Getting to Machu Picchu is not as quick or easy as one would think, even if not hiking the Inca trail. To get there, we flew American Airlines from the states (remember the two month layover in Dallas?) and arrived in Lima at 12:30 a.m.
After entering the country, we had to wait until 1:30 a.m. before security would allow us to enter the domestic terminal. Sleeping in the lounge was near impossible (it was so loud), so we ended up at the gate, which is precisely where Dustin and Andrea found us, stretched out on those comfortable seats. Believe me, after trying to sleep on the hard floor in the lounge with drinks being made left and right, this was way better. We did not get a lot of sleep, but some is better than none. And thank goodness we took the blankets from the American flight with us!
Our LAN flight left Lima at 7:30 a.m. and landed an hour and a half later at 11,200 feet in Cusco. Most visitors spend a couple of days in Cusco after landing to adjust to the altitude before moving on. We opted to go straight to the Sacred Valley after landing because it was a little lower and then returned to Cusco after visiting Machu Picchu.
To prepare for the altitude, Matt and I drank a lot of water and avoided red meat the two weeks leading up to the trip (and I avoided it a bit there too). In Cusco, the hostel had coca tea which is supposed to help prevent altitude sickness (Matt drank this). A lot of visitors and guide books suggest getting altitude sickness meds as well, but we decided to chance it without (that and we typically avoid medication whenever possible). Thankfully we did not experience altitude sickness here or in Ecuador, besides normal altitude effects like getting out of breath easily while climbing.
From Cusco, Dustin had arranged for a driver to take us to Ollantaytambo with a few stops on the way. The first stop was at Inca ruins called the Rings of Moray. At about 11,500 feet, they are said to have been an agricultural testing area.
Climbing down was no problem, but climbing back up left us out of breath, a reminder that we were not at sea level anymore.
The salt mines in Maras were the second stop. These ponds have been in operation since Inca times, and anyone from the local community can farm and harvest salt on their own plot.
Eventually, we arrived at Ollantaytambo to take the two hour train ride on Peru Rail to Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the town everyone must pass through to get to Machu Picchu. There are no roads to get there; visitors have to take the Vistadome, Backpacker train, or the luxurious Hiram Bingham train (~$700), unless hiking the Inca Trail. You can actually catch the train in Cusco, but we found it cheaper to start at Ollantayambo instead. Although we would not call it cheap by any means; tickets had to be booked ahead of time and were $50 there and $70 back per person on the Vistadome.
The train tracks follow the river, cutting through the mountain range. The scenery was quite gorgeous. I just could not believe we were actually in Peru and going to visit Machu Picchu!
We arrived in Aguas Calientes the afternoon before visiting the ancient city. Personally, I would not want to spend more than a night here. It is a tourist town, and generally speaking, the food is expensive and not very good (we shared a $10 pizza snack that I could barely stomach). However, there are some picturesque scenes to be found, like this church.
And with the train tracks running through town, there is never a quiet moment.
We stayed at Ecopackers because it was the right price and close to the bus station. The room we were assigned was on the second floor underneath the bar and on the outside of the building next to the train tracks. Fortunately, they were able to switch us to a lower, inside room, and we slept well. It was nothing special, but the beds were the most comfortable of any hostel we have stayed at.
We purchased bus tickets the night before for $19 per person, and the next morning, we were in line by 4:50-5 a.m. to catch the first buses at 5:30 a.m. up to Machu Picchu. Even then, we were the last ones to get on the second bus (I believe they take four buses to the top right away).
Once at the top there was a little wait before the gates opened. Tickets are not for sale at the gate. They have to be purchased ahead of time here for $50 and tend to sell out in advance as only 2,500 people are allowed in per day. Helpful hint if you ever go: purchase tickets in Spanish using this website. The English version does not work.
After spending most of the morning at Machu Picchu, we caught the bus ride back down to Aguas Calientes and went on a search to find some decent and inexpensive food. After a quick internet search, we learned that there was local food at the market. So we went to find it via the side staircase that leads to a large room on the upper floor.
After scoping out the options, we had a winner. We paid $2 a person to have lunch cooked by a lovely Peruvian woman. It was almost like being a guest in her kitchen, and the lomo saltado was delicious.
And then we caught some of the World Cup game in the town square before riding the train back to Ollantaytambo. More on this quaint town to come...
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