Nothing to compare to Machu Picchu.. We had decided to tackle Machu Picchu from further into the Sacred Valley rather than travelling all the way from Cusco so on our second day in the city we headed off to a small town called Ollantaytambo It was a bumpy ride on a collectivo minibus filled with locals and tourists alike but through some lovely scenery and when we got there we were really pleased we had made the journey (R: I was also pleased the lady in front of me who had brought several hundred eggs on board made the journey without dropping them) C: The town was originally Incan and the small streets still adhere to the Backpackers and Inca ladys wander the streets togetherpattern set down over 500 years ago so lots of sweet alleyways and cobbly walkways with streams running down channels alongside them It was built in a small valley and there are still Incan remains on the mountainsides at the edge of the town Our guest house had a very traditional feel and had beautiful Peruvian fabrics everywhere On the final day there we climbed up to the ruins on the mountainside which used to be Incan graneries So the next day was Macchu Picchu I was particularly excited as I think for me this was the main motivation for coming to South America and certainly the site I had most looked forward to We took the hideously expensive (tourist trap but who can blame them) train at 745 and reached the small town below MP after about an hour and a half There were then numerous coaches to shuttle you up the mountain It was a drab town so we headed straight on We had been about worried about the weather apparently sometimes the whole thing can be covered in cloud but it was fine It can often be a bit of a anticlimax actually seeing something you've Qorikancha - Cuscoseen so many pictures and videos of but this really wasn't The setting is what makes it A huge complex of ruins on a ridge between two picture perfect cloudforest-covered mountains surrounded by lots more mountains It was spectacular There are loads of walkways and although you have to climb (a lot) you get to see the area from a multitude of different viewpoints The buildings themselves aren't massively spectacular but what's so amazing is the feat of engineering that caused them to be there It's 2400m above sea level and 450m down to the river valley It amazes me how the Incas had the ingenuity and the capability to build what would have been considered a city at that elevation and everywhere looked you could see how they had adapted to the surroundings most obviously with the row upon row of agricultural terraces down the mountainside We had about six hours in total and although we had been encouraged to get there early it was actually better in the afternoon because there were less tourists We must have taken over 100 photos don't worry I'll make Roger do some serious editing before subjects you to any of them but Street Art - Cuscowe were also content just to sit for a while and take it all in It was an expensive part of our trip and some of the logistics especially afterwards were tricky but we are both so glad we made it R: I also did the extra walk up Huana Picchu the mountain you can see in the background of most pictures of MP You have to pay extra for this and they only release 400 tickets per day so I had booked in advance The walk up takes about 15 minutes and gives a different look over the valley and temple complex It's made more difficult by the number of steep drops and lowper Oxygen levels due to altitude To be honest we didn't have any real trouble with the altitude except I found it harder to catch my breath on the walk I also attempted to walk Wayna Picchu the higher of the two mountains but the trail was filled with inexperienced walkers and there weren't many passing places I had told Cate that I would be down in an hour and this definitely wasn't possible Also to improve the mood several of the walkers were playing Mirador de Cuscomusic loudly through their iPhones as they walked which wasn't that fun for everyone else So I got to a good view point before turning around But Huana Picchu was so peaceful by comparison and there was just me and one other American up there We chatted for a while but soon we just stopped and enjoyed being free from all the tourists while taking in the view We also enjoyed watching the llamas lolloping around Macchu Picchu They were taking it much more in their stride than most of the sweaty tourists On our return to Cusco we had Peruvian tapas which was delicious Alpaca carpaccio was a favourite having eaten Alpaca a few days before from a menu called the "Love the Alpaca" menu I'm still not quite sure if it was the right way to love them Tapas also included other traditional Peruvian dishes but not a whole baked Guinea pig thankfully Previous Entry Next Entry Additional photos belowPhotos: 24 Displayed: 24 Advertisement We had lunch Llamas on he stairsin one which had a cafe in it which Roger particularly enjo
