Destination Machu Picchu - The Inkaterra Machu Picchu Experience
​(Tour Report June 2011)
Ever since I was a little girl and after having read the Adventures of Tintin and Snowy by Hergé I had dreamt of visiting this part of Peru. The two books I am referring to here are: The Seven Cristal Balls and The Temple of the Sun.

We had spent two action packed days in Lima, but it was now time to head to Cuzco, and the Temple of the Sun!  That sky had looked menacing, but as the day grew the big black cloud faded and it was bright again! The flight from Lima to Cuzco was short and uneventful.   But on arriving in Cusco it hit me; the puna or soroche, as they call it, "altitude sickness"!  As soon as the door of the plane opened, my head felt heavy, my arms and legs felt as though all their strength had been drained away.  Fortunately I knew what to do!  I had been in La Paz twenty years before, so I moved slowly, tried not to carry too much weight, and had drunk a lot of water before travelling.
Cusco from the airplane looked fantastic!  But we weren’t going there yet.  First, are two nights at Machu Picchu Pueblo (formerly called Aguas Calientes), the town at the foot of the mighty Machu Picchu Citadel.  We are pleased with the Inkaterra reception in Cusco by our guide and driver, who took care of our luggage and guided us to a comfortable SUV with pillows and cool mineral water (it is highly recommended to drink lots of water at high altitude).  Two hours of driving took us through the sierras, descending from 3,400 metres in Cuzco to 2,400 metres at Ollantaytambo. There we took the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu Pueblo at 5:00pm, taking two more hours to reach our final destination for the next couple of days.  The Vistadome has a lot of viewing windows and was a good choice for value.  We are looking forward enormously to our Inkaterra Machu Picchu experience, including opportunities to enjoy their Onu Spa, and go on one of their many exclusive local area excursions, that include options to see spectacled bears and their orchid trail!
We arrive at Machu Picchu Station at around 7:00pm.  It is already dusk; we can only just make out line of the hill behind us, and are met by our host from Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel at the station.  José, our host, is a very nice person, always cheerful.  He guides us from the train station, across a bridge, into the hotel.  ​The hotel opens up before us like a little town in the middle of exuberant and lush vegetation.  It is a surprise of excellent taste and careful planning by its architect and biologist, the owners.  The white of the chalets, the reddish brown of their tiles and the green of the vegetation all go together in perfect harmony, like in a painting.  We register in the lobby and enjoy the welcome drink (a pisco sour and a fruit juice).  We are then led to our room.  This is very comfortably furnished, with a fireplace, a sitting area by the sacred Urubamba River, and a King size bed with Peruvian cotton sheets.  Peruvian cotton robes, rubber flip-flops, chocolates, dried fruit and mineral water are also provided for our stay.  We feel truly pampered! 

Although we are very tired after a long day, we freshen up and get dressed for dinner.  Walking through the chalets we arrive at the building that serves as the dining room, which also faces the Urubamba River.  Although it is dark, we can hear its strong current rushing past.    In the menu they feature Cuy (Guinea pig), a delicacy that is mainly served in big family reunions and at weddings in this part of Peru.  My brave partner orders it, but I decide to stick with something safe: fish!
After a glorious meal and a few laughs, we retire to our lovely room happy and with a feeling of anticipation about our program for the next day.  We sleep like angels.  Next day we get up very early, so as to have time to see the sunrise in Machu Picchu.
We have an early breakfast and meet Fabricio, our guide for Machu Picchu at 6:30am in the lobby.  We set off to can catch one of the many shuttle buses that head up to the Citadel.  We board the first one in line and a few minutes later we are on our way!  The 25-minute ride takes us from the township at 2,100m AMSL to 2,400m.  It is curvy and very steep, at some points having only one lane.  Finally we arrive at the entrance to Machu Picchu Citadel, where an early crowd is already waiting.  By the very entrance of the park is the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge.  Finally we are inside!  Our guide starts to inform us about Hiram Bingham and Machu Picchu as we approach the doorway that opens onto the view of Machu Picchu (old mountain) and Huayna Picchu (young mountain); a truly magnificent sight!  
NB.  With effect from 1 july 2017, new restrictions came into force concerning entry. (ALL visitors must be accompanied by a guide; standard tours are limited to AM or PM entries, for a maximum of 4 hours; similar controls for other tours; restrictions on clothing, footwear and camera appliances).  For MORE click HERE!
As I cross the threshold, and see what I have longed to see for years, tears start filling my eyes… how absurd, I think, and dare not look at the guide.  My partner's reaction was exactly the same.  Fabricio notices this and tells us that it is not uncommon. We feel relieved not to be the only ones who get emotional at the sight of such beauty.  Centuries of history lay before us.  Art and architecture, engineering and landscaping, science and astronomy, agriculture and ecology, religion and laws, all blend here harmoniously.
We went on a photo spree, my partner and I.  The admiration we felt for the Incas became even stronger after visiting Machu Picchu.  We had three hours with our guide; three hours where we learned a lot about the empire; also about speculations and legends on why it disappeared. 
After the three hours, we enjoyed a very nice box lunch from the hotel and then Fabricio was gone.  My partner and I had Machu Picchu to ourselves now!  We walked along the paths, climbed the uneven steps, went to the Incan bridge, enjoyed the company of baby twin llamas, and climbed to the highest point on Machu Picchu.  Thus, we spent 3 or 4 more hours as we witnessed the change in hues with the change in light as the day wore on.  Getting back down to Machu Picchu Pueblo was easy.   Fabricio had handed us our tickets and all we had to do was leave the park and wait in line to board one of the buses by the Sanctuary Lodge. The ride downhill was as exciting as the ride uphill!  Then from the bus stop it was only a 10-minute walk to the hotel, or a little longer if one lingered  by the open market near the train station. 
Our visit to fabulous Machu Picchu was over! 
​We could have stayed much longer!