Machu Picchu, Peru
This is the final entry for my Galapagos and Machu Picchu trip. It has taken me quite a while to post this content as retirement life is busy!
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Another long but special day for us as we were finally visiting Machu Picchu. We left our hotel at 7:45am for the 9am Vistadome train from Urubamba to Aguas Calientes, with an arrival at 11am. We took the shuttle bus from Aguas Calientes to the Sanctuary Lodge (and location of site entry) for lunch. After lunch, our tour of Machu Picchu would end with a tea-time gathering back at the Sanctuary Lodge at 4pm. At 5pm, our schedule had us boarding the Hiram Bingham train for dinner and arrival in Cusco around 10pm.
The weather forecast was for periodic rain during the day. We lucked out as the first hour of our visit was dry. We walked "Circuit 2," considered a moderately difficult trail. Due to high visitor traffic and need to protect the site, ticket holders are now limited to one of three walking trails per entry ticket. We learned a lot from our guide about the pre-Inca and Inca empires that resided at Machu Picchu and how the site was used for worship, administration, agriculture and housing. The broad views were spectacular, with a challenge for photos to fully describe the site.
With the late afternoon rain, the stone steps became slippery and a fall looked treacherous from higher terraces. I used a single hiking pole but perhaps should have used both as I felt a bit unsteady going down the uneven steps. Some areas have handrails but they were few and far between.
What Did We Learn About Machu Picchu?
Machu Picchu, elevation 8,000 feet, is located in a cloud forest, where the Andes meets the Amazon River. It was constructed around 1450, possibly for Inca emperor Pachacuti. It lies between two mountain peaks, Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. About 750 people lived there, largely consisting on fish and corn, potatoes and other agriculture grown on the man-made terraces. Inhabitants also traded within the surrounding valleys to expand food sources. Abundant rainfall was conducive to successful harvests. Native flowers, including Waqanki orchid, Winay Wayna orchid, Cantua buxifolia (Peru's national flower), Fuchsia bolivian and Mirabilis jalapa, were also grown on some of the terraces. Machu Picchu was likely abandoned during the Spanish conquests during the 16th century.
The most visited areas of Machu Picchu include the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Three Windows and the ritual Intihuatana Stone.
Hiram Bingham rediscovered a vegetation overgrown Machu Picchu in 1911. Later expeditions conducted site clearing and further archaeological work. Machu Picchu was designated as a National Historic Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. The annual number of visitors exceeded 1.5 million in 2024.
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| All Aboard the Vistadome Train |
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| Hikers Along the Inca Trail A Much More Difficult Method to Reach Machu Picchu |
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| Aguas Calientes |
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| There are Llamas in the Middle of this Photo |
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| Roughing It on the Hiram Bingham Train to Cusco |
Cusco, Peru
We had a full day of touring in Cusco before leaving to Lima and, finally, the US. Our first stop was Coricancha Temple, the religious center of the Inca Empire. This Inca temple was dedicated to the Sun God and located in the Inca capital of Cusco. During the Inca Empire, the temple walls were described as covered with gold and silver - which may have contributed the myth of an Inca City of Gold. Much of the temple was destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors and items of gold and silver removed. However, the temple base served as the foundation of 17th century Church and Convent of Santa Domingo. We viewed the church and convent foundation, and could see how the Inca masonry workers carefully placed cut cube stones to form the temple foundation.
Our second stop was Saqayhuaman Fortress, a former Inca citidel built in the 15th century. We only walked around the fortress base and were amazed at the placement of huge stones, some estimated to weigh over 100 tons. Our guide showed us how visually lining up the layout of Inca temples and fortress in Cusco outlined a jaguar (or puma), one of the sacred Inca symbols representing power, strength and leadership.
The fortress of Saqayhuaman represents the jaguar head. The body is composed of Hawkaypoata (Main Plaza), Coricancha Temple of the Sun, Saqayhuaman Upper Temple of the Sun, and dwellings for workers and families of rulers. Only higher-ranking individuals and families were permitted to live within the outline of the jaguar.
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| Source: ukumariperutravel.com |
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| Machu Picchu Travel Group at Saqayhuaman Fortress (Note the Large Stones and Placement in the Background) |
As we made our way back to Cusco, we stopped by the Sulca Family Textile Center, a family-operated business that raises Alpaca and sells local products made from Alpaca fleece. The softness of baby Alpaca fleece was particularly amazing. It wasn't possible to resist from purchasing two sweaters made from this fiber. There is also a museum at the Center that showcases quilts with pre-Inca and Inca patterns.
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We returned to downtown Cusco for lunch at the Inkagrill and free time before our final group dinner at the Belmond Monasterio Hotel. A special offering of the hotel was dinner entertainment by opera singers at the El Tupay restaurant. After dinner, it was time to pack up for our departure in the morning. The end of our Galapagos and Machu Picchu trip was upon us.
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| Our Belmond Monasterio Two-Floor Suite |
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| Hotel Breakfast was Delicious |
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| Hotel Grounds |
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| A sample of the 4,000 Potato Varieties Grown in Peru |
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| Many Corn Varieties, As Well |
Return to Lima and Flight to US
Just after loading into our mini-van for a 7:30am ride from our hotel to the Cusco airport, our Celebrity guide informed us that our LATAM 9:30am flight to Lima was cancelled. The LATAM 11am flight was also cancelled. The next LATAM flight with available seats was around 5pm. Our guides arranged for us to retrieve our hotel keys and relax in our hotel room until lunch time. Celebrity provided us with lunch at Casa Cusequena - with Pisco Sours.
Once we arrived at the Cusco airport at 3:30pm, our LATAM 5pm departure became uncertain. Ultimately, this flight was delayed to depart at 8:45pm (almost 12 hours past the original departure time). This late departure meant our Lima airport arrival would not permit collection of our stored luggage at the Westin Lima and still make our 1am flight from Lima to Houston. Traveling between the Lima airport and Westin Lima is a two-hour round trip - without any time for luggage retrieval and content adjustments for security (hiking sticks should not be in carry-on luggage). Luckily, our Celebrity guide arranged for a Lima representative to collect our luggage from the Westin and bring it to us at the Lima airport. The rest of our air travel back to the US went without problems.
We pretty much lost any confidence in LATAM airline being able to meet its published schedules. You may recall that in addition to the above issue, our Quito to Lima 7pm flight was moved to 1am, the next day. During these delays, LATAM gate staff were often uncertain of current flight status due to automated system deficiencies. Although ten years ago, in 2015, LATAM lost my checked luggage from Antarctica - which was never found but replaced by insurance.
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