The Long Road to Machu Picchu

Following our visit to Machu Picchu we had a couple hours in the nearby village of Aguas Calientes before catching our return train. While waiting, a distinct thought came into my mind: We are a long way from anywhere!

The sun had already set and in the twilight a crescent moon sat above the steep dark mountains. Here we sat between the Andes mountains and Amazon jungle. I felt an air of mystique that certainly came from the history and culture of the area, but also from the isolation. I reflected on our long journey to arrive at this revered location.

On a plane to Lima, Peru.  We visited during the Covid pandemic. 

Seven Days Earlier:

After a couple days in Lima we boarded a plane for Cusco. If we were to drive, the journey would take at least twenty hours to cover 684 miles! And I'm sure most of that would be on narrow winding roads and nothing like the straight-arrowed freeways we're used to in the United States.

The flight only lasted an hour and a half, but it was fascinating to peer out the window. When clouds didn't obstruct our view we saw tall snow-capped mountains. As we got closer to Cusco it felt as if the land was getting higher (and I'm sure we were getting lower). We saw little villages perched on terraced mountains and a rugged landscape. We even saw the steeply terraced Inca ruins of Tipón.

Inside the Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, waiting for a flight to Cusco.

A hazy view out the airplane window before our decent into Cusco.

When we landed in Cusco it felt like we were in a different world. The city itself is over 11,000 feet high in elevation. There was an old world feel with the narrow cobblestoned streets, many of them on steep inclines. The people were much more native than what I saw in Lima, being darker in color with well-defined noses and foreheads, and wearing their traditional Quechua clothing.

After a few days in Cusco it was time to keep moving. We left our hotel at 9:20 am and walked for twenty minutes with packs on our shoulders to Pavitos Street where right away we were invited to join a minivan, which we shared with six other passengers. I wasn't even sure if our van was the real deal, or just a citizen trying to earn money. We read that this was the place to go to find rides to Ollantaytambo. Either way, we took it.

The drive took a couple hours. It was amazing to me that our journey to one of the wonders of the world was over such rough infrastructure. The roads were narrow and winding. Once we had to take a detour onto a dirt road. At times we shared the road with cattle. It was fascinating to catch a glimpse of the people and buildings of these small villages.

Inside the private vehicle of a stranger on the way to Ollantaytambo.

Looking out the window of our vehicle at an Inca lady in a small Peruvian village. 

One common misconception is that Machu Picchu is super high in elevation. It's not. As we drove from Cusco, we gradually dropped in elevation. As we neared Ollantaytambo we entered the Sacred Valley, a 62-mile corridor stretching from Pisac to Machu Picchu along the the Urubamba River. Here the scenery became more breathtaking. Mountains became steeper and Inca ruins more prevalent.

We arrived in Ollantaytambo where we would spend the next three nights and use as our base to Machu Picchu. Ollantaytambo is probably the most impressive village I've ever seen. It lies nestled between steep mountain slopes with some of the best Inca ruins built onto their sides. Streets are cobblestoned and narrow, and people there dress in traditional clothing. From some places in the village you can see 19,000 foot snow-capped peaks of the Andes Mountains.

The fascinating village of Ollantaytambo.

Beyond Ollantaytambo the road system peters out. The one paved “highway” goes a few miles past the village, then takes a sharp turn to the right and into the mountains. There are dirt roads from village to village, but they too disappear. The only option left, unless you want to take a very circuitous route, is to take the train.

I believe there are more options for locals, but for the tourists there are a limited amount of trains you can take and the price to board them is higher. It is best to book well in advance.

On the second of our two full days, we walked to the station and boarded the train. This ride would take us through the Sacred Valley. Some trains have a glass ceiling so you can look up at the mountains, but ours didn't. Instead we had a view through the window, which was beautiful, but oftentimes we were too close to the mountain slope to see much.

The entire time we paralleled the clear and cold Urubamba River. We passed several lesser-known Inca ruins. The Inca Trail was also within our view at times. For the ambitious who want to walk to Machu Picchu, that's the way to go. The majestic snow-capped Mount Veronica at 19,334 feet also peeked out from time to time.  

As I rode the train and glanced out the window I had the feeling that we were getting deeper and deeper into the wilderness. My life back home was getting further away.

Boarding the train in Ollantaytambo.

The train to Machu Picchu travels through the Sacred Valley along the Urubamba River.

Terraced slopes built by the Inca, viewed from the train.

After an hour and a half we arrived near the foot of Machu Picchu in a town called Aguas Calientes. Even more so than Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes was surrounded by steep mountains. But unlike the others, the slopes here were covered in jungle.

The village sits on both sides of the Aguas Calientes River, which empties into the Urubamba. The town basically exists as a launching point to drive up to Machu Picchu. Once we left the train it was a short walk to where we would catch the bus. Many were there to sell us tours.

This is where the train dropped us off in Aguas Calientes.

Here we caught the bus to Machu Picchu.

The bus ride from Aguas Calientes to the parking lot at Machu Picchu was short, but impressive. It followed the river a couple miles then started the uphill push where it navigated 13 hairpin curves. The higher we got, the more impressive the view. We were surrounded by steep mountains on three sides, all cloaked in dense vegetation. It made me wonder how many other ruins were out there that were lost forever beneath the growth.

Our visit inside Machu Picchu did not disappoint. Our tour guide was excellent. It was amazing to see the ingenuity of this citadel on a mountain. I was surprised to see lamas on top, as well as megalithic carved rocks like those in Ollantaytambo and Sacsayhuamán. The only downside⸺and this was because we were there during Covid⸺was that we couldn't linger as long as we wanted. When purchasing the tickets we had to choose which “lane” we wanted to see, a number between one and four. We had to go straight through without backtracking. I lost track of time, but we probably spent 2-3 hours on top. 

Impressive view of the surrounding hills as we climb the road to Machu Picchu.

A smaller river runs down the center of Aguas Calientes.

Not knowing when we would be done, we gave ourselves a small cushion in Aguas Calientes before our scheduled return to Ollantaytambo. That gave us time to get a bite to eat and to wander through the market. It was dark by the time we boarded the train.

For our ride back we saw none of the Sacred Valley as we had before. No snow-capped mountains, no whitewashed river, no Inca ruins. Perhaps this added to the mystique. As I dozed in and out of sleep I dreamed that I was in a magical place far, far away . . . ♠