Sacred valley...

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Amazing.

We left Lima this morning in a plane that hurdled us over the Andes in an hour. After a quick dive and surprisingly smooth landing considering the pilot had to drop a few thousand feet from the mountain peaks we arrived in Cuzco. For anyone that has been to South America you know what it is like getting out of an airport--"No, I have a hostel reserved." "I appreciate the offer but I don't want to pay $20.00 for a cab ride of about 10 blocks." "Wow! You'll be our guide?! How much does it cost?....Oh." Generally speaking it is a stressful experience and when you have a back pack and are translating for a friend in a language you wish you knew more of...let's just say it is a "fun" experience.

We happened to find a driver to take us where we needed to go...which ended up being an hour and 45 minutes away through one of the most amazing drives of my life--up until then at least. We got to Ollantaytambo (oy-yan-tie-TAM-bo) and had a few hours to kill before our train to Aguas Calientes, aka Machu Picchu Village (the only way to get to Machu Picchu is by train). We walked through Ollantaytambo and saw some of the most beautiful crafts I have ever seen. I may or may not have bought a little something for my neice, Flora. I guess she'll just have to wait and see...

We boarded the train in the afternoon unprepared for the sites we would be seeing over the next hour and a half. The tracks took us through a valley of a raging river with nearly vertical cliffs on either side and snowcapped peaks hidden by clouds. At one point a group of kids surrounded the train asking us for money. I can still hear a boy shouting "Amigo!" and raising one hand while gesturing putting food in his mouth with the other. I could probably write a small novel on what was going through my head at that point.

Upon arriving in Machu Picchu Puebla we quickly found a hostel and started to explore. I can certainly see why the Inca considered this to be a sacred valley. We are off to Machu Picchu tomorrow. We'll get up at 4:00am to trek for about an hour to the top and wait. They only allow the first 400 people in line to go to the highest point in Machu Picchu and I would like to be one of them. Pictures are coming when I get back to the states on Friday.

Besos y Abrazos

Zach

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Comments

[anonymous]

Wow. Incredible! I can't wait to see photos, I've always wanted to go there...