternoon was where it really became a place of beauty. Walking at my own pace, looking for the photo opps that I didn´t get to take in the morning (as I was concentrating on breathing), I discovered a few different spots where you just sat and enjoyed the beauty of the place. I love the Andes! While I was resting in one spot, one of the llamas (who make MP home), just stopped and stared at me while I stared at him/her. Then I realized he was going to the bathroom! Of course I did get it on video and maybe will post. The interesting part of the place was really the historical aspect of the Inca´s and the surprise being, I enjoyed hearing about them and the history of Machu Picchu. Many, many photos taken and will post eventually either here or Facebook. Second- was Monday spent observing and more stair climbing of the Sacred Valley and the Pisac market. It was an amazing place as well with gorgeous views. I can see why this is one of the more popular (and touristy) places. Met some interesting people while here as well. Yesterday it was the producer of the Closing Bell show on CNBC and his wife and also a woman from Brazil who I sat next to on the train on the way to MP and then again at lunchtime.

I joke about the stairs, but there´s stairs everywhere! To go from one part of town here to another, you can walk quite a bit- down one street and up another or simply take about 45 stairs (steep ones though). Other places are very stairy as well (New word I just made up!)

Favorite moments so far (in the last few days)- the llama situation, sitting in a cafe having a cappucino while watching the locals and tourists go about their day, climbing that last set of stairs at MP to get to that special spot, playing peekaboo with a child here, wanting to take a picture but not wanting to miss the moment, and hearing and recognizing the song from the group Nazareth and the pan flute version of ¨Love Hurts¨ and seeing another guy on the train break into a smile as he recognizes it as well.

Most likely will post tomorrow, but definitely on Thursday as well as pics. Until then, Cheers! Mike