One of the most amazing experiences I've ever had was visiting Bhutan. I went on an 8-day trek to (and from) the base camp of Bhutan's 3rd tallest mountain, Jomolhari. It was the first time I had ever camped and trekked and I was incredibly proud of myself for doing so (those who know me know that I leaned towards creature comforts when I travel). The mornings in the base camp were bright and sunny and, like clockwork, as soon as lunch was over, the skies would darken and it would start snowing, forcing me to go back into my tent to wait the storm out. Being surrounded by a nature so pure, so untouched, was the closest I'd ever felt to something truly majestic.
I've been yearning to have that feeling again. To travel to a place that is magical. A place that stays with you like Bhutan has stayed with me. I decided that Machu Picchu must be that place. The pictures I had seen of it were always so beautiful, so mysterious, so entrancing. I wanted to stand among the stones and feel the vibration of the place. So when my husband decided to teach a class in Lima, we decided to extend our stay and visit Machu Picchu.
We flew down to Cusco from Lima. From Cusco, we paid $30 to have a special taxi take us to the village of Ollantaytambo, about a 1.5-hour drive from Cusco. We rented a room at the Casa de Wow hostel for one night. We arrived at about 9pm and were greeted warmly by the guy who tends to the guests. The room we had smelled slightly of wet dog, but I didn't mind because there was a dog who stayed in the premises and I happen to like dogs. If it smelled like cat, however, I don't think we would have stayed there because cats are the worst (What? I'm highly allergic).
I've been yearning to have that feeling again. To travel to a place that is magical. A place that stays with you like Bhutan has stayed with me. I decided that Machu Picchu must be that place. The pictures I had seen of it were always so beautiful, so mysterious, so entrancing. I wanted to stand among the stones and feel the vibration of the place. So when my husband decided to teach a class in Lima, we decided to extend our stay and visit Machu Picchu.
We flew down to Cusco from Lima. From Cusco, we paid $30 to have a special taxi take us to the village of Ollantaytambo, about a 1.5-hour drive from Cusco. We rented a room at the Casa de Wow hostel for one night. We arrived at about 9pm and were greeted warmly by the guy who tends to the guests. The room we had smelled slightly of wet dog, but I didn't mind because there was a dog who stayed in the premises and I happen to like dogs. If it smelled like cat, however, I don't think we would have stayed there because cats are the worst (What? I'm highly allergic).
4 brown bags awaited us the next morning when we left at 6 am. Inside the bags were boiled eggs, toast, and fruit, ready to take on our journey to Machu Picchu. We hailed a mototaxi that took us to the train station about 5 minutes away. We paid for 3 seats on the train to Aguas Calientes (the town right below Machu PIcchu) and were on our way. Important note: make sure you buy your train tickets before you go on your trip. Seats fill up fast and you will probably not be able to purchase any tickets the day of. The ride into Aguas Calientes lasted for about an hour.
On the train to Aguas Calientes.
Once you get off the train at Aguas Calientes, you have the option of hiking up to Machu PIcchu or taking a bus. As soon as we got off the train, we walked over the bridge to La Boulangerie de Paris, a little bakery, where we bought some sandwiches and pastries for our lunch. There is no food sold at the park and you are not allowed to eat while inside the park, but may do so in designated areas outside of the front gate.
As soon as we had a coffee and bought our food, we paid for our bus tickets and rode up to Machu Picchu.
As soon as we had a coffee and bought our food, we paid for our bus tickets and rode up to Machu Picchu.
The ascent from Aguas Calientes took about 20-30 minutes. It's a beautiful ride up and I suggest snagging a window seat if you can.
We were in the park for approximately 5 hours. We were sad to see that we were the only family with small children there, but hopefully this would encourage some families to make the choice to bring their children along to this beautiful site.
So, was it worth the time, money, and effort to visit? Yes, definitely yes. Did it live up to my hopes and expectations? No. Unfortunately, Machu Picchu is a HUGE tourist attraction. It's hard to feel the majesty, the magic of a place when there are 150 other people milling around posing for pictures. It didn't transform me the way Mt. Jomolhari did 14 years ago. But I am so happy that I went and that I shared the experience with my children. I hope that one day, they could look back at the pictures and want to experience this beautiful place for themselves. Who knows. It may just prove to be the exact otherworldly experience that they may be looking for.