Climbing a path to the Sun Gate

We almost did not have the opportunity to visit Machu Picchu.

During our weeklong stay in Peru, there was a protest regarding

who owned the access rights and revenues for the roads to and from

this sacred place.

On the day we were scheduled to visit Machu Picchu, local

protesters rolled large boulders into the roadways and onto the

railway tracks, effectively blocking access.

Fortunately, our guide was able to adjust our schedule so we could

arrive several days later, after the protest had ended and after the

roads were reopened.

We started our day with an early bus ride of about 25 minutes,

starting in the Urabumba River Valley and winding along a one-lane

road to the park entrance.

The bus ride was definitely not a sleeper -- the road was narrow,

twisting and bumpy, with not much margin for error when meeting the

returning buses coming the other way. Somehow our driver always

managed to stop in time and find some area to pull aside so that

oncoming buses could pass.

When we arrived at Machu Picchu, the entire valley was blanketed

in a thick cloud, so we could see only portions of the site. We

decided to start by taking a hike to the Sun Gate, hoping the clouds

would lift as we hiked.

The path to the Sun Gate takes more than an hour and climbs

steeply at times through many varieties of local plants, flowers and

vegetation. We also saw colorful birds and friendly looking llamas

along the trail.

As we ascended to the summit, the clouds were just beginning to

lift, and we could look down on the entire site in the early morning

sunlight. It was a magical view of a breathtaking, magnificent

wonder.

-- Laurie Lairson and Norman Lacourciere live in Costa Mesa.

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