Am on for a quick minute and wanted to let you know I’ve arrived safely from Machu Picchu. In a word, spectacular!

We had two days up there and I’m so glad we did! It took four hours by train from Cusco then a 25 minute bus ridt to the top of the hill. The sites on the way up were worth the trip! Towering mountains and lush vegetation! We were guided, along with 25 other people, to the major sites.

The climbing is just unreal! There are few totally flat places in Machu Picchu and you have to climb just to get to these! I was glad we were spending the night in Agua Calientes (Hot Water), at the base of the mountain. We found a hostel and checked in. At first the lady told us it was A$15, Jo and I looked at each other like we were ready to walk out. I told the woman we were quoted 15 solas. We checked in for 15 solas!!! 🙂

Just a five minute walk up the hill from there was natural hot spring. Incredible, and just what the doctor ordered!!!

The second day was much tougher! I was a little less interested in hiking, but Jo and I made the trek up Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain). It is about 500 meters and nearly all straight up! The vistas from the top were breathtaking, problem was that by the time you reached the top you didn’t have any breath left to take!!!

After getting off the mountain, we raced (on cramped legs) back to the hot springs and soaked for the next 40 minutes the raced to the bus.

P.S. Our train driver honked through every tunnel…given our tunnel experience in Costa Rica, it didn’t make me feel too safe! LOL