I’m really not good with early rises although still feeling slightly jet-lagged the 5.50am alarm was not so hard. Today we left Ollyantambo on the Vistadome train bound for Machu Picchu. We can only travel with a small bag and 5 kgs each although I’ll be honest, we were way over that but the staff were not at all bothered at checking baggage. The journey was only 1.5 hours and was one of the best train journeys I have made with amazing scenery and staff that deliver complimentary snacks to your seat after putting down a woven table cloth - that’s not a service given on South West trains!
As soon as we arrived there was a plethora of people with signs shouting out names - we found our names and within a few minutes had met one of our guides and were making our way to catch the bus up to Machu Picchu. A bumpy sheer drop journey on unmade up roads full of almost 180 degree switchbacks was ‘interesting’. We arrived in one piece though and met our guide for the morning ‘Oddy’ - a great guy who studied archeology and Inca history for 5 years before joining the Ministry of Culture as a guide. The views of the site were spectacular and it is incredibly difficult to do it justice. It was also very crowded and the sun was high in the sky making for short shadows and rather flat lighting. However, we are returning on Wednesday on our own later in the day when it should be quieter which I am looking forward to.
Good things - we saw llamas and their young (I’m calling them llamets!) Bad things - despite wearing insect repellent, there is a very small biting fly which seems immune to it and we were badly bitten and bleeding (especially me).
Love the composition and the majesty of this, fav for me. Glad you made it in one piece! The bites sound most uncomfortable, but perhaps it was worth it to see this. Did these llamas and their babies hum? :)
September 26th, 2015
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