Blogs from Aguas Calientes, Cusco, Peru, South America

Today we are taking the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo. I’m looking forward to this for 2 reasons; (1) it’s the start of our visit to Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World and (2) it’s 2000 m above sea level, that’s a mile lower than anywhere we’ve been in the past 10 days. Train tickets aren’t cheap - we’ve paid almost £300 - yet a big chunk of the journey consists of a bus replacement service due mudslides making the track impassable. We leave at 6.15 am, taking a bus to Ollantaytambo 50 miles away. I’m surprised how much of the bus journey involves climbing (most of the first hour, in fact). After an hour we stop at a viewpoint amidst snow capped mountains. Then we reboard the bus and begin to ... read more

Aguas Calientes, from the Spanish for ‘hot water, is formally known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. Wedged in a deep gorge, it is accessible only by train or foot. We came by train - panoramic PeruRail Expedition class train to be exact. The multi-car locomotive decked out in tasteful local motifs featured large windows on both sides and on the roof and as it meandered through fields of corn and wheat and alongside the rushing river the views on the Andes - around and above - were never lost. In some ways, Aguas Calientes (let’s call it AC) reminded us of a certain hill station we passed through in India - high altitude, forested, misty and cool. For the most part though, AC was way more developed. Exiting the train station, we emerge to views of bridges ... read more

Woo hoo tomorrow we will be going to Machu Pichu ! I enjoyed our time in Cusco . The plaza and the monstrous buildings are a sight to behold . The Spanish continued the process of destroying the culture of the Incas in grand style . The churches are by and large built on the sites of the Inca temples often using the fountain and the stone quarried by the Incas.. They had come to realize that the construction used was earthquake proof . The Incas had dug down into the rock @ 6 feet and filled it with small rocks and sand . This acted as a cushion that could absorb the shock waves of a quake. Mind you it also helped that the stones they used weighed a massive amount . Tons in some ... read more

When I returned from Machu Picchu, I stopped first for lunch as I was starving. And thirsty! I picked a cute little restaurant which looked right out on to the river. I ordered a soda and a water, as well as a personal pizza and avocado vinegarette, the appetizer that I had the previous night that I just loved. Unfortunately, this was not nearly as good - it was smothered in a mayonnaise based dressing rather than a vinegarette. Yuck. Oh well, at least I got to check my email on the slow connection. Then I went next door to my hostel, where i had told the guy that morning I anticipated I would be back around 3. It took about ten minutes to get anyone to come see me at reception and even then, I ... read more

Z Cusca se dá na Machu Picchu dostat několika způsoby. První je dojít tam pěšky tzv. Inca trail. Jsou to tuším 3 dny skrz hory. Většina gringos si na cestu s sebou bere „průvodce“ s mulami, co za ně nesou všechny potřebné věci, postaví stany a uvaří jídlo před tím, než gringos dojdou do tábora. Druhý způsob je dlouhá cesta autobusem, pak track pěšky. To přijde údajně asi na něco přes 100 dolarů. Poslední způsob je dojet autobusem k vlaku a pak vlakem dojet do Agua Caliente, což je městečko pod Machu Picchu fungující téměř výhradně jako ubytovna turistů. Tato varianta má ještě dvě podvarianty. Inca train a Peru train. Inca train za 240 dolarů jede něco přes dvě hodiny a musí se k němu přes dvě hodiny jet autobusem. Peru train stojí asi 270 dolarů, ... read more