StarwoodGuy: Southern South America With Starwood Hotels Day 5

I woke up at 5:00 am and quickly showered before heading down to the buffet breakfast. I had booked my tickets through the T'ikariy tour desk inside the Tambo del Inka and had purchased tickets for the train and for the entrance to Machu Picchu itself but I had not gotten my bus tickets from the train station in Aquas Calientes to the entrance of the area. A group of ten of us met in the lobby at 6:30 and were escorted to the private train station on the hotel grounds. We boarded the beautiful train where I found I had been given seat 1 at the front of the train with a window facing forward and to the side. The Vistadome train has glass on all sides and on the roof providing amazing views for the trip to Machu Picchu. We traveled for an hour by train being given a choice of coffee or tea before arriving at our first stop at the main train station where we picked up the additional passengers. The train now filled up. From here on out another tea and coffee service was provided along with a small meal. The views from the train were simply breathtaking. Traveling right along the river you pass by beautiful mountain sites and then some old Inca sites as well before arriving at Aquas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. We arrived at the busy train station at 9:30 am. I ran out and grabbed my bus ticket. There was a short wait for the buses but soon I was on my way. I opted for a one way bus ticket of $12.00 US surprisingly collected in US funds, opting to take the hiking trail down. The bus is not for those afraid of heights, the turns are quite dramatic with few barriers to speak of but the buses seem to run constantly with few incidents (sadly on the day of my arrival in Cusco a bus in a different area crashed over an edge killing at least 7).

The wet season had yet to materialize on this trip and instead it was very warm. The entrance to Machu Picchu was very quick with the bar codes on our entrance tickets scanned and our passports verified. From there we were able to explore. I have been fortunate in my life to have traveled a great deal around the world and I had heard many great things about Machu Picchu but I was unprepared for how truly breathtaking it really was in person. I wandered around the various areas of the main complex, taking in the ancient sundial, the various temples and the ancient homes. A friend had recommended I do the extra trek up to Wannapicchu but I had not purchased entrance in time and the path there is limited per day as is Machu Picchu in general so make sure to book in advance. From the main complex I decided to make the long trek up to Sun Gate which is quite a hike. I do enjoy hiking but by the time I reached the top I was totally soaked in sweat. A small group had made it up there and we all cheered each other and took pictures for each other so that it was not just selfies. The view was like nothing I had ever seen before. I am not religious nor am I overly spiritual, but there is definitely something inspiring about this place and the almost incomprehensible ingenuity of the people who built it centuries before. After I headed down and over to see the Inca Bridge which was another amazing sight but not for those afraid of heights (including myself). I sucked up my courage and went through the pass with two families from Miami. The passage is so narrow with no barrier and you need to sign in for a waiver before entering and sign out to let them know you made it back in one piece. At points the cliff face is inches from where you a are standing with no guard rail and a several hundred foot drop. Once we reached the end you see the bridge which they had built consisting of simple would planks which could be removed to block invaders from arriving at the citadel. Truly amazing engineering given the times and the height at which they were working.

After that I made the trek down the mountain just as the rain started. After an hour I arrived back in Aquas Calientes when it really started to pour. There are several hotels, restaurants, and a large shopping market here but I headed straight to a bar near the station and sat at a covered patio having some beer to calm my trembling legs after four hours of hiking. We boarded the train just before four and I was now in seat 46, a 4 table with the guide of a group of 17 Japanese tourists next to me and one of the Japanese couples across. We had a language barrier but I brought out the sudoku that the Tambo del Inka hotel had left in my room the previous night and did it with them. Again a tea and coffee service was provided and a light dinner, followed by the train staff putting on a dance performance and a fashion show with clothes on offer from PeruRail. A beautiful rainbow appeared on our way back reinforcing the belief that this place was the birth of the rainbow. When we arrived back at the main station the entire train emptied out and I had the last hour on the train all to myself.

Back at the hotel at 6:25 pm I made my way right to the pool and jumped in before having a sauna, having a sandwich and some beers in my room and passing out. I really do not know how to express how amazed I was by the entire experience. That was one of the best if not the best tourist days I have had in my life. I love Prague and Budapest, I love exploring castles in Germany, I like to think of Puerto Vallarta as a second home, but this was beyond anything I can adequately express in words. It was on my bucket list, now checked off, but I definitely want to go again. Truly amazing and the Vista Dome and the Hotel Tambo del Inka made it effortless and luxurious.