Day Three in Peru - Ollantaytambo to Cuzco

We leave the hotel in the dark again and weave our way through the closed market stalls on the way to the train station. We are in the Expedition car this trip and so we settle in on the opposite side of the car to have a different view of the Sacred Valley as we go back up the mountain.

The trip takes about 2 1/2 hours to go half the distance we traveled getting here two days ago. Seems odd, but it is all up hill.

We arrive in Ollantaytambo around 8 and watch a group of porters unload one of the train cars full of camping equipment. This stop is on the Inca Trail, and must be close to camping spots. The packs look large and heavy, we are glad to just watch. PeruRail wouldn't hold our bags while we explored, so we cross the street and find this little gem of a hostel right on the main road to the ruins that is run by a brother and sister (El Bosque). After our broken Spanish explanation, he is happy to hold our bags for 2-3 hours while we explore the town.

We take off in the direction of the ruins stopping to admire flowers along the way and also to grab a juice. As we cross the river on a very old walking bridge, the ruins come into view. We walk through the plaza and for some reason I don't see the entrance and head down a road that all the tour buses and collectivos (shared buses that are all over Peru)are traveling on.







It takes me around the walls of the ruins and we come upon a solid concrete soccer stadium and a bull-fighting ring made of stone. Pretty cool way to get lost. I see a couple of locals walking down to their homes and point at the walls of the ruins and gesture/ask how to get in -- they send me back around to where I came from and sure enough -- there is the entrance. It is nice to get “lost” because we always find interesting things that way, like the bull-fighting ring. We go up to ask about tickets to the ruins and find out that they are only available in a package that includes 16 other sites and it is pretty pricey. We know that we are not going to use the other places and for some strange reason, you cannot purchase just the one location, so what to do? I get frustrated and go to sit down and study our itinerary and see if we will possibly go to any of the other places while in Cuzco. As I am doing this,

Mister talks with a young man named Daniel that is offering to take us to the other side of the city and up into the mountains to the "free" ruins. He is well educated about the area, so we take his offer and head into the old part of the city.

Oh my -- it is amazing. These are the original Inca walls and they are still being used today. People live in all the homes and so we get a glimpse into everyday life in Ollantaytambo. We enter one home to see the workmanship of the Incas and I am shocked to see guinea pigs running everywhere. Ugh -- we had those as pets and it's hard for me to picture that they are being raised to eat. We continue through the town and come to a very old staircase that leads us up the opposite side of the valley from the temple ruins and so we start climbing.

Dang, I had hoped to not do so many stairs today. Oh well. As we come out into the open on the side of the mountain, we are in the ruins of the townspeople from Inca times and we are also able to view the temple ruins across the way. Daniel is a great guide and gives us plenty of historic information and does it with such passion that you cannot help but like him.

We start our descent back down the mountain and Daniel delivers us into the city square and recommends a place for lunch. We say our good-byes and sit down to relax and enjoy the square while eating.

Roni is the owner, and his wife is the cook. We order cokes, a grilled chicken sandwich and a lemon panqueque, which turns out to be like a crepe. The food is good and Roni is very nice. Through pantomime he tells us we are welcome to sit as long as we like. It was a nice shaded patio, and after the climbing and early start, it was a nice siesta.









We were able to observe the town life going on right in front of us as Peruvian women walk by with their many bundles on their backs and handcarts of fresh meat are pushed through the square to the restaurant destinations.

While resting, we meet Alberto, a Swede who was there to promote his plan to switch the local farmers from coca production to coco. Removing the coca from Peru is a goal of the government and he said his plan was the best. Mister shared a Cusquena beer with him and we chatted for awhile.






We need to start heading to Cuzco, so we say our goodbyes and wander back down the street to collect our bags and find a colectivo. We find one and pile in, along with a few other people, and off we go for the 45 minute drive to Cuzco. We have the whole bench seat, so I stretch my legs and we enjoy the scenery. We go through many towns and farming areas. Oxen are being used to plow the fields and groups of workers are in other fields harvesting the potato crops.

We are dropped in a town square and Mister only has a street address for a hostel he had read about. We flag down a few taxis until we find one who knows the address. We agree on a price and we climb in. Taxis don't use meters, you say where you want to go and agree upon a price before you get in. When we arrive at the hostel, the large wooden door is locked. Mister knocks and then goes around the corner to an internet cafe to see if then can help. It is Sunday, we are told, and many places close for the day. I stay with the bags as Mister walks up the street to find another hostel. He is asked by a group of college-age kids if he needs help (more Peru helpfulness). I guess he looked pretty lost. They knew the hostel, so one of the girls called them and told us to go back and the man would be at the door. We get back to find they are booked. He makes a few calls but they are booked as well. He lets us use their internet to search for a place.

We find the Pachan Hostel in the business area of town, still walking distance to the main square and the tourist sights. Well, “business” wasn't what Mister had planned. It turned out to be a busy street with shops and a gas station right next door. The room was up a few floors, and with no windows out onto the street, the room was quiet.

We had used up our Soles, and we were worn out, so we collect our chips and snacks and bottled water and have a quick but meager meal, shower, and were asleep before 9pm (we must be old).

Day Two in Peru - Machu Picchu

It's dark as we leave the hotel and enter the plaza.

The only people out and about are heading to the same place we are. The buses. We round the corner at around 5:15 and the line is already snaking up the street. Mister heads into a little shop for some juice and then joins me in line. There are Peruvian ladies selling fresh breads and coffee up and down the line. It doesn't take long and they start loading the buses. We are in the fourth one leaving at around 5:40 to head up the mountain side on a single lane dirt road full of switchbacks.

It starts to get light as we rise out of the valley and start to meet the first buses returning for more passengers. The drivers maneuver their buses on the narrow road. They are really practiced at this as it goes on all day everyday. It is not quite 6 yet so we line up and wait for the 6am opening. People are quietly visiting and we watch as the trail survivors start wandering in – you can walk up to the ruins, but it's steps all the way. Whew.


The gates open and we make our way to the entrance. As we stop on one of the terraces, we are greeted by a llama looking over the edge at us.

Mister and I grab a photo and then head back to take the trail further up for better views and to watch the sunrise.

The view is breathtaking. I am instantly so very glad that we did this. I am fascinated by the reserve of the tourists who are up here this early.

 

Most are not entering the actual ruins, but quietly taking up spots surrounding the monument to watch as the sun does its magic. It is almost reverent. I find a spot perched over the edge on a rock and sit down to watch the wonder of it all. So peaceful -- so grand -- so awe inspiring. Once the sun is up, we head down into the ruins. We follow our guidebook and head out. We take our time and enjoy each moment of the place and talk about how incredible it is that it is even there.

The terraces are mind-boggling in their own right and Mister is fascinated with the rock work of the Incas. We marvel at the intricacy of the work the Incas did and the absolute overwhelming size of the task. How did they do this?









There is a plumbing system that is carved into the rock and it travels through the entire city as a small stream and into a bathing area before going into the jungle. The joists for the roofs have "rock" logs to tie the thatch coverings on -- really? What a tremendous effort. We spend the entire morning wandering the city and finding so many little things that cause us to go hmm. Absolutely one of the most incredible things I have ever been privy to experience in my lifetime.

Around noon, we are tiring from all the stairs and so decide to head back to the entrance, grab a cup of ice cream to share and wait for our bus to load to head back down into town. It has been such a great morning -- one that truly gives pause to the thought of a wish to travel back in time and see the city as it functioned on a daily basis. We board the bus and head back down the mountain, stop in at the hotel to shed some clothes as it has certainly warmed up and even though Mister shed one shirt up at the top, we are quite warm still. A quick freshen up and it's lunch time.

We wander up restaurant row and stop in a little Peruvian restaurant that serves alpaca as Mister wants to give that a try. The alpaca was definitely well done, but all in all, not that bad. They also serve cuy (guinea pig) and Mister wants to try it as well, but said he would give it a try another time as we just want a light meal to share.

They had this really old pizza oven in the corner and the fire was going but I never saw a pizza go into it. It was used to heat up other dishes. 

After our meal, we walk down to the train station for tickets back to Cuzco. We find a train to Ollantaytambo early in the morning and decide to stop there and explore the ruins there before heading to Cuzco. Another early morning with a 5:30 departure.

Walking back to the hotel takes us through the market again and I am now ready to find some alpaca items -- I had spotted some nice scarves the day before and Mister had spotted something he wanted for his mom as well. We find the items again (not such an easy task if you can picture hundreds of market stalls in a maze), make our purchases and drop the items off at the hotel.

We decide to walk up to the hot springs that the town is named for.We follow the path up into the jungle, although Mister is a bit disappointed to not see any wildlife. He would be happy with a lizard but it is not meant to be.

 On the way to the springs, we pass many shops that rent swimsuits and towels if we want to jump in. We pass -- just want some photos. The walk is enjoyable and as we come back into town, we cross the river and wander up into where the locals lived.

As we round a corner we can tell that an event is going on and it turns out to be a soccer game between two local adult teams. Well, we walk up some steps to the stands and watch for awhile. It is fun to be so immersed in the local culture as we are pretty much the only outsiders attending. People are packed into the stands and on the other side they sit on the hill with banners, flags, and a small band. This is serious stuff.

 

We are delighted with the game as we watch, but my goodness it is rough. Also, it is played on an artificial turf over cement and so you knew the falls have to hurt. It is great fun and we get caught up in the game and are yelling right along with everyone else.

We continue on and walk the rest of the city. It is getting dark as we arrive back so we decide to go to Toto's for dinner and just have a light pizza as we need to pack and get to bed for an early day tomorrow.

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.

Peru -- Here we come - Dallas to Lima

Three days notice and we are off. Not too much planned, no hotels, just a route to the main destination. We are off on an adventure to Peru! Wow!!! Are we really doing this? Just hopping a plane and doing the whole "Amazing Race" thing, lol? We are. And it is just way too cool. We leave home at 3:30 in the morning for DFW and get checked in for a stand-by flight at 6. After security, we sit down and I do a quick check on the flight and suddenly the "open" flight to Houston that we need has closed up. Hmm -- so, another flight that I was not aware of is just leaving and I hear them call stand-bys so I walk up to the gate agent and ask if we can hop that one instead. As her fingers click over the keys on her computer, I have a moment of worry --- first flight and we are already changing things --- does this bode well? She looks up and asks me where my husband is and says, "go get him" as she hands me boarding passes. So, were are off to Houston. One advantage to not checking luggage.


The one and only United flight to Lima departs Houston each day at 4:00 in the afternoon and it is now 7 am. We havea long day at the airport ahead of us so we head down to the end of a terminal and find a corner near windows that is deserted and set up camp. First things first -- I buy a blanket and pillow and we settle in on the floor and sleep for awhile. Perhaps we should be studying Spanish, but instead we rest and talk.

Time passes quickly (yep, it does) and after grabbing our last American food for awhile, we are headed to South America. Naturally, Mister goes right to sleep as I settle in with a movie. Shortly, the flight attendants arrive with dinner and then it is just relax and rest. We arrive in Lima at 10:30 pm. and go through customs without a hitch. After a brief stop at the information desk to figure out how and where to purchase train tickets to Aguas Calientes, we go to the LAN Airlines ticket counter for our connecting flight to Cuzco The staff there are amazing and tell us that we will have to wait until 1:30 am. to see if there are any seats available on the 5:30 flight the next morning.

You can't go to the gate area without a boarding pass, so we are told to head up to the food court area to spend the night. Quite a few crazies are doing the same thing and there are people trying to sleep in many nooks and crannies of the shopping area. Sitting in the food court and watching people is interesting and the security is an obvious presence. After some money changing so that we will have cash when we land in Cuzco, we enjoy a soda and then take turns resting and being on baggage watch until Mister goes down to see if we can get seats on the flight. Yep -- and so off through security we go.

Now, airport security in Lima is totally different than in the U.S. and we love it. Quick and easy -- no invasion of privacy and yet everyone feels perfectly safe. Go figure. The PeruRail kiosk is within the secure area, so we stop on the way to the gate. After a few minutes of pantomime and Tarzan Spanish (the man speaks no English), we find out their system is down so "come back at 4". We are off to the gate area, stretch out on the seats - another smart approach and kudos to Lima as the seats don't have armrests between them and you can lay down all the way - and crash. Once again, people are stretched out everywhere trying to go back to sleep.

The next thing I knoew, Mister is waking me up to watch bags while he goes to get the train tickets. There are only three trains a day going to Aguas Calientes, so we need the tickets to make sure we can get on the last train. I wait and wait and soon the area fills up with people. Gate agents arrive and flight crews are boarding on several flights. Hmm -- where is Mister? I watch the many beautiful attendants for the various airlines and admire their uniforms and sleek look while I wait. Soon, our flight starts boarding and so what to do now? I have both bags and I know that Mister is up two flights of stairs and I can't leave them. So I put mine on my back and lug his up the stairs to find him waiting in line and no counter person there. We don't know what to do, but I leave his bag with him and got back down to watch for when he will have to give up and join me. After about another 10 minutes, I go to check on him again, knowing we are almost out of time.

This time the ticket agent is there, but was just booting up his computer and at least Mister is first in line. I tell him I will ask the gate agent to wait as long as possible and I head back down. Dang, hiking up and down stairs with this pack on my back isn't too much fun. The flight starts "boarding" and so I get in line and watch like crazy for him to come down the stairs. Soon, he comes running with his bag and rail tickets in hand and we go through the door to board the plane. But wait, no plane. Instead we board a bus? My first taste of Peruvian hospitality when we board the bus and a gentleman points to a seat in the corner for me so that I don't have to stand. Cool.

The bus departs the terminal and heads past old hangars and out onto the tarmac. Soon, the bus stops at our plane and out we go -- up the stairs and onto the plane. We have a 20 minute delay and Mister and I both look at each other as we have a limited amount of time to get from the airport to the train station outside of Cuzco All we can do is sit back and hope the plane makes up time. The snack box on the plane has cookies and crackers, a nice touch for only a one hour flight.

Mother's Day At White Rock Lake

Jen and crew were up in Dallas visiting for Mother's Day and so when Cass and Scott arrived we all went to White Rock Lake for a chance to walk around and the kids to let off some energy.  It was a beautiful day - perfect for playing and chatting.