While in Cusco we booked a one-day It turned out to be a dawn-to-dusk day) tour of the lost Inca city ruins at Machu Picchu. The
tour included the train ride up to the town of Agua Caliente,
located at the foot of Machu Picchu 
and the bus rides in between as well as an English speaking guide at the ruins. The train to Machu Picchu was delayed for over an hour due to a forest fire next to the tracks. When we got off the train in Agua Caliente there were hundreds of tourists looking for their guide groups. We had to find the gal with the orange flag. Once the guide had all her sheep we loaded on the bus for the 
45 minute ride up the mountain to the ruins. The ruins are unbelievable having only been discovered in the early 1900’s. There is very little re-construction so it is pretty much as it was centuries ago. We wandered away from our tour group and I played my blues harp inside one of the buildings just so I could say I did so. Some people spend a few days at Machu Picchu but, we were toured out so we returned to Cusco late that evening.
and the bus rides in between as well as an English speaking guide at the ruins. The train to Machu Picchu was delayed for over an hour due to a forest fire next to the tracks. When we got off the train in Agua Caliente there were hundreds of tourists looking for their guide groups. We had to find the gal with the orange flag. Once the guide had all her sheep we loaded on the bus for the 
45 minute ride up the mountain to the ruins. The ruins are unbelievable having only been discovered in the early 1900’s. There is very little re-construction so it is pretty much as it was centuries ago. We wandered away from our tour group and I played my blues harp inside one of the buildings just so I could say I did so. Some people spend a few days at Machu Picchu but, we were toured out so we returned to Cusco late that evening.
One more day in Cusco had us taking the double-decker, four-hour city tour bus around Cusco and walking around the central plaza, Plaza de Armas. As it turns out, most large cities have a plaza with the same name. The next day Jean booked us a flight from
Cusco back to Lima. She was tired of buses, trains, automobiles, etc. In Lima we again hooked up with friends and we taxied into central Lima to visit the oldest Chinatown in South America. We were happy to find Chinese Roast Duck hanging in the store windows so we purchased one to take back to the hotel. However, we were very disappointed to find that the taste wasn’t even close to what we are used to. After a long afternoon we said our good bys and early the next morning (again early) we hopped a flight back to Guayaquil and a couple of days later we bused back to our boat.
1 comment:
Wow- what an experience! We just want to get to Ecuador and here you are traveling so many other fascinating places! Good for you! I think the altitude would get me, so I'll opt for low-level adventures! We are back in Baja and gearing up for Central America.
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