Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is everything we have heard and more.

Our guide is excellent explaining the history from the pastt when it was the Incan capital, how it had managed to escape the spanish conquest, to its abandonment, and finally to its rediscovery in 1915 by American explorer Hirim Bingham. When it was rediscovered, the site was totally covered with jungle type vegetation and home to many poisonous snakes.

After spending a few hrs. exploring we head back to town. We were lucky to explore the ruins in relative privacy because around noon the train from Cusco came in and with it about a thousand tourists who soon made their way to Machu Picchu. We did however head back up, because we forgot to have our passports stamped with the official Machu Picchu stamp. We decided to walk back to town and ended up almost running down the stone steps so we would get back before dark. As we walked into town it was getting dark.

We stayed in Aguas Calientes one more day as it is a very interesting town. There are no cars, just a few buses to take the tourists up to the ruins. The train runs right up the middle of the street.

The next day we take the train back to Cusco. What a lovely city Cusco is, with its friendly people, lively markets, great restaurants where two can dine for about $10. including drinks.

The next day we decide to head to Urubamba, about one and a half hrs. away in the sacred valley to meet a shaman recommended by friends in Canada. We had phoned him and he gave us directions to his place, as it turned out a beautiful retreat he had built. To get there by local bus was only 3 Soles about $1.25.

Yeaterday, May 2'nd we planned to return to Lima by plane and found out our flight has been canceled. Luckily after abit of scrambling we got another flight on a better airline for the same price. Ah too soon our trip will be over.