We rose with the sun again today, this time to make it to the Poroy Station on time to catch the luxury train Hiram Bingham on its route to the town of Aguas Calientes. When you step onto it, you feel as if you had walked back in time a couple centuries ago, almost like being on the Orient Express.
It really is incredible. You can sit at a table in the dining car and watch the Sacred Valley go by. Plus, all the food and amenities you could imagine… it made us feel like we were queens! We also sang and danced in the caboose with some very friendly musicians, practically having our own party on the train. Ha ha! In a couple of hours and after a couple of delicious meals, we finally made it to our destination. There at the town we hopped a bus which took us up to the city of Machu Picchu.
As you climb, you feel the nearby mountains surround you, towering and shimmering in green, an absolute wonder to anyone anywhere in the valley. You can’t see anything of the ruins as you climb, but once at the top… words just fail to describe it! It’s impressive, indescribable. Photos don’t do it justice either. You have to be there in person and see it with your own eyes. My beloved Machu Picchu… for so long now I have wanted to see you, and now there it was, before me.
We walked down countless streets, passed by numerous terraces, and checked out several little nooks and crannies. I was thinking that we will come back again tomorrow. There’s just so much to see, and you have to take your time to do it right. I was also thinking we will try to climb the other mountain, Wayna Picchu, if our legs let us. They say the view from there is even better. Today, we lodged at the Sumaq Hotel, a country style, lovely establishment, painted in oranges and yellows, with dark wood and Incan motifs throughout. We had great views of the Urubamba River, too.
P.S. Our love affair with ceviche is daily becoming more intense. Today we got the recipe, thanks to the hotel’s maître d’.
