Matchu Pitchu

Had a quick breakfast at the hostel before walking 20 minutes to the train station to catch the 6.50am train. We were on the cheapest “backpacker” class train but it was quite comfortable. Just like any train really. Even had a trolley pushed along the carriage to sell drinks and snacks. The more expensive trains just have gourmet meals served and tables with fancy lamps and butlers and stuff.
The train was a little late leaving the station ( but early for South American time -Sarah) and took a while to leave Cusco as it zig-zagged up the hillside through the suburbs. It was a very scenic trip to the town of Aguas Calientes (Spanish for “Hot Water“!) which is 20 minutes by bus from the ruins. Deep in a valley with massive cliffs above beside a fast flowing river. The Lonely Planet gives it a really bad rap describing it as “the ugliest, most overpriced small town in Peru” which I thought was a bit unfair. Sure it’s overpriced but so is Cuzco and the town was quite cute and the setting is spectacular. We were considering spending one night there to visit the ruins early in the morning and in hindsight I wish we had.
Off the train we were forced through a marketplace with every stall selling the same tacky souvenirs before getting on a small modern looking bus for the winding trip up the mountain. By the time we got to the entrance of Matchu Pitchu it was 12.10pm There were hoards of tired and dirty looking backpackers waiting for the bus back to town who would have just completed one of the several-day “Inca Trail” hikes ( and that’s why I am glad we didn’t go on a trek. The people waiting in line looked hideous and the sad thing is I knew that they would be getting the train back in the evening with us so they had to wait around all day -Sarah).
Inside we headed uphill to get a good view of the site. From pictures I had seen it looked like they keep the open grassed areas mowed but we quickly found out who was responsible for the short grass. Llamas! There were lots of them grazing on the terraces on the hill including some every cute babies ( So Tikal was run by spider monkeys, Tulum by Iguanas, Chichen Itza by “One Dallar!” Zombies and now Matchu Pitchu by Llamas ( well I think they were Llamas we don’t know the difference between Llamas and Alpacas) -Sarah).
We spent a couple of hours wandering down the hill admiring the ruins until we arrived at the “check-point” for the climb to the temple of the moon which is at the top of the mountain overlooking the site. I really wanted to go up but there was a 400 person a day limit on numbers and they only let people in at 10am and 11am. Another reason to have visited first thing in the morning.
Walking back to the entrance we took another bus back to the town and had a late lunch and then a hot drink overlooking the river before getting on the return train at 6pm.
An hour later we disembarked at Ollantaytambo and hopped in a taxi for the remaining distance to Cuzco. We could have taken a bus but after our long day we were pretty tired and even with the taxi fare we paid less than that train leg would have been..
Arriving back in Cuzco around 9pm we had dinner and went back to the hostel to pack our bags for tomorrow’s bus trip to Lake Titicaca.