Last week, I got a bit impulsive while in my flat in Lima, Peru and booked a last-minute trip to Cusco, and from there took a three hour train to Machu Picchu, a UN World Heritage site and one of the Top Wonders of the World. I'd been here a few times before and knew what to expect, but you're still blown away upon entering the park.
It's a bit of an arduous task to get there, even if you're not hiking there on a four-to-seven day excursion along the Inca Trail. First, you have to take a taxi to the small town of Poroy, about 25 minutes outside of Cusco. From there, it's a three hour train ride through the mountains before arriving at the base of Machu Picchu, named Aguas Calientes. After disembarking the train, you then have to buy a ticket for a 30 minute bus ride up the mountain (and quite dangerous at times because you're so close to the edge) before finally arriving at the park entrance.
The government of Peru smartened up and is now limiting the number of tourists allowed in each day so crowds were fairly small. Arriving in Cusco, you're at about 11,500 feet above sea level so you need to prepare yourself for the limited amount of oxygen in the air. I spent two days there to allow my body to adjust before heading to Machu Picchu, which is only about 8-9,000 feet above sea level so much easier to bear on your lungs.
I won't go into a lot of detail here about what I saw since pictures are worth a thousand words. Click here to see all of my pictures from this incredible trip.
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