Machu Picchu and the Land of the Incas
There’s nothing better than traveling as a couple and now is the time to grab your better half, your best mate, your sibling or to treat your parents that worked so hard to raise you to be the person you are today and send them to:
Machu Picchu, Peru
I know there are a lot of solo blogs out there that share the value of going it alone, but we are here to tell you that yes you can enjoy a vacation alone with your spouse! Gasp! When witnessing a great sunset or experiencing the thrill of a lifetime, there is nothing better than having someone there at dinner to re-live the memory.
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Peru was one of those destinations that completely astounded Dave and I.
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We never thought we’d get there but one summer we had a bunch of extra travel points that needed using. We didn’t want to just take off to a cottage up north, we wanted to go somewhere exotic. Scouring the Internet to see what countries were available for us to use our aeroplan points, Peru came to the top of the list. We had never thought of Peru before. We were originally considering Spain or Greece, but this trip was taking us to South America, a continent we had never been to before. We were going to explore the great Inca Ruins of the world and it was going to be a magnificent adventure.
We flew into Peru without a plan
Instead of hanging around the capital city, we literally walked straight to the ticket counter at the airport and bought tickets to Cusco. There was no way we were going to miss seeing Machu Picchu and since we only had two weeks in the country, we made a beeline to the star attraction.
Flying over the Andes took our breath away and we couldn’t wait to explore them further. We landed at 3300 meters and immediately felt the altitude. Lucky Peru’s natural remedy, the coca plant took care of our symptoms as we sipped coca tea while overlooking the Plaza.
We wanted to trek the Inca Trail but unfortunately everything was booked. It was August and that is the busiest time of the year for tourism in Peru. Even booking the train to the ruins was proving to be difficult. We ended up splurging on the first class Vista Dome train. At $100 bucks a ticket, it was painful to our pocket books, but how often do you get to see one of the New Wonders of the World?
Exploring the Sacred Valley
Ollantaytambo , peru
While we waited for the days to pass until our departure, we took a tour of the other Incan ruins found in this part of the world. While we couldn’t make our trek on the Inca Trail work out, we did have the chance to trek along the Sacred Valley, another part of the Inca Trail and probably far less travelled.
It was two days later after exploring Ollantaytambo and more of the city of Cuzco that we finally caught our train for Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu Bound
The train trip turned out to be worth the money. The glass windows on the ceiling allowed for us to witness the surrounding panorama of the Andes Mountains as we enjoyed a light lunch and tea.
We arrived at the picturesque town of Agua Callientas (Hot Water) where as per usual during our Peruvian adventure, we didn’t have any plans. We lugged our packs up and down the steep streets searching for a place to lay our heads. Everything was sold out and once again we were forced to splurge on a $100 per night hotel. No worries though. We were about walk upon the mythical ruins of Machu Picchu.
Once we were settled in we went directly to the cultural centre in Aguas Callientas to buy our entry tickets to Machu Picchu. I highly recommend this because we were able to walk right into the complex upon our arrival instead of waiting in the long line of people still needing to purchase their entry.
A Rainy Day
We caught our bus at 4:30 am on a rainy morning. It was dark and it was cold and we were worried that our day at the ruins was going to be ruined itself!
We entered a foggy trail littered with a few alpacas waiting to greet their latest guests. Several alpacas have free run of the place and are just about the cutest guardians of any monument we have ever visited.
Dave was disheartened due to the weather thinking that he’d never be able to capture his dream shot. As the morning progressed, the clouds never lifted and we could barely see in front of us, let alone view the spectacular display that awaited us beneath the shroud of grey. We sulked as we walked through the lost city feeling lost ourselves when suddenly the most miraculous thing happened.
The skies decided to open up and let the warm rays of sun shine through.
From high on a hill, we were introduced to the spectacle that is known as Machu Picchu and it was an incredible sight.
The terraced steps of the complex plunge into the deep valley below. It’s hard to believe that something like this could be built in the 1400′s. How on earth did the Incas build a complex so high in altitude clinging to the side of the steep mountains.
There are many places where you feel that you could step over the edge and plunge into the deep valley below, never to be seen again.
The authorities allow 2500 people on Machu Picchu each day, but we didn’t feel like it was crowded at all. We even managed to snap quite a few “people free” shots.
I think it was due to arriving early. As more people arrived in the afternoon, we took that as our cue to head on out.
After exploring for a few hours and making sure to witness it from all angles and elevations, we felt satisfied that yes indeed we had explored it to the fullest.
We checked off item after item on the old life list and came away with memories to last a lifetime.
Buy One Peru Trip and Get The Second Free With Intrepid Travel!
From Jan 13 – March 31, travellers who book one of four Intrepid trips in Peru will receive a second trip free. Travel must be completed by September 30, 2012.
Visit Intrepid’s website for more details or call 1 866 360 1151 and quote promo code 6669.
Trips included in this offer are Classic Peru (9 days ex. Lima), Inca Trail Express (7 days ex. Cuzco), Majestic Peru (15 days ex. Lima) and Sacred Land of the Incas (15 days ex. Lima)
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Lovely article!Peru is also on my list.
Regards
I would love to go on a trip like this but know with my asthma and emphysema I can’t go that high in the mountains as you are going. I still get excited thinking about going there and at least go there through your stories and pictures. At least I can still go to my favorite places in Italy.
Visiting Machu Picchu is very high on my bucket list. I’m really hoping to go there this spring with my sister.
Wow! What an incredible picture of the llama in front of Machu Picchu! Looks like you had an amazing trip to the “Lost City of the Incas”. I’m glad the sun came out for you all! We are taking a group of travelers here in May and can’t wait to see these breathtaking views!
Have a great trip! It is truly one of the wonders of the world.
I was an Anthropology major in college, and this post just excited me so much! Such lovely pictures!
Maria, you would love Machu Picchu. You would probably get so much more out of it than us as well with your expertise.
Great photos looks like you had an amazing time, Machu Picchu is definitely up there on our 100 places to visit before you die.
While in Peru, I highly recommend a trip to Lake Titicaca! The floating islands made of reeds are incredible, and trekking across Isla del Sol across the border in Bolivia is an unforgettable experience. If you go to La Paz, Bolivia, I recommend the witches’ market, where you can stock up on home remedies including dead llama fetuses, and a very informative visit to the city’s prison, which showcases a strikingly different philosophy towards crime and punishment.
Happy travels!
Maureen Klovers
Author, “In the Shadow of the Volcano: One Ex-Intelligence Official’s Journey through Slums, Prisons, and Leper Colonies to the Heart of Latin America”
http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Volcano-Ex-Intelligence-Officials-ebook/dp/B006U8FW04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327535569&sr=8-1
Beautiful look at Peru/Machu Picchu. It’s an amazing area of the world and should be visited by all.
Wow, what an amazing adventure and some great photos. I am considering doing a voluntary project in Peru and would want to visit Machu Picchu. It looks breathtaking.
Wow, incredible photographs. It brings back so many wonderful memories of our time in Peru this past fall. Absolutely stunning is how we would describe Machu Picchu. Thanks for sharing!
That is a great word to describe Machu Picchu, there aren’t a lot of times you can use the word stunning, but Machu Picchu is a destination deserving of the word. Cheers.
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Great post! I’m heading to Machu Picchu next month and I can’t wait. It was really helpful to read about your experience, and the photos have gotten me excited about the trip!
Have a super time. We really loved Peru and look forward to going back one day soon.
I can’t remember if I replied to this as I go through my comments, but if not…Have a great trip! Your going to love it.
Machu Picchu has been on my list for a long time. Seeing your pictures have inspired me to go sooner rather than later
Hey Priyankakher, I’m glad we could inspire you to go sooner. Machu Picchu doesn’t disappoint. Just the fact that it is built so high in the mountains in impressive and the scenery is incredible. Peru is a special place indeed.
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So, we really need to get this on our list, don’t we? Especially since we think South America is tops
Your article is great and the photos wonderful.
It seems like one life time experience.
Dreams – may be one day…..
Oh my I love the pictures you post, it’s breathtaking. I hope I can visit Peru someday and experience this wonderful place.
Machu Picchu is a place that will always be close to my heart. It was only my second big trip abroad and was a truly incredible experience. I’m hoping that Chris and I will have the chance to see it together soon.
The early trips are always the ones that stand out in our minds eh. I hope that you two get to visit it together as well. It is so special to be able to travel with the one that you love.
Thanks for the beautiful pictures and information. You guys have pushed Machu Picchu to the top of my list.
Thanks for the great post… my husband and I will be heading to Peru in June and July and were thinking about taking the train to Machu Picchu as the Inca Trail permits are long gone. Glad to hear the train is worth it… and I’m excited to see the glass roof. Thanks for the helpful info and cheers!
Great post and amazing pictures–especially the one with the lama yawning?
Lovely photos, i need to mark this as one of my future travel destinations.
i am from peru, but i have never visitid this awesome place…. i need to go there someday!
My partner and I are planning a trip to Peru later this year!
It looks amazing!!
Any specific tips about Peru?!?
Anything would help!!!
Thanks!!
Good stuff,Thanks for the beautiful pictures and information.our family are planning a trip to Peru later this year!
Looks amazing . I am adding it to my list of places to visit before I die. The photos are breathtaking, what camera did you use ?