Traveling is not for sissies.
I spent most of the night waking and wondering if we had what we needed for two nights at Machu Picchu. The rest of our luggage would remain in Cusco for our return.
Dusty and I got up and finished our overnight packing and headed off to breakfast. I felt basically crappy with an upset stomach and worried some bad water, altitude sickness, or Covid was going to crap on one of the wonders of the world for us.
After forcing down what would otherwise be a really nice breakfast and popping an acetaminophen and pepto bismol we got ourselves to the front for our ride.
Juan Carlos was on time and I was starting to feel human. Since we were not running late there was time for a quick stop to look 500-feet up at the latest cliff hotel in Peru. Three silver capsules big enough to hold two people with more money than sense were suspended from the mountainside. To get to them the guests wound have to climb that incredibly steep cliff. Interesting, but not for me and definitely not for Dusty.
We drove the same route as the day before into Ollantayanbo and turned toward the railroad station. I looked like a picture of Kathmandu with dozens of porters carrying loads for the hikers on the Inca Trail.
Juan Carlos was going with us on the train and helped us get ourselves and our two small bags off to Machu Picchu and guide us our first day there.
The train ride was only about an hour through the scenic Sacred Valley. With the Urabamba River on one side and the mountain named Veronica on the other. We transitioned from savannah views to cloud forest. Soon there were trees full of bromeliads and heliconias.
When we disembarked in Aguas Calientes, now called Machu Picchu Pueblo, we moved like cattle around the front of the train and onto the tracks for a bit before packing onto the sidewalks. The shops, eateries, and hostels all had the feel of a beginning/end of the trail town because it is. Inca Trail hikers start or end their expeditions here as well as day trippers like us to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
A line of busses queued up to take visitors to Machu Picchu nearly two thousand feet above. I was told all these busses had been brought in by train along with anything else in town as there are no roads in or out.
After about forty switchbacks passing busses going the opposite direction on a very narrow road we caught our first glimpses of the iconic Machu Picchu. Finally we reached our hotel for the night. Belmont Sanctuary Lodge.
We were greeted with a refreshing glass of lemonade colored with a purple layer of an infusion of a cactus seed called airampo. Our bags were put aside until our room was ready and we enjoyed a buffet lunch and made our way to the entrance of Machu Picchu at our ticketed time. With our passports and tickets we were walking the paths built by the Inca about six hundred years ago.
Juan Carlos told us a lot about who did what when and all that was interesting at the time, but if you want names and dates you can always Google it. I wanted to see the iconic views and feel the lives that had passed through here centuries ago.
We were fortunate that today was a beautiful clear day. I had intentionally booked after rainy season and booked more than one time to tour the site in case nature did not cooperate. Today she did and the constantly changing light and shadow gave depth and color to these ancient structures.
At one point there was an option to climb higher or not. I could see Dusty was feeling the effort from days of walking and now climbing up and down hundreds and hundreds of irregular stone steps. Juan Carlos and I looped higher and met Dusty very near to where we left her. On the upper loop we had a better view of the structures below us. At some of the better vistas people would either take selfies or their guide would take shots with the post worthy background behind them. Some guides would go through a series of cheesy poses with each of their charges. Arms up, point to the mountain, look over your shoulder, turn around, sit down…. I’m not sure if they even realized where they were.
We crossed through the various parts of this city on a mountain. Agricultural, storage, residential, religious, and royal. Having visited a home built by this same civilization and occupied today I could visualize what the lives were like in those homes down to personal items in every space in the home.
Dusty and I had hiking poles on loan from our tour group, but I still found myself frequently winded and Dusty had to struggle on several of the long steep sections. On the last set of steps on the way out Dusty’s foot slipped and she scraped her hand. No real damage, but it ruined a perfect record.
We returned to the hotel to check in and Juan Carlos prepared us for the next couple of days. He gave us tickets to get into Machu Picchu and for the bus and train we would use until we saw him again.
Our room was first class with double doors opening onto a veranda and outside nature area. There were hummingbirds and orchids around the grounds making you feel like you were in the cloud forest. Because you were.
Dinner that evening included two firsts for me. Alpaca tenderloin and Peruvian pipe music. Both of which were a pleasant surprise.
We went to bed tired and sore, but satisfied that this had been one hell of a day.
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