here, there, everywhere

Last Saturday, we went with six other volunteers to Machu Picchu! Though we stayed at the site for several hours, the first 45 minutes after the gates opened were by far my favorite; we took a 5:30 am bus to get to the site by it's 6 am opening time, and there were clouds rolling over the mountains, obscuring Huyana Picchu and the ruins - it was incredibly beautiful, and felt remote despite the growing crowd of tourists. By the time we'd climbed Huyana Picchu and picked our way back down, the sun was out in full force and the place was ten times as crowded - so these are the photos I like best, because they remind me of how excited I felt when we first set foot inside: