WINE, DYNAMITE AND PENGUIN TOUR: Apr 04

Apr 04 – Machu Picchu !!

Another early start this morning but we were all buzzing as this was our big day to Machu Picchu !

We left the hotel at 6.30am for a 2 hour minibus transfer to Ollyantaytambo through mountains and then down into the lush Sacred Valley which follows the flow of the Rio Urubamba through farmlands (more Quinoa!) and small colonial villages.

Sounds idyllic doesn’t it, but the road is a series of twisting bends, bumpy roads and we had a driver who thought he was Lewis Hamilton !! We all had shaken baby syndrome by the time we fell out the bus in Ollyantaytambo !

The train station was packed but our little guide Maria deftly steered us through the masses and into the queue for our Perurail Vistadome train to the little town at the foot of Machu Picchu (the town previously known as Aguas Calientes).

All aboard for Machu Picchu !

The train was great, large comfy seats and windows all round including on the roof which was much needed as we then wended our way long the canyon following the river that leads to the sacred Inca Site of Machu Picchu.

The children on a train trip

On collection of our bus tickets, a clerical error had revealed Sheena to a 69 year old man which was news to us all that she had kept under wraps for some time as if being 60 wasnt bad enough!!

Glacier & mountains from the train

The scenery was dramatic, high mountains covered in lush vegetation and wild orchids and the fast flowing river which was completely brown due to the mud slides in the heavy rain that has been hitting Peru in this El Ninjo season.

We arrived in the town and a porter from the hotel spirited away our little overnight bags and we walked through the little local market that surrounds the train station to the stop for the buses up to the top of Machu Picchu.

Don't look down....

The bus journey itself was spectacular,
a series of winding hairpin bends with sheer drops
climbing ever higher until we got our first distant view
of Machu Picchu on the top !!!

Very exciting !!We piled off the bus and through the entrance to the site, up some rocky stone stairs turned a corner and there we all stopped, stunned by the complete view of the iconic Machu Picchu.

Our first view of this "phenomenal wonder"

Having seen so many photographs and watched many tv programmes none of us had been sure what impact it would have when we saw it for real, but it was just completely breathtaking especially given its great condition and the dramatic location.

Spell broken, cameras were going like mad………

Machu Picchu was built around 1450 and no-one knows its exact purpose but it was an important site for the Incas they think for religious reasons, close to the sun with the Sun gate perfectly aligned for the winter solstice on June 21st (southern hemisphere)

It housed only 500 people, high priests and the families of the Inca Kings which seems incredible given the work involved in building this huge complex on top of a high remote mountain.

The site was abandoned but no-one is sure why and the Inca kings moved to Vilcabamba (The Lost City of the Incas) which was 50 miles away and in the jungle, but it was this that ensured the site would survive.

The Spanish never knew about Machu Picchu and it was therefore never destroyed or raided. It remained in its perfect state covered in foliage until Hiram Bingham (searching for the Lost City) discovered it in 1911. The picture from then shows how well covered it all had been.

The site when uncovered was found to be in perfect condition with the only missing feature the reed straw roofs for the dwellings. It must have been the most phenomenal day when he realised what he had found……..

After our three hour tour we went for a late lunch in the Belmond Sanctuary which is just outside the site. This was the surprise 60^th Birthday lunch for Sheena and Steve with champagne and birthday cake, 60^th balloons and banners hand packed in our day bag for this occasion !! It was rounded off by Happy Birthday being played by the Peruvian pan pipe group !! All very funny and very bizarre !
The background to this birthday celebration stems from 10 years ago when we celebrated 50ths under Sydney Opera House and now we have to do every ten years in some style.

The Birthday Duo (The Old Yins...)

Janette had organised a birthday cake on thre mountain...neat!

Happy Birthday played by the
Maccu Picchu singers !!

After lunch we high tailed it back into the site and spent a happy couple of hours taking photos and just drinking in the atmosphere of this magical place. Not a bad way to celebrate being 60……….