April 2016
The first stop on the trip was Lima. Our hotel was in the Barranco district, an artsy oceanside neighborhood full of museums and murals. We saw a few museums, then headed to el centro de Lima. There we visited El Catedral de Lima and saw the government palace, where the president lives.
A quick flight to Cusco brought us to the sacred valley. The city is filled with remnants of Inca architecture and old cathedrals, all at a staggering elevation of 3400 meters (over 11,000 feet).
The town of Ollantaytambo is much smaller than Lima and Cusco. Canals built by the Inca run through the streets to provide drainage and irrigation. The fortress of Ollantaytambo gave us our first look at the mortarless stone construction of the Inca.
A short train ride brought us to Aguas Calientes, since no roads connect to this city. The town is located right on the Urubamba river and tucked between towering mountains. Machu Picchu is just a short drive away, but it is completely hidden from view.
We woke up before sunrise to head up to Machu Picchu. Seeing the ancient city shrouded in fog, with the sun rising behind it was absolutely incredible. We climbed to the top of Waynapicchu mountain to see more ruins and a beautiful look down at Machu Picchu.
Not pictured: fresh cebiche, Inca Kola, alpaca steak, and pisco sours.
Click here for more photos
© 2016 Will Krieger