Machu Picchu Sunrise

— This was the scene before our eyes exactly five years ago in Peru. We were rushing through Machu Picchu around 7:30 AM. We had to do that in order to make it in time for our scheduled entrance to hike Huayna Picchu. If you want to hike Huayna Picchu, you have to schedule a time well in advance. There are only limited passes per day. You can enter the trail at 8 and 10 AM. In order to protect the ruins, the government of Peru limits how many people go in. It is a maximum of 200 people in each of the two allocated times. We were not sure how long it would take us to go across Machu Picchu. So, we were keeping a steady pace. Nevertheless, the scene unfolding before us was simply breathtaking. The sunrise was beginning to show above the mountain tops. The light was diffuse and projecting beautiful shadows and colors. We stopped for a minute to appreciate the view. That is when I made the shot you see.