Day One in Peru - Cuzco to Aguas Calientes

We arrive in Cuzco and hit the ground running - remember that Amazing Race comment? We get to the taxi area as quick as we can and nab a taxi and tell him that we need to get to the PeruRail station in 30 minutes -- can he do that? We know it is in Poroy, on the other side of Cuzco, and we have no idea about traffic. Ugh. He says he can do it, and we pay extra for the “fast” part, and we are off --- goodness, what a mad dash through a city. My knuckles turn white as I hold onto the seat in order to not be thrown into Mister on the switchbacks climbing out of Cuzco. There are no seat belts in the back seat and Mister is trying to take pictures out the car windows. We are caught in the morning rush to work and school with people and dogs running everywhere as we zip through very poor residential sections. Our eyes cannot take it all in and we are both pointing at things and trying to get each others attention.

We know we are coming back to Cuzco in a few days so we settle back and visit with the cabbie. We are heading to the town of Poroy, about 13km from Cuzco for the train station. The train used to go into Cuzco and follow the same route we are taking by car, complete with switchbacks, but has ceased doing so. According to the cabbie, it started shaking the adobe houses to pieces and so was eliminated – another reason we heard was that the people didn't like the government taking over the rail service, so they would throw things at the train as it snaked through the switchbacks. Not sure about the accuracy of either one, but the homes are right next to the tracks and certainly falling apart.

Incredibly, we do arrive in Poroy with time to spare for our train. We go into the station and start to feel the altitude for the first time. We had gone from 550' in Dallas to 55' in Houston to 350' in Lima -- no big change there. However, now sitting in Poroy, we notice a little unbalance and our heads feel fuzzy. We were now over 11,200'. That is up there. After purchasing the first of many bottles of water, we boarded the train and settled in the Vista-dome car. It's a nice car with curved windows in the ceiling and large comfortable seats.

They didn't allow me to keep my bag with me and for some reason that was driving me nuts. So I got up and took everything out of my bag that was identity or financial related and put them in the day-pack Mister was carrying. Okay, now I could relax and if all my clothes disappeared so be it. The train departed for Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo - elevation 6,700') which was 70 miles away and would take 3 1/2 hours. Time to sit back and enjoy the scenery.

They serve a little food snack and drinks. The food is a quinuoa salad and some small potatoes on toothpicks with cubes of cheese at either end. Drinks were coffee, tea, and sodas. Mister had the Inca Cola, a bubble-gum flavored soda found throughout Peru.

The snacks and the rest helped our moods, and the train drops elevation quickly, following the Urubamba river and it's almost constant white water rapids. We pass through many micro-ecosystems during the trip; from farm land to forest to desert to jungle. The Inca Trail, the original path used by the Incas, comes in and out of view during our trip.

This route is also used by a local train service (tourists not allowed) so we go through many small train stops where we see classic Peruvian women selling produce and kids in school uniforms running to class. Our only stop is at Ollantaytambo, a small village that has some very well-preserved Incan ruins. A few people get off and we pick up many tourists who have stayed here and are visiting Machu Picchu for the day. 

I fall asleep for a short nap as we continue our descent into Aguas Calientes. I wake up to Mister darting through the train to try and capture the Century plants on camera. They have bloomed and their size is fascinating him.

We arrive around noon. The “town” is wedged into a narrow valley, with tall peaks and the river splitting the town into tourist and local areas. Aguas Calientes is the gateway to Machu Picchu. To get up to the ruins early in the morning, you have to spend the night here, so it is full of small rustic hostels and restaurants. You have to walk through the market to leave the station. It is a compact maze of stalls selling souvenirs and everything alpaca. We pass by a small church and the tiny town square and walk up an alley to our hostel, Gringo Bill's.



Nothing is flat or level here. The hostel is built into the valley wall, so each room is on a different level. This is our first of many days walking up and/or down stairs of every shape and size. Oh, did I tell you the only fat people we've seen are tourists? Makes sense now. The room is small but clean. We even have a private bath with a shower. I plug in the heater (it's Autumn in Peru and the dampness makes it feel cold) and we both take a well-deserved nap on a real bed, the first since ours in Dallas almost 36 hours ago.

The rest helps with the altitude adjustment too -- when we wake, we are both more stable but I am starving and it is affecting my good humor. We know that we have to go down to the government offices to make sure our Machu Picchu tickets are valid and also to the bus depot to purchase tickets for the bus the next morning so off we go - back down the stairs, through the passageway, and out onto the plaza.

There is a statue of Pachacuteq (a very famous Inca whose name means "he who moves the Earth” and was instrumental in the growth of the Inca Empire through the building of cities and monuments such as Machu Picchu) in the center of the square and is often the perch of many pigeons looking for a handout.

The plaza is also housing tents that are a makeshift hospital while the building is being worked on and there was a different tent for each department. The government offices are right on the plaza so we are able to quickly verify that our tickets will indeed work (that had been the one purchase we made from home before leaving and they wouldn't print right so Mister had to do a screen print and we just want to make dang sure they would be accepted).

Next, off to the bus depot down around the corner near the river. We quickly pick up tickets for the next morning to go to Machu Picchu. The ticket is any bus that day -- just line up and load one bus after another. We want to get up there early to watch the sunrise and to avoid the day tourists from Cuzco, so we plan to grab one of the first, starting at 5:30am.

It's already dark, and we are searching for dinner - woohoo. Indio Feliz (Happy Indian) is right around the corner from our hostel. French-Peruvian fare and a chance to recharge. The restaurant is hidden off of one of the two main streets in the town (street almost indicates traffic, but this is only foot traffic) and has a quiet brick walkway entrance that is very welcoming. When we walk in, the first thing we notice is that the walls, ceilings, and columns in the first room are covered with business cards. Wow. We go through this room and are shown a table in the Captains Bar which is beautifully decorated (http://www.indiofeliz.com/en-restaurant-machu-picchu) and not too busy as it is still early evening and many people are still at siesta.

Mister has forgotten the camera and so runs back to the hotel to retrieve it while I select some wine to start the evening. When he returns, we order our meal - Brochette de boeuf au poivre en sauce de sirop de Caroubier for Mister (ha ha Beef Kabob) and Poulet à la mangue de la forêt de Quillabamba (Mango Chicken) for me. We order them a la carte instead of the 3-course meals. We are inundated with trays of food for each of us. A fresh potato chip, veggies, and rice are in the side dishes that are brought and our table is covered with food. The food is delicious and I eat everything except the rice as I am completely stuffed. The wine never does show up - so we order a bottle of water and finish our meal. When the check is delivered, they have charged for the wine, so we let them know that it wasn't been received and the owner is instantly at our table wanting to make things right. He takes the price off our check and then delivers a bottle of wine complimentary to us. We sit back and watch the different stories playing out in front of us while sipping on the wine as our dessert. Nice.

 Then, back to the hotel to shower and get out of the clothes we have been in since starting out. Oh my, being clean sure feels nice. Then,off to bed at the very late hour of 8:00. We are absolutely exhausted and have to be up at 4:00 to get to the bus on time.