We took a short trip to Machu Picchu during 4th of July week. The purpose of the trip was to see the famous Inca ruins, and nothing else. We did not see the rest of Peru, any other ruins, or eat a variety of food.
Our itinerary was rough, but I only had to miss two days of work, and one day for Wayne:
Tue, July 3 - Full day of work, then flew out of SFO at 9:30 pm
Wed, July 4 - Arrive at Cusco, then taxi to Urubamba. Checked into hotel by 7:30 pm. Ate dinner at hotel
Thu, July 5 - Train to Machu Picchu, explore the ruins
Fri, July 6 - Transfer and overnight at Cusco
Sat, July 7 - Fly out of Cusco @ 5:40 am flight, arrive SFO at 8:30 pm
Here are the highlights and thoughts of our short trip:
First, Machu Picchu is AMAZING! It is one of the seven wonders of the world since 2007. I totally recommend adding this to your bucket list if you haven't already. The trip was easy, and totally worth it. Get a tour guide to show you around.
Second, The Hiram Bingham train is AWESOME! We took the Hiram Bingham to Aguas Calientes. It was in Aguas Calientes where we switched to the bus for the rest of the trip up to Machu Picchu. There were some perks to riding with Hiram Bingham. These perks were VIP lounge in Aguas Calientes prior to bus transfer, private bus so we don't have to wait in line with the crowds, complimentary bathroom access (instead of paying 2 soles), a bottle of water for the tour of the ruins, and tea time at the Sanctuary Lodge at 4:00 pm (after the tour). We also got a full lunch on the way there, and dinner on the way back. While on the train, there was a full bar and live entertainment.
Third, the Tambo Del Inka is a wonderful hotel. I'll write more about it in a logistics post.
Fourth, Peruvian food is delicious. Eat some Ceviche. When the menu says spicy, they meant it. I love spicy food, so this was a good thing.
Fifth, wear sunblock and bug repellent. The sun is strong. I think there is a hole in the ozone layer in that region too, but I am not quite sure and don't want to google it at the moment. I read a lot about sand flies. Thank goodness I didn't get bitten.
Sixth, we went during the Soccer FIFA World Cup. According to our guide, the site is considered virtually empty. Out of 6,000 tickets, less than 2,000 tickets sold on the date we went for both the morning and the afternoon combined. Most people go in the morning (from what I read). We went in the afternoon. Our guide estimated that there was about 300ish people when we were there. It was nice not having to avoid others for our pictures. So note to self, if there are any crowded destinations we'd like to visit in the future, go during the World Cup. I'm sure the Olympics would work too, but I actually care to watch the Olympics.
Lastly, altitude sickness is real. We both suffered a bit from it. So if you go, please consider this and plan accordingly. If you feel sick, ask the hotel for some oxygen. It was recommended to get out of the main city, Cusco, right away and head to lower elevation to acclimate. This is why we chose to stay at the Tambo Del Inka in Urubamba. Urubamba is part of the Sacred Valley and is lower than Cusco.
Okay, here are the pictures! Enjoy!
Our itinerary was rough, but I only had to miss two days of work, and one day for Wayne:
Tue, July 3 - Full day of work, then flew out of SFO at 9:30 pm
Wed, July 4 - Arrive at Cusco, then taxi to Urubamba. Checked into hotel by 7:30 pm. Ate dinner at hotel
Thu, July 5 - Train to Machu Picchu, explore the ruins
Fri, July 6 - Transfer and overnight at Cusco
Sat, July 7 - Fly out of Cusco @ 5:40 am flight, arrive SFO at 8:30 pm
Here are the highlights and thoughts of our short trip:
First, Machu Picchu is AMAZING! It is one of the seven wonders of the world since 2007. I totally recommend adding this to your bucket list if you haven't already. The trip was easy, and totally worth it. Get a tour guide to show you around.
Second, The Hiram Bingham train is AWESOME! We took the Hiram Bingham to Aguas Calientes. It was in Aguas Calientes where we switched to the bus for the rest of the trip up to Machu Picchu. There were some perks to riding with Hiram Bingham. These perks were VIP lounge in Aguas Calientes prior to bus transfer, private bus so we don't have to wait in line with the crowds, complimentary bathroom access (instead of paying 2 soles), a bottle of water for the tour of the ruins, and tea time at the Sanctuary Lodge at 4:00 pm (after the tour). We also got a full lunch on the way there, and dinner on the way back. While on the train, there was a full bar and live entertainment.
Third, the Tambo Del Inka is a wonderful hotel. I'll write more about it in a logistics post.
Fourth, Peruvian food is delicious. Eat some Ceviche. When the menu says spicy, they meant it. I love spicy food, so this was a good thing.
Fifth, wear sunblock and bug repellent. The sun is strong. I think there is a hole in the ozone layer in that region too, but I am not quite sure and don't want to google it at the moment. I read a lot about sand flies. Thank goodness I didn't get bitten.
Sixth, we went during the Soccer FIFA World Cup. According to our guide, the site is considered virtually empty. Out of 6,000 tickets, less than 2,000 tickets sold on the date we went for both the morning and the afternoon combined. Most people go in the morning (from what I read). We went in the afternoon. Our guide estimated that there was about 300ish people when we were there. It was nice not having to avoid others for our pictures. So note to self, if there are any crowded destinations we'd like to visit in the future, go during the World Cup. I'm sure the Olympics would work too, but I actually care to watch the Olympics.
Lastly, altitude sickness is real. We both suffered a bit from it. So if you go, please consider this and plan accordingly. If you feel sick, ask the hotel for some oxygen. It was recommended to get out of the main city, Cusco, right away and head to lower elevation to acclimate. This is why we chose to stay at the Tambo Del Inka in Urubamba. Urubamba is part of the Sacred Valley and is lower than Cusco.
Okay, here are the pictures! Enjoy!
The Train
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| Posing in front of the Hiram Bingham train |
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| Inside the Hiram Bingham train |
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| Stock Photo - Train |
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| Stock Photo |
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| Stock Photo - Bar |
The Ruins: Machu Picchu
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| There were three trails. We took the trail that provided this view. This one has more uphill climbing. |
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| We took a lot of kneeling poses to not cover the ruins |
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| A famous and religious (??) place. The dial in the back is supposed to somehow show people North direction. I still don't get how it works |
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| There are 23 llamas in Machu Picchu. According to our tour guide, they are not native to Machu Picchu (but are to Peru). These llamas were brought in for a movie, but it was too expensive to remove them. So they were left behind. |
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| Having fun |
Cusco
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| Totally got scammed. Watch out for these. If you agree to a photo, they would not tell you the price, and everyone would line up in your picture. Then they demand you pay each of them. |
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