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Even from the Sacred Valley it is no easy task to get to Machu Picchu.
First we got picked up by a taxi to take us to the town of Ollantaytambo: about a 30 minute drive with many speed bumps.
Our driver was a great guy and he had a nice car, at which every speed bump he slowed down and drove over it slowly and sideways to make sure the driver over was as smooth as possible. Despite the 50,000 kilometers on the odometer the car looked like a new one.
Here is where the Sexy Lama comes in. Driving into Ollantaytambo to there is a sign with ‘Sexy Lama Restaurant’ our driver and I had lots of fun with this one, even though he spoke nothing in English.
Next the train. The train is very nice. To get in you present a ticket and a passport. It’s almost like an airline flight but on a rail, a similar procedure to get in and similar service inside: cookies, coffee and at the end some stuff you can buy. The spacious coaches had large windows and even skylights to admire the beautiful scenery outside.
The 1 and a half hour ride ends at the Machu Picchu station where we were upon exiting one is greeted with all sorts of offers, for taxis, hotels, guides, and tickets. We needed none so we proceeded through a maze of stores before arriving across the river to take the next mode of the transportation.
The town of Machu Pichu – but really the entire region is called that.
The bus gets packed up fast. There is a large mass of people wanting to get in and an equally large amount of buses ready to take them. The 30 minute ride up a switchback road is quite a ride on a narrow one way street.
Finally we reached Machu Pichu were we met up with our guide for a two hour tour and then left on our own to wander around, and there is much more to this place than just the main city.
The closed windows were built like this to help the buildings survive an earthquake.
Proof that aliens did not build Machu Picchu – they would not have used chisels – the evidence of which is seen in the photo below of an unfinished rock.
You may not have been here: This is the sun gate trail, part of the Inka Trail – If you hiked in this is how you would arrive to Machu Pichu, it is also how the residents arrived.
From the top of the Sun Trail looking over Machu Pichu
Lamas of course – these were brought in for the tourists, but the young one was born here about 2 months ago.
The Inka Bridge. It’s hard to see it, but this precarious bridge led up a steep cliff into nowhere – that we know of.
Back down to Ollantaytambo – we had 2 hours to catch dinner. It was hard to pick a place and by chance we picked the best spot to watch a volley ball game. First the police blocked off the street, then put up the net and slowly through out an hour people filled the seats and started playing: first girls then both girls and boys together: this is a game in which the use of feet is acceptable.
It was a really great day, with lots of fun.
