The clouds were lifting a little bit and we were able to get a glimpse of the surronding mountains. Before reaching the summit of the second pass we stopped at the first ruin of the day, Runkurakay, which means basket shaped ruin in Quechua. 
This small outpost was believed to be reststop or perhaps a watchtower as it had a commanding view of the valley below. We continued up, past a few small lakes and down the other side. 
The next ruin we came across was called Sayaqmarka. 
This was one of my favorite ruins on the trail, as we were able to see some of the clever inventions the Incas created. These included... doorhinges carved into the rock, a water level used to level their floors and terraces, steps integrated into the retaining walls and an amazing network or fountains running through the site. 
This ruin also had an amazing view of the river valley below and the a smaller ruin, believed to be a store house, below it. After a tour of the ruins we continued on to lunch. By this time we had descended into the cloud forest and the vegetation had changed dramaticlly from the high grasslands. The trees were now of considerable size and covered in moss. In many places the trail was simply a tunnel through the vegetation. 
After lunch we continued on up to the third pass. The cloud forest lived up to its name, so we did not get to see any amazing views but the trail continued to provided enough to see. The work that the Inca put into the trail was amazing and it was all still in excellent shape. In some section they had cleared away the vegetation so that you could see the foundations of the trail, which in some places went down over 6 meters. They also created several tunnels through natural fissures in the rock, where it would have been difficult to build around the outside of the cliff.
The views at the top of the third pass were supposed to be amazing but we only got glimpses through the clouds but we still got a peak at the mountain Macchu Picchu. From the thrid pass the trail drops, almost vertically in sections, down 1000 meters to the final camp. Along the way we went through Phuyupatamarka, an Inca temple with some amazing stone work. 
From here on the steps got even steep and in places were cut right into the bed rock. Before the last camp, the trail split into two, one heading directly to camp, the other through Intiputa. Katie, lured by the promise of hot showers, went down to camp and I continued on to Intiputa. This site was composed of a huge number of terraces over looking the Urabamba River was believed to be an agricultural site for suppling Machu Picchu with food.
After a snack, our assistant guide, Ceaser, took a a small group of us to see one last ruin, Winay Wayna. 
I was glad I dedided to see this last extra one as it was by far one of my favorites. It had a room known as the temple of the Rainbow, as it had seven windows, one for each colour of the rainbow, looking out over the Urabamba valley. 
Supposedly there are often rainbows there and the Inca believed that by worshiping them, it would bring good rain for there crops. There were also a series of fountains, that were still working, that ran through the site. Our guide told us that traditionally, pilgrams on there way to Machu Picchu would stop here to cleanse their souls by placing their head in the fountain before continuing to Machu Picchu, so we all cleansed our souls before heading back to camp.
The next day started early, 3:30 am early. This was partly to get to the sungate at sunrise and to give our porters enough time to make it down the mountain in one peice to catch their train back to Cuzco. There is a gate at the campsite and no one is allowed to leave for the sun gate before 5:20 am so a large line builds up and everyone goes charging off at once. We were warned of people running and pushing and shoving but were lucky to avoid any of that. We arrived at the Intipunku, the sun gate an hour later, right when the sun is supposed to shine through the gate and onto Machu Picchu... or at least that is what would have happened if we could have seen anything through the clouds. It was a little dissapointing, but we posed for a group photo and continued on. As we descended into the lost city, the clouds began to lift and we were rewarded with an amazing view of the city.
After posing for a few classic photos, we began a tour of the city. The scale and gradeur of ruins is impossible to explain in words and pictures do not do it justice. It is something that you simply need to experience. Washington gave us an excellent tour, explaining the history of the city, its discovery by Hiram Brigham and the archelogical work that has happened since. 
We toured through the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Three Windows(very original name), the main plaza, and Intihuatana, the Hitching Post of the Sun. 
Although this has been mistakenly called a sun dial, a calender would be a more accurate description as the Inca used it to figure out the solstices and equanoixes, not the time of day. After the tour we said goodbye and thanks to our two awesome guides, and were let loose to explore the ruins on our own. I decided to climb Wayian Picchu, but Katie, tired from the hike chose to wander around the ruins some more. Wayan Picchu towers over 300 meters above the ruins, so I stuffed a wad of coca leaves into my mouth and set off at a good pace to the top. Thirty mintues later I was standing above the Lost City of the Incas, having climbed a trail that seem merely carved into the edge of the cliff. The view was amazing. 
I could see the Urabamba River snaking its way around both sides of the city, the mountain Machu Picchu towering behind the ruins and snow capped peaks behind. Well worth the climb. Since Katie was waiting below, I snapped a few pictures and started down the mountain at what some would call a frightening pace. The steps leading through the ruins at the top were nearly vertical and only large enough for about half of my foot. Twenty minutes later I was back in the main ruins.
Apparently the record is seven minutes to the top, but I find that hard to believe. Katie informed me that she had been witness to some rather naughty llama behavior that caused quite a stir among the tourists. What is a trip to Machu Picchu without some llama lovin' ? 
By this time the crowds of tourist groups from the train were beginging to fill the ruins so we decided to head back down to the town of Agua Calineties for some lunch and wait for our train back to Cuzco. We met the rest of our group at a resturant for a well earned celebratory beer. ( one liter of beer for only $2!!)
The train ride back along the Urabamba River snaked along the canyon floor and past more ruins. It was almost ten by the time we arrived back in Cuzco, too tired to do anything but fall asleep. It seemed that we had passed a major milestone in our trip, and the second half of our trip waiting ahead of us.
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