SATURDAY – GETTING TO MACHU PICCHU

Another fabulous day. We are now at Aqua Calientes, the town just a 20 minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu. This town has nothing going for it. It is simply a tourist trap which exists for the purpose of servicing what it considers to be the needs of the visitors to Machu Picchu. The view from our window perhaps explains the nature of the place. Having said that, the hotel is basic but comfortable and the shops at street level are quite modern. We are going to dinner tonight at a restaurant Reni considers to be very good.

We got here by a very comfortable scenic train which closely followed the river. As the trip progressed, the nature of the country changed such that we are now back in the jungle. It's the jungle which caused nobody to be aware of the existence of the extensive Machu Picchu Inca construction until it was discovered in 1911.

We spent this morning at the Ollantaytambo archaeological site immediately adjacent to the town. It was a considerable climb to the top but well worth it. Apart from the site itself, the area around the town is littered with Inca ruins. While all we have heard about in the past is Machu Picchu, it is really small part of a much larger picture taking in a significant portion of Peru and adjacent countries.

Tomorrow we leave here on the first bus at 5:00 am to get to Machu Picchu before the crowds. Apparently it gets very busy later in the day. We hope it is worth the effort. After our visit to Machu Picchu, we return here, get back on the train to Ollantaytambo and then return to Cusco by mini bus. Monday is then a rest day in Cusco before we head for Bolivia.
 

I think that I am now once again up to date with the photos so you may wish to revisit recent blogs.