Cuzco City
As the plane approaches Cuzco airport, the ancient city appears in a cauldron-shaped valley hidden high in the Andes Mountains. Cuzco is a fascinating town declared a World Heritage Site filled with balconied colonial houses, traditional churches and ethnic museums and the magnificent cathedral which overlooks the Plaza de Armas. A lively atmosphere with a vast choice of restaurants, streets lined with colourful handicrafts, some marvellous food markets, and indigenous Quechua ladies posing for photos with cute baby alpacas just about sums it up.
Climb up through the winding old back streets into the countryside and the ancestral inheritance of the Inca Empire unfolds. Major archaeological sites within a few kilometres of Cuzco include the stone-walled Sacsayhuaman Fort and temple complex or Qènqo sacred sanctuary, PukaPukara Red Fort and the Tambomachay Inca baths – hike to the ruins if you’re feeling fit or book a convenient city tour. Juan and I had an amazing morning horse riding through the hills to the Inca’s Face Rock and the Moon Temple.
Temple of the Moon
Pisac (Sacred Valley)
Urubamba Valley is not far away. The ‘Sacred Valley of the Incas’ follows the Urubamba River westward towards Machu Picchu. The first stop is Pisac an hour’s bus ride from Cuzco, it’s a quaint town backed by a legendary citadel and ruins of an ancient settlement. The Andean weekly craft market is held in Pisac on Sundays; the morning we went over, an agriculture fair was in full swing too – homegrown produce, livestock competitions, traditional dancing and folk eating traditional Peruvian food cooked at busy stalls!
Pisac Fair
Getting to Machu Picchu from Cuzco
I always plan my own travel itinerary and then contact a local tour guide when we need an expert to show us around. On this occasion, Sunshine Travel Peru in Cuzco, a long-established and licensed tour agency with an office just off the main cathedral square Plaza de Armas, was an enormous help. They have a friendly, efficient service and tailor-made our fabulous 2-night tour.
There are only 3 ways of getting to Machu Picchu…hiking, train or road, and any combination of the 3!
Hiking: The challenging Inca Trail hike requires the necessary permits and you must be accompanied by an authorized guide. It’s essential to book in advance.
Train: Peru Rail runs a frequent service from Cuzco along the Sacred Valley and up to Aguas Caliente (Machu Picchu town). The ticket is expensive, however it is a scenic route, the safest and most comfortable option, and obviously the best way for families who are travelling to Machu Picchu with kids.
Minibus: a pocket-friendly and adventurous alternative along an unnerving mountain track with a 10 km trek at the end.
Guess what we chose!
The ‘Hydorelectric’ Trail to Machu Picchu Town
Luz Cornejo, the lovely lady who runs Sunshine Travel Peru organised everything… the minibus picked us up from our Cuzco hostel early in the morning and drove along paved roads to Ollantaytambo where a Spanish couple on the Sacred Valley tour joined us. From here it’s a long dusty ride along a dirt mountain road which precariously follows a deep river canyon, past remote Santa Teresa village and on to the hydroelectric waterfall where the trail ends. A quick lunch at one of the outdoor tourist restaurants and then we set off along the path beside a railway line to Aguas Caliente. It’s a very scenic walk along the flat route, with river views and Machu Picchu peak as a backdrop in the distance. Even so, common sense hiking tips come in handy, particularly if you’re a solo woman traveller on your first trek in the Andes.
We reached Aguas Calientes at dusk, a lively town serving the millions of tourists that reach here every year. There are lots of smart over-priced restaurants but by going for dinner early we were invited to a 50% discount and free Pisco Sours! The first bus leaves for Machu Picchu citadel at 05.30 although people start queuing much earlier. Alternatively, you can trek up the steep trail through woods to the entrance of the UNESCO site (on this occasion it was pouring down and only a few backpackers were doing the arduous uphill hike in the rain).
Machu Picchu World Heritage Site
Entrance tickets should be purchased well in advance as the number of visitors is restricted – these are half-day passes. The morning option is better, starting at 6 am no one actually checks when you leave. The popular Waynapicchu and Machu Picchu Mountain trails have an extra cost and are often booked up weeks beforehand. Some two strenuous hours up through thick mist to Machu Picchu summit was worth the effort as the views were stunning as the sun came out and the haze cleared!
Sitting on the grass with the ruins spread out before me, I couldn’t believe I was actually here gazing at the iconic peak! Dating to 1460, Machu Picchu was originally built by the Incas as a royal estate. You can spend hours walking around the complex imagining how life must have been…ritual stones, ceremonial altars and an astronomic clock aligned with the constellations hold the key to the mysteries of a time long past. The extraordinary array of mythical temples and dry stone outbuildings are surrounded by terraced landscape ingeniously designed to provide crops… llamas now graze peacefully in this idyllic setting obliviously posing in ‘selfies’ with enthusiastic tourists at one of the most visited places on Earth.
Sunshine Travel Peru has an extensive agenda of professionally organized tours and hikes from Cuzco, including the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. For more info see www.sunshineperutravel.com
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