Our Peru Adventure - Machu Picchu

After spending our first two days in Ollantaytambo on the third day of our Peruvian adventure we headed to Machu Picchu. 

Entrance tickets for Machu Picchu are divided by 3 main circuits. Each circuit follows a certain route, each circuit also has sub routes. You can purchase multiple circuits and sub routes depending on how much you want to explore. We choose Circuit 2 - The Classic Route. 

Considering it is the Classic Route it sells out quickly and I was a tad late even though I was buying a few months in advance. The only available time for the 7am ticket.

So we had a 4am wake up call. The hotel gave us some fruit to take with us and ordered us a tuki tuki. 

By 4:40 we were at our train ready to board. It was a very easy process. I had booked our train tickets with Peru Rail. Since we were planning on sleeping through this leg of our journey I choose to buy a lower class Expedition ticket. 

We ate our fruit and ordered some coffee and then tired to sleep. It was a 90 minute journey. The train was a little squeaky and bumpy but it was clean.

Once in Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu and where the train station is, we had to board a bus. The bus tickets I had also purchased in advance. The bus is 30 minutes long and takes you the entrance of the ruins.    

IMPORTANT NOTE - you must carry your passport with you. Not a picture.. the actual passport. We felt perfectly safe while travelling through Peru with our passport. 

Now, many people do the famous Inca trail where they hike from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. It is four days long, there are shorter hikes that have been created as well but we are not those people. Some even opted out of the bus and hiked up to Machu Picchu.. again.. not that kinda people. We like our creature comforts. And that is okay. You do not have to hike to MP to experience it. We all have to do what works best for us. 

The bus ride was uneventful. Once at the entrance our tickets and passports were checked and stamped and that was that. Now we were allowed to stay within Machu Picchu for as long as we wanted.

Machu Picchu, the "Lost City of the Incas," is a fascinating historical site with several intriguing facts. It was built by the Inca Empire between 1400 and 1500 AD and was used as a religious and ceremonial site, as well as a center for agricultural and residential purposes. The site's name, "Machu Picchu," translates to "Old Mountain"

The Spanish conquistadors destroyed most Inca sites like Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, and Pisaq. However, Machu Picchu was never found thanks to its hidden location, making it one of the Incas’ best-preserved archaeological treasures.

Hiram Bingham III is credited with the rediscovery of Machu Picchu in 1911. Although local Peruvians were aware of the site, Bingham's expedition brought widespread recognition and initiated scientific studies.

Once we were done observing Machu Picchu from up above. We ventured into the ruins. 

Machu Picchu was built without the use of wheels or metal tools. Machu Picchu sits atop two fault lines in a region prone to earthquakes. Despite this, the site has survived numerous earthquakes. The stones in Inca buildings are said to "dance" during an earthquake, meaning they move slightly and then settle back into place without collapsing. 

That above is where we came from, making our way down to the ruins. The crowds had increased.. so while it may not have been convenient to wake up that early it definitely helped us beat all the crowds. 

There are over 20 llamas that live and roam free in Machu Picchu. 

We were done in a little over two hours and grabbed a bus back to Aguas Calientes. We walked around for a bit. It seemed so very commercial compared to our little haven of Ollantaytambo. 

Very impromptu we decided to get massages. It was $20 for 30 mins. This was a first time for the boys. We were put in a family room. It was a fun random addition to the trip. H loved it. D said meh. 

A little more strolling before we decided to have lunch. We ate at Mapacho Craft Beer Restaurant. It set wedged between the train station and the Vilcanota River. 

Giant salt roasted corn nuts.. they came to our table piping hot and so good. 

Chicha Morada - a drink made of purple corn juice and spiced with cloves and cinnamon. This was a new favorite for M and I. It would have tasted better with ice but as I said earlier.. tap water was a big no no in Peru. 

At 1:30 pm we caught our train back to Ollantaytambo. This time we had booked a Vista Dome with Peru Rail.. it was at a higher price point but not only offered great views, they also offered free refreshments, snacks, live band and a fashion show. 

Once we were back in Ollantaytambo we stopped at the Bus Stop Coffee Shop one last time.. I got myself another cookie and then we headed to the hotel. We only reemerged for dinner. We had a hankering for pizza.

And so we wrapped up our day. Next up...a tour of the Sacred Valley. 

                                Etsy           Instagram           Twitter           Redbubble           Zazzle