Tag Archives: Machu Picchu

PERU #11: MORE MAGNIFICENT MACHU PICCHU!

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On most tours of Peru, seeing Machu Picchu is a one-and-done experience.  You get one opportunity, so you better hope the weather is good that day.  Our Overseas Adventure Travel tour had us scheduled for the afternoon with the opportunity to return early the following morning to see the ruins in different light conditions with far less tourists.  There was the hope, too, that if the weather was bad during the afternoon visit, it would be better (or at least different) the next morning.

Well, we hit back-to-back grand slams!  What a gorgeous morning!  Exploring one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in uncrowded conditions under sunny, blue skies was magical!

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

Look closely; that’s a rabbit napping in the nook!
We saw alpaca this morning, too, and they were adorable!

Following our steep, switch-back drive down the mountain from the ruins, we enjoyed a delicious lunch together before exploring the town of Machupicchu (aka Aguas Calientes).  Situated on the Urubamba River (aka Vilcanota River), the town is just 3.7 miles from the ruins of Machu Picchu, so it is a busy tourist destination.  I thought it had a great vibe, though.  Sure, there are tons of restaurants and shops to serve the tourists, but it is beautiful in some respects, too.  Surrounded by lush, tropical mountains, the town is hilly, and the river runs right through it. 

See those switch-backs beyond the ruins? The bus ride tested my stomach– and my nerves! The drivers were amazing, though.
The train runs in the middle of town (and in front of our hotel).

This was the view from our hotel room window. We left the windows open to enjoy the relaxing sound of the water:

Our lunch at a local restaurant was beautifully presented and delicious!

There are also amazing stone sculptures scattered throughout the town, and Raul took us on a walking tour to see them.  These are only some of the many we saw:

Raul also took us to see the cemetery, which was quite different than what we normally would see in the U.S.A.  There were high walls of cubicles with a casket in each one.  Family members decorate the front of the cubicle with the favorite things of their deceased loved one.  While we were there, parents were decorating the cubicle of their deceased daughter in memory of her birthday.  They were arranging beautiful flowers, and they stopped to talk with Raul and our group.  Their daughter had died in her sleep at the age of 22, and they never learned why it happened.  There was no hospital in the town and an autopsy was never done.  It was very sad, but we were grateful they shared their story with us.

Coming up next: PERU #12: COLONIAL CUSCO

PERU #10: FROM OLLANTAYTAMBO TO MACHU PICCHU

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Traveling to Machu Picchu required a return to Ollantaytambo to catch the train.  On our way there, we stopped to visit a woman who makes Chicha (corn beer), a very popular fermented beverage in the region, especially since regular beer is not sold in local stores.  She sells a large glass of corn beer at her bar for 50 cents and strawberry corn beer for $1. 

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

We learned about the process of making the beer, which begins by removing corn from the cob and spreading it out on plastic sheets.  Water is added, and then it is packaged up, covered, and placed in a cool shady spot to ferment for three days.  After tasting both flavors, we all agreed it was, uh, an acquired taste.  But if you go to Peru and want to buy some, just look for a Chicheria.  If it is available for sale, there will be a red flag on a stick out in front of the store.

The beer is fermented in those large clay pots (in the back).
I noticed they also raise guinea pigs, their national delicacy.

At the bar, the favorite activity while drinking corn beer is playing Sapo, a coin toss game:

Our group continued back to Olantaytambo, arriving early enough for Raul to take us on a walking tour of the town before boarding our train.  We had previously hiked the ruins and saw the craft market, so Raul took us through other areas of the village where we could see how the locals live and meet a few along the way.

The train ride to Machu Picchu was beautiful, gradually becoming more tropical as we got closer.  What a spectacular day!  Our research on Machu Picchu had left us with very low expectations for good weather, since we had learned it is often foggy (or rainy) with anywhere from low to no visibility.  We figured our luck had to run out at some point.  Except for the rain we had in Lucerne, Switzerland, back in May, we had experienced unbelievably fantastic weather during our travels this year.  Surely, we would arrive in Machu Picchu and see… nothing. 

But we didn’t!  When we disembarked the train in town, the sky was blue and full of beautiful “Simpson” clouds (named after the white cartoon cumulus clouds that appear at the beginning of “The Simpsons” TV show.)  Glorious!

Next step in the journey:  Hop on a bus and head up the hairpin switch-back road to the ruins!  We were almost there!

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel that was built on a mountain ridge at an elevation of 7,970 ft—a piece of cake to negotiate after adjusting to the higher altitude of Urubamba. 

This was our first glimpse of the mountain view before we saw the ruins:

We learned a great deal of fascinating information and history about the Incas and Machu Picchu during our late afternoon visit (as well as during our return visit the following morning).  I will spare you the details, however, and just share my pictures instead.

Our research also revealed that we may see an alpaca at Machu Picchu. As Raul stopped in a roped off area to share some of his vast knowledge of the Incas with us, this gal and her baby waited patiently for him to move, so they could walk past him to graze on the grass. They finally gave up and walked behind him, giving us all a good laugh while Raul was oblivious!
I think Raul finally caught on!
How the Incas built these amazing structures back in the 15th century is beyond me! Look at the detail in both this photo and the one below!
Bruce will soon discover the view from the top was well worth the steep climb!
One last photo of the magnificent view at the end of a beautiful day. That’s me in the lower right corner.
And a lovely salmon dinner to celebrate!

Next up: PERU #11: MORE MAGNIFICENT MACHU PICCHU!