Cusco Chapter 3: MACHU PICCHU!!!

First I would just like to note that Chapters 2 and 3 of Cusco did not actually take place in Cusco. Unless of course we're talking about the province of Cusco instead of the city of Cusco in which case they did. Chapter 4 (spoiler alert) will take place partially in the city of Cusco, almost entirely in the province of Cusco, and very briefly in both the city and province of Lima. 
Now that that's all cleared up...
Sunday we woke up bright and early, had breakfast in the hotel, and walked to the bus stop where the buses take tourists back and forth to Machu Picchu. I was so pumped! Seeing it was definitely on my bucket list, so I'm one step closer to being able to die happy now! 
The bus took us up a super windey (I know that's spelled wrong, but if I spell it right you'll think the road was plagued by strong winds instead of multiple curves) thin dirt road up to the entrance. First we walked through Machu Picchu and to the entrance to Waynapicchu, the mountain behind the ruins. What a hike. About 10 minutes into it I huffing and puffing, my heart rate was through the roof, and I was covered in sweat. 

That's Waynapicchu in the back

But the views of Machu Picchu from that high up were well worth it. 

 When we got up there we rested for a while and took it all in. Then it was time for the climb back down. Significantly more enjoyable in that direction, even though my legs were shaking at that point and I smelled like a pig. 
Next Coco gave us a tour of the ruins. After that was over, we had 2 hours of free time, so instead of wandering around staring at stuff with no idea what it was for 2 hours, we asked Coco if he would walk around with us and tell us more stuff. So he did. 
After walking around for awhile, we sat down in the grass and made him tell us stories while we laid in the sun in the middle of Machu Picchu. It was all very zen. First he told us about the history of coca, and then he decided to interpret our dreams. His mom knows the meaning of pretty much any dream, so he has picked up a lot of that knowledge. It was really interesting. Here are some of the ones I remember. People dying means that it is going to rain. Dreaming about fruit means that you're pregnant. Dreaming about babies or baby poop means there's a lot of money coming your way. Dreaming about flying in an airplane means you are going to die. Dreaming about someone's car parked at your house means they are going to die. Dreaming about rice means you're going to get married, and I think dreaming about bread means the same thing. Dreaming about falling means financial trouble. 
Then he told us some Peruvian slang and cuss words, and we headed back to the bus. I got a really cool Machu Picchu 100 yr anniversary stamp on my passport so I was pretty stoked. 
The bus took us back into Aguas Calientes and we found a little restaurant to have some lunch. I had semolina soup (with french fries in it) and alpaca (delish).

Then we went back to the hotel, grabbed our stuff, walked to the train station, and headed back to Ollantaytambo. We had supper there (there were only 3 menu choices so I had alpaca again) and then some of us wanted to go out, but didn't know where to go, so we asked Coco and Jose Carlos (the other tour guide) about the bars in town. They said they were planning on going to a bar and that we could come with.
The town was pretty much dead, but there was a bar that was open. We walked in to the smell of incense and pot, a guy in dreadlocks sitting around a table with the rest of the people that I think worked there, and Bob Marley playing in the background. We went upstairs, which was completely empty. It was a pretty cool place. There were benches and swings, a rope ladder that looked like it led up to a little loft where you could sleep, and to get back downstairs you could slide down a wooden fire pole. We were a huge group but after a little bit about half the people left, so Coco taught us a drinking game where you get the rim of a glass wet, stick a piece of toilet paper on it, put a penny in the middle, and have to take turns burning holes in the TP with a cigarette. The person who makes the coin drop loses and buys a round. It reminded me of that game I used to play in the middle where you did the same thing but with wet marbles and a paper towel, and obviously an absence of beer and cigarettes. 
After a while some people wanted to go to a discoteca, so we went. Unfortunately we were the only ones who went. It was competely empty. So after a couple songs a few of us, myself included, went back to the hotel and called it a night.