Feb 16 - Mchu Picchu, Peru

This morning Sam woke up when he heard birds outside his window. He looked out the window and saw mountains. Although it was raining lightly, Sam did look around the place he was staying. It was very nice, peaceful, beautiful and quiet. But he had to eat breakfast early and get on the bus by 7 a.m. The bus ride took him to Ollantaitambo, Peru. Sam got to walk around the town a little and see another place that had many more steps to climb and rock walls that were built by the Inca people hundreds of years ago.  Allie showed some of the buildings and features of the town that also went back to the time when the Incas lived there. Then it was time to go to the train. Sam got to ride in one of the little taxis that he had seen in Guatemala and Ecuador. It was a short ride, but fun. The train was really fun. Some of the people rode facing the front of the train, the others faced the back. There were tables between the seats. The roof of the train was domed and had windows! When the train was moving, you could see the mountains, the Urubamba River and some of the little rivers that poured into it. The river was really full because this is the rainy season. The train went through four short tunnels. Sam rode the train through the town of Piscacucho, Peru. This is a town were people that want to walk to Machu Picchu could start their journey. It is the beginning of one of many trails that the Inca people created in the mountains. It takes four days to walk from Piscacucho to Machu Piccchu. Sam wants to ride the train!

 

The train ride ended in Aguas Calientes, Peru. Then it was back on a bus to go up the mountain. The rode up the mountain went left, then right, then left, then right, etc. about a dozen times, all the time going higher and higher. Finally Sam was on the mountain. Before going to see Machu Picchu, Sam had lunch in a restaurant. While he ate, he heard musicians playing music that new to him. He liked the sounds.

 

Machu Picchu! It was a lot bigger than the other places that Sam had seen yesterday and earlier today. Sam saw llamas grazing on the side of the mountain. Allie had a lot of stories about this place. She has been coming here for 20 years. She walked on the Inca trail. Last week she was a guide for a photographer from National Geographic!

When he left Machu Picchu, Sam had to take a bus, a train, and a bus to get back to Urubamba to the hotel. It was a long day, but Sam saw many things and met lots of nice people in Peru.