After trying twice before, and getting as close as Lima before torrential rains flooded out Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes closing down the entire area we are attempting our third try. We depart in two days.
The Sacred Valley and Pisaq
After arriving in Cusco we were met by our guide Sheila and driver Luis and whisked off to the Sacred Inca Valley of Pisaq. The Sacred Valley is rimmed by tall mountains up to 17,000 ft and was a very…
Pisac – Not to Be Confused With Pisaq
When the Spaniards arrived around 1500 and conquered the Incas, they forced them to move to the valley floor. (Dumb move as the Incas knew that the Urubamba River flooded the valley) and established the town of Pisac. It is…
Oh-Oh. It’s Ollantaytambo!
Late yesterday afternoon we arrived in the city of Ollantaytambo at the other end of the Sacred Valley. The city is very much intact as it was in Incan times with whole blocks of houses preserved and the original streets…
Ollantaytambo – The Spiritual City of the Incas
This morning we toured the Inca site reserved for temples, priests, leaders, and defenders of the Inca empire located above the city of Ollantaytambo. It is an immense site sprawled out on the mountain to the west of the village.…
The Vistadome Train to Aguas Calientes – Skip that…to Machu Picchu Pueblo. They Renamed the Town!
After lunch in Ollantaytambo we boarded the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo. It was a beautifully scenic ride following the Inca Trail passing snow capped peaks, small rural villages, waterfalls, and Incan temples and terraces. The town of Machu Picchu…
A “Mistical” Morning in Machu Pichu
Arriving 7:00 AM at Machu Pichu we were greeted by the cool morning mist rising out of the valley. A beautiful, almost eerie sight. Machu Picchu was built and occupied by the Incas between 1450 and 1540 when the Spaniards…
Huayna Picchu (sort of) and the Industrial Side of Machu Picchu
Late morning I struck off to climb Huayna Picchu, the tall conical mountain seen outside the north gate. At the summit is the Moon Temple. The climb was very steep and the steps quite irregular, so discretion being the better…
Machu Picchu – The Alpaca Highway. Some Call It The Inca Trail to the Sun Gate.
After a great lunch with local musicians playing Cheryl and I began our hike to the Sun Gate. It is a path rising about 1000 vertical feet above Machu Picchu for a length of over several kilometers. We met a…
One Last Morning in Aguas Calientes, One Crazy Train Ride, and One Nice Evening in Cusco
This morning Cheryl and I strolled a different section of Aguas Calientes (Yes, everyone calls it by that name even though it has been officially changed) to the cemetery and a different grouping of sculptures. These sculptures represented traditional Incan…