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.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! Local buses run along the valley to small historical towns with renowned sites such as Chinchero, or Ollantaytambo some 75 km from Cuzco and the last amazing outpost before Machu Picchu town. Maras, Salineras and the giant terraced concave agricultural rings of Moray are worth a visit too. Sacred Valley day trips are available from Cuzco if you are looking for a guided tour.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.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.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!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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