Feb 12 Travel to Machu Picchu Peru

With eight hours of sleep after a long day of traveling, we're up and ready for more.  The hotel is elegant -- once again AKORN is high end.  This is the view looking down into the breakfast buffet area.  If you're ever there, I recommend the French Toast highly. Crispy and caramelized on the outside, fluffy and syrup absorbing on the inside.  I had it both days, and wanted to take more in my pocket when I left.

 The view from the front door of the hotel.  Terraced lots built by the Incas are still being used on the hillsides.

 A brief photo stop at an Incan village (Pilcohuasi, I think).  The water canal on the right was built by the Incas to provide running water for the village.

 We park and walk to the train.  This cat had found the warm spot to be.  The weather was cool, probably in the low 60s with sprinkles of rain at times. 

 We were supposed to take the Hiram Bingham train (named for the "discoverer" of Machu Picchu) but it was out of service, servicing a private group.  So AKORN had chartered a train for the 68 people of our tour -- 5 guides and 63 paying customers.  Even at that, it was cheaper than taking the Bingham.  We were served canapes on the trip to MP, and a full dinner on the trip back.

 One of our car attendants

 The train follows the Urubamba river.  The river was in flood stage, or so it appeared.  Totally unavigable, although I'd bet that someone has run the river in their kayak, and probably lived to write the book.

 That's one fierce river.  And it doesn't stop...there are no pools in between rapids, it just keeps dropping The train ride took about 1:40, going perhaps 30 miles, while the elevation dropped by 2500'. 

 A three piece band appeared in the train car -- guitar, percussion box and pan flute.  They did not play Inca music, unless you believe that Paul Simon and Lennon and McCartney stole their music from the Incas. 

 All through the trip the hillsides showed the terracing of the Incas.  The entire valley was home to them before the arrival of the Spanish in 1533.

 We arrive in Aguas Calientes, where we depart the train and board small buses to take us up the hill to Machu Picchu.