Advertisement
Published: June 24th 2009
Edit Blog Post
Pizza
Fresh pizza in oven This morning we woke at 4.30 to get our train to Agua Caliente which is far as you can go before Machu Picchu and is only accessible by train or by foot. Couldnt have a shower as they turn of all water late at night and not sure what time they turn it back on.
We took the back packers carriage up there which fine, just like a normal carriage no ducks or chickens racing up and down the aile like I had thought. We could´nt see much at 5:30am but what I could see it was very good scenic 1:30 hour train trip. We arrived at Agua Caliente at 7:00am and a man was yelling out ORTIZ so we presumed he was our guide which he was.
They led about a dozen of us to a little restaurant where we went and got our bus and entry tickets to Machu Picchu and we got talking to this lady from california who was about the only other person in this group who spoke english and she caught a taxi from Cusco earlier this morning to Ollantaytambo I was thinking she must have left at 3:30am to catch the train
Pisco Sour
End of the day drink and it works out she wants to do hiking and surfing while in peru and I was exhausted listening to her.
We boarded a bus and made the 20 minute journey to Machu Picchu as the buses leave around every 10 minute so there is no problem in getting one. Once at the top we shown another guide who spoke a little better english and we climbed these steep steps to the first look out were we caught our first full glimpse of the ancient Incan City lost for over 400 years. It just what you see in magazines only better, the views are like something you have never seen before and makes you wonder why these people built so high up in thevalleys if not for anything else the serenity and the views are to die for.
We all stood there in the surrounds and had photo our photos taken before we were told to go with another guide who spoke even better english. He proceeded tell us that this is not the last city of the incas, as when they evacuated because they didn't want to be found and they all took off along their trails they had
the train
Staion at Agua Calienta and disappeared into the jungle never to be seen again. They know it is roughly 70 miles in but they have tried to locate this other city without any luck. If you need to know the full history behind Machu Picchu google it.
The tour guide took us all over the mountain and explained things in detail about the place, tell you what though, you do a he'll of a lot of walking up down and through the ruins so being slightly slimmer than myself would be an advantage and in saying that jeff was finding it hard to.
The tour went for two hours which was great and you definitely need to do one if you are contemplaing seeing these ruins. After the tout we had a good three hours on our own and we explored every nook and crany we could find but we didn't walk up to the sun gate or do Waynpicchu but we did however take a walk to inca bridge which is great scenic winding goat track along the cliff face on a path no wider than a metre and a drop to the bottom of a 1000 mtrs. We also just sat and
admired the breath taking views and watching clouds engulf the city and watching it reappear again. I haven't put many photo up due to they will not show you the true beauty and give you the perspective you need to get an actual picture of the place. You need to be here to take it all in. Jeff and I both agree the magic of this place out does Howlong bay in Vietnam and also he said it out does the grand canyon, not that we should take away the beauty of the other two places as each has their own.
We spent up until 3pm here before making our way back to the buses to take us down to Agua Caliente where we sat down and had a couple of drinks. After that we caught the Vistadome train down to Ollayantambo before making our way to the same Pizza place again for another feed, had to also throw down a coiple of Pisco sours to finish the evening. We were both totally stuffed, Jeff went to bed and i updated the blog and then had one of the best sleeps for awhile.
I´ll
Jeff and Me
A happy snap of the two of us post more phots later
Advertisement
Tot: 0.076s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 7; qc: 43; dbt: 0.0528s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 2;
; mem: 1.1mb
Helen
non-member comment
YEH A PHOTO OF YOU BOTH
YEH A REAL LIVE PHOTO!!