On The Road To Machu Picchu

OK, Let's get to the adventure that started this whole talk and planning. We are starting toward the Big MP - Machu Picchu. But first we hop in a van with our guide Jose and driver Luis up out of Cusco on a small road with big drop offs through some really poor neighborhoods dealing with a lot of mud from the nights heavy rain. We are headed first for the sacred valley and the land with the poster people for Peru. Women with little and larger hats (depending on the region they live) and little kids with a hat and colorful clothes and just darn cute.

We travel on roads made of rock, pavement and sometimes dirt and our heads are swimming with the sights we are seeing. We climb and our driver pulls to a look out and there they are, the first serious look at the Andes of the picture books - Wow, are they big! As clouds drift in and out of the peaks and valleys we feel like we really are on an adventure. We top at 14,500 feet at the look out and dang if the women don't find an opportunity to shop! Yep, right there are some folks selling stuff but the interest is of the Alpaca stuff. It's nice and the price is right so we help the local economy.

 

 

We visit a salt farm made during the inca time where a spring runs through the mountain and picks up salt. The salty water is directed into many ponds and allowed to evaporate. Salt was important not only for their needs but for trading. It has been a long day and we finally arrive at the train station.

 

The train ride is beyond amazing as it follows a very angry muddy river crashing through boulders and it keeps us entertained until, until, holy cow those mountains are getting big and are those glaciers on those mountains?

 

Bigger still they grow and it seems we are transported to a land of wonder until we arrive at the town of Machu Piccnu. An amazing town with a totally different feel seemingly made up of hotels, small shops and people selling their wares. Our hotel sits against the mountain and our room is just charming. We go to bed with it raining like crazy but we are snug.

 

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