It's an amazing place and taking the 4 day hike to it was one of the best experiences OF MY LIFE. If anyone is interested in going or knowing more about the experience, let me know. On a side note, Bingham took a lot of the artifacts back to Yale and they were recently ordered to bring them back to Peru. I went there with scrimetime and our wives. I think he'd agree that it is one of the most amazing places on earth. If you get a chance, GO.
It's one place I want to go to before I die. I will get there someday. How long were you in Peru? Was Machu Picchu your primary destination? Fill us in on the details! Edit: just read your post. It sounds amazing and to think your wife was there for 2 months. I've heard good things from people who've traveled to Peru. I can imagine yours and hers experiences must have been truly memorable. Great photo, too!
I think I was there for 10 days. We spent some time in Lima and then headed to Cusco. I would have rather skipped Lima and just spent time in Cusco personally. Lima was fun but it is a HUGE city and felt a bit overwhelming to try and soak it in in just a few days. Cusco though is a beautiful city and is in such a lovely part of the country. The hike to Machu Picchu has gorgeous vistas and archaeological sites right from the outset. This is from day 1:
You work hard getting to Machu Picchu but the journey is every bit as impressive, if not more so, than Machu Picchu. For one thing it's far more private and there are gorgeous ruins on the way too. Once you get there, you're pretty beat so it's nice to relax and soak it all in. Here is my favorite picture from the trip of me and my wife:
Thanks for the description of your trip and the hike to Machu Picchu. It looks like it was well worth the efforts. Cheers!