HomeTravel JournalsMachu Picchu By Train 2011

Machu Picchu By Train 2011

By : Ann Umlauf
Trip Begins July 3, 2011
Trip Ends July 10, 2011

July 2011 Trip to Peru: A fabulous Machu Picchu adventure and top shelf culinary tastebud explosion.

Jul 3 - Costa del SolDAY ONE: Peru, here we come!!!
Jul 4 - Taypikala Hotel CuscoDAY TWO: Welcome to Cusco: Elevation: 11,500ft.
Jul 5 - Taypikala Hotel CuscoDAY THREE: A bit of history, a bit of food, a bit of dance.
Jul 6 - El SauceDAY FOUR: The Sacred Valley.
Jul 7 - Machu Picchu RuinsDAY FIVE: Armed Guards and Machu Picchu.
Jul 8 - Taypikala Hotel CuscoDAY SIX: A Farewell Dinner For The Books.
Jul 9 - Miraflores, Lima, PeruDAY SEVEN: Lima and Astrid Y Gaston.
Jul 10 - Albany, New York, USAAfterthoughts...

See my photos : Machu Picchu By Train 2011

Want to go? Machu Picchu by Train

I went to: Peru, Lima, Costa del Sol, Cusco, Taypikala Hotel Cusco, Sacred Valley, El Sauce, Machu Picchu Ruins, El MaPi

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July 3, 2011

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DAY ONE: Peru, here we come!!!

Costa del Sol, Lima

About a year ago, I stumbled across an article citing Peru as the up and coming culinary epicenter of South America. In an instant, the destination for our next international trip had been decided. We researched travel companies and ultimately chose to go with Adventure Life on their Machu Picchu by Train tour. We didn't have much time to play with, only a week in early July, so this 7 day adventure looked perfect.

Plain and simple, when it comes to traveling, my fiance and I are serious eaters. In recent years the term foodie has evolved in an effort to make this hobby appear more refined in conversation. I'm not sure it's fooled anyone. Foodie = eater, and we eaters love nothing more than the delight of indulging in international cuisine. I asked Adventure Life to pair us up with a guide who was knowledgeable about local cuisine, a request they said they would be happy to accommodate (...obviously we had selected then right tour operator!).

Prior to embarking on this adventure, we spent a shameless amount of time researching local fare and restaurants in Lima. We came to find out that Peru's most renowned Chef, Gaston Acurio, has a flagship restaurant in Lima that, in 2010 and 2011, was crowned as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. We would need to book at least 6 weeks in advance to get a table. We fumbled around the restaurant's completely Spanish website, made our reservation, and kept our fingers crossed that we had done so correctly.

Two weeks before our departure, the New York Times published a Travel section devoted entirely to the upcoming 100th anniversary of the discovery of Machu Picchu. It felt like they had printed it just for us. New backpacks were purchased. Our clothing was laid out. Dinner reservations awaited in a far off land. We were ready to go.

Our journey began in Albany, NY at 10am, and we lucked out with an on-time flight itinerary to Lima, Peru, arriving at 10:30pm the same day. As we had been informed by Adventure life, our hotel, Costa del Sol, was incredibly easy to find, about 100 steps from the front doors of the airport. We were checked in by a welcoming staff and were presented with two complimentary vouchers for the hotel bar that would allow us to try Peru's national drink, the Pisco Sour. After dropping our bags in our room, we headed to the bar for our first taste of Peru. A Pisco Sour is like a bit like a Margarita, but better. The staple of a Pisco Sour is Pisco (obviously); a brandy type liquor made from regional grapes. What a delightful way to kick off our trip! Our cocktails disappeared embarrassingly fast, but we decided to enjoy only one as we had an early morning flight the next day.

July 4, 2011

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DAY TWO: Welcome to Cusco: Elevation: 11,500ft.

Taypikala Hotel Cusco, Cusco

After ravaging a grand breakfast buffet in our hotel, we headed back across the street to board our flight to Cusco. Cusco is steeped with incredible amounts of intact heritage, and sitting at 11,500 feet above sea level, is one of the highest cities in the world. For a city that is isolated in the Andes, it has more sprawl and is larger than one would expect, with a population of about 400,000. The descending flight into Cusco gives passengers the impression that they're approaching a city absent of most modern amenities. This couldn't be further from the truth. Despite the fact that this city looks quite run down from the air, it has the ability to impress even the most seasoned and discerning traveller.

We were greeted by our smiling driver who was holding a sign as we exited the airport - he knew us by name even before we had the chance to introduce ourselves (nice touch Adventure Life!). He kindly helped us with our bags and assisted us in getting a cup of cocoa tea upon arrival at our hotel. Our hotel was quaintly tucked into a quite back alley, not far from the main square of Cusco. As avid skiers who have carved many turns above 10,000 feet, we suspected that we would be alright with the change in elevation, but still drank several cups of the tea as a precaution.

Marco, our guide for the next five days, met us in the lobby shortly after our arrival and we ventured out to begin our tour of the city. It was colder than expected, but bright and sunny. It reminded us of crisp fall days in New England, with morning temperatures around 32 and daily highs around 65. We purchased hats and scarves from the street vendors to keep us warm until the sun heated things up in the afternoon.

We toured many of the archaeological and historical sites in the city center of Cusco and in the process Marco gave us a basic education of Incan history and Architecture. This would shape our journey for the next five days. Each day we visited different ruins and at each site Marco provided more information, layering the history like an Italian sandwich, a technique that made our trip increasingly fascinating as the days progressed.

Aware of our burning desire to try the local cuisine, Marco arranged dinner for us at a charming restaurant on the second floor of an old colonial house; he even scored us the table in the window, lit by candles. What a guy! We wasted no time diving into the local cuisine and ordered Causas with Guinea Pig. A Causa is a traditional Peruvian layered mashed potato dish that is to die for. Enjoying a unique national specialty such as Guinea Pig was very interesting as well, but I'm not sure it's what we expected - not that we had any particular expectations, as large rodents aren't a common dinner item in our house. The Guinea Pig comes out whole, teeth and all, on a platter. It's a bit startling for a person who isn't used to their food looking and grinning, at him or her. A decadent chocolate dessert finished off the evening, and we called it a day.

July 5, 2011

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DAY THREE: A bit of history, a bit of food, a bit of dance.

Taypikala Hotel Cusco, Cusco

After filling up at another exceptional breakfast buffet (a common theme in Peruvian hotels that I give two thumbs up), Marco picked us up at 8am with a hired driver and took us to Saqsaywaman (literally pronounced something very similar to "sexy woman" - it took me until about the 4th day of the trip to realize that Marco hadn't been saying sexy woman. Apparently I was not the first tourist to have made this mistake). Saqsaywaman is immense - over 3,000 hectares. It was an important religious complex in its heyday, and is comprised of massive stones, some weighing more than 100 tons that have been fit together perfectly; the structure is airtight despite the fact that no mortar is present. The site is full of native alpacas, birds, and local fauna. Marco took us through caves and passageways that were believed to bring people from one world into another. We were blown away by Marco's extensive historic and cultural knowledge, and as we found out, this history buff is actually in the process of writing a book on Incan civilization. Not only did we have a private guide, we had an expert!

On the way back into the city center, Marco accompanied us to the local market which is akin to a grand bazaar containing hundreds of vendors where one could purchase absolutely anything - from full cow heads and sheep eye balls to wooden cooking utensils and flowers. He helped us sample fruits and other items that we had never seen or heard of, and similar to nothing we had ever tasted (he also let us know what we couldn't sample without getting sick - a priceless tip). Some were splendid, others, not so much, but all were new and exciting. We also tasted and purchased local cheese and spices. I marveled at how cheap the delicious cheese was, and promptly bought an entire wheel. He showed us around a witches market (where there were some seriously crazy things for sale) in addition to other completely wild and eccentric stalls.

We spent a free afternoon walking around the shops and back streets before heading to Cicciolina, a lip-smackingly good restaurant, for appetizers. After savoring our final bite of ceviche and last drop of fabulous Chilean wine, we ran across town (literally, we were late) to attend a traditional Peruvian dance and music performance. The stage was flooded with brightly colored costumes that whirled around to the music of a live band. The crowd really got into it as the show was stolen by a pair of twelve years olds that did a top notch performance for the closing number.

We scooted back across town for a late dinner. Earlier that day, Marco helped us make dinner reservations at Chi Cha - Gaston Acurio's first restaurant in Cusco. While sitting in this restaurant, it would be easy to forget that you were not in one of Manhattan's fine dining establishments. White linens, flawless service from waiters wearing traditional black tie and aprons, an absolutely spectacular international wine list, impeccable food...it was perfection. Our meal started off with Papas y Cremas, a selection of local potatoes covered in a variety of traditional sauces. Andrew ordered an Adobo for his main course (Cusco's spicy and aromatic pork casserole that is baked and served in a clay pot), while I enjoyed Linguini Sabroso (fresh pasta topped with a creamy mushroom and sausage tomato sauce). We lingered for a while over dessert and cappuccino before meandering back to our hotel, our taste buds still on cloud nine.

July 6, 2011

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DAY FOUR: The Sacred Valley.

El Sauce, Sacred Valley

The following day our guide and driver picked us up and we drove to Pisac, another historical Incan site 1 hour from Cusco that lies at the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley. On the way we stopped at a small farm to try traditional empanadas. They were put in a wood fired oven and cooked fresh in front of us. Marco made sure we didn't miss out on many of the local specialties.

Above Pisac we explored more ruins at 13,500ft. By now we were feeling the elevation. Luckily, we didn't suffer from headaches or nausea, but we were quite winded while hiking around the archaeological site. Our voyage into Incan history continued as we learned more about the Incan's unwavering devotion to, and respect of the sun and mother earth. It turned out that Marco was fluent in English, Spanish and Quechua. Quechua was spoken by the Incans. This language was banned from public use in the 18th century, but is still spoken by older generations living in the Andes. Marco's fluency in this language allowed us, with his assistance, to communicate with elders in the remote areas that did not speak Spanish.

Pisac is also well known for its silver craftsmanship. In the village, we wandered around a smaller market and after getting the hang of haggling with the locals, purchased several jewelry pieces as gifts for family. Marco surprised us with a piece of carrot cake from an individual who he claimed was the best cake baker around. He had just sealed himself in our good books forever!

We continued our drive through the Sacred Valley (dropping to 9,200 feet - oxygen, yay!) where we had lunch at a beautiful hotel. This buffet lunch allowed us the opportunity to try more local specialties &amp;amp;ndash; we sampled braised alpaca and purple corn pudding; both were excellent.

After lunch we finished our last leg of travel for the day, arriving in the quaint town of Ollantaytambo. We explored more ruins - the most intact and meticulous we had seen up to this point. Marco told us an enchanting tale about Ollantaytambo functioning as a strong hold for the Incans during the Spanish conquest. The terraces that had been constructed into the side of the hill for agricultural purposes were extraordinary in both size and detail. Toward the top of the ruins, the walls of the structure had indentations about every 4 feet at shoulder level. Marco instructed us to lean our heads into the indentations; he walked about 40 feet away, inserted his head into one of the indentations and spoke softly. We could hear him through the stone. If we withdrew our heads from the indentation, we heard nothing. The sound was carrying through the rock. We knew how lucky we were to be accompanied by such an informative and interactive escort when a few other tourists watched Marco engaging in this acoustic demonstration and commented: We wish we had your guide.

Back at the hotel, we loaded into a three-wheeled motorized taxi (a ridiculously funny vehicle), and sped off to have dinner at El Albergue, a cozy restaurant straight out of 1920s Paris. This restaurant is literally in the train station, and is so charming that I half expected to see a romance scene from times gone by take place on the platform outside. I wouldn't have been surprised to stumble upon bohemian writers and musicians smoking pipes and drinking scotch in a parlor next door. An open kitchen, clanking wine bottles and the buzz of conversation created an infectious energy. Over a bottle of local wine, I dined on hand made four-cheese linguini while Andrew enjoyed a savory alpaca steak in elderberry sauce.

We strolled back to our hotel under a canopy of stars (it was fun to see the Southern Cross - a constellation that never shows its face in the northern hemisphere) and climbed into bed.

July 7, 2011

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DAY FIVE: Armed Guards and Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu Ruins, Peru

We awoke to crystal clear skies and fresh mountain air, our breath visible as we walked to the train station. There was an obvious bounce in our step - we were headed to Machu Picchu!!! The blue sky shined overhead while we stood on the train platform and enjoyed our gourmet coffee freshly made by a man in black tie standing behind a Parisian-looking bakery counter. This was certainly the most picturesque send-off I'd ever had - a far cry from Penn Station.

Prior to the trip, we debated the option of booking the Hiram Bingham train. We were glad that we ultimately took a friend's recommendation to stick with the Vista Dome - we couldn't have been happier. We shared a practically empty train car with National Geographic photographers who were in attendance for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Machu Picchu.

We boarded the train to Aguas Calientes and as the Vista Dome screamed past rainforest framed by snow-capped mountains, I captured some of my favorite photos of the trip. It's worth mentioning that the only way to get to Aguas Calientes is either by foot or by train. There are no roads to this secluded destination. The town resides deep in the Andes, in the middle of the cloud forest at 7,000 feet. For just under 2 hours, the train ride follows a roaring river that feeds the Amazon. While descending into the cloud forest, the elevation continues to drop and as a result the plants and wildlife come alive. We were able to see a large amount of lush jungle flora as well as colorful birds and other rainforest wildlife.

Upon stepping out of the train, we were greeted by a parade of painted faces, bright Incan costumes and native music. We had arrived on the exact day of the 100th anniversary celebration and the festivities were in full swing (FYI - this was a complete coincidence - we didn't know anything about this anniversary/celebration before we booked the trip, so it was a total surprise and HUGE bonus). A five minute walk from the train station brought us to our hotel. Our hotel, El Mapi was highly cosmopolitan - flat screen TVs, wireless internet, trendy candle lit bar, etc... and while these amenities are lovely (and much appreciated), they feel out of place in a hotel that is hidden so far into the jungle.

Aguas Calientes is 15 minutes (by bus) below Machu Picchu. The buses depart every 20 minutes and climb a steep and winding road to the ruins. On the bus, as a result of the celebrations, we were surrounded by performers that were dressed as if they were preparing to be transported back in time (very few actual tourists were allowed up to the ruins that day). Simply due to the fact that we didn't have painted faces and costumes on, we were completely out of place. We were the equivalent of the only people wearing bathing suits on a nude beach in France. On the short drive up to Machu Picchu, we passed throngs of armed guards in full camouflage and riot gear, shields and all. The Peruvian President landed by helicopter atop of the ruins about 40 minutes later.

We passed a second glut of armed guards and entered the gates of the park. As we rounded a corner, without a cloud in the sky, the ruins came into view in their full glory. The mountains framing the site sprawled endlessly into the horizon. Machu Picchu is known as the lost city in the sky. It's a wonder how anything this spectacular ever could have been lost. It's much larger than either of us could have ever imagined, and the backdrop is over the top. I have visited the Eiffel Tower, the Vatican, the Coliseum, the Sydney Opera House, Buckingham Palace, etc... and typically, the hype of these icons exceeds the wow-factor in person, and the experience pales compared to the overly inflated expectation. Not so on this occasion. Despite the increasing level of press that Machu Picchu has received in the last decade, it remains much more breathtaking than could ever be conveyed by travel guide or article. The magic in the air will forever elude the capture of photography.

Due to the 100th anniversary celebration, only a small fraction of park passes were sold on that day. The park was empty; we essentially had the place to ourselves. What a treat. We explored the site from corner to corner. Marco accompanied us the entire time and explained the historical significance and background of each structure. After spending many hours at this unbelievable site we went back to our hotel where we sat in aw over dinner.

Later that night, we went out for ice cream and coffee. We sat with a crowd that had gathered in the main square of Aguas Calientes to continue the celebrations. We couldn't have scripted a more perfect end to a more perfect day.

July 8, 2011

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DAY SIX: A Farewell Dinner For The Books.

Taypikala Hotel Cusco, Cusco

The next morning after, you guessed it, another astonishing buffet breakfast, we spent our time walking around the streets of Aguas Calientes, purchasing souvenirs. In the early afternoon we traveled back on the Vista Dome to Ollantaytambo. On the train we were treated to a fashion show of high end alpaca clothing.

We were met in Ollantaytambo by our ever-friendly and always smiling driver who picked us up and transported us on a scenic route back to Cusco. We stopped along the way to take photographs, and arrived in Cusco around 5pm. After Marco made sure we were settled in at our hotel, we said goodbye and thanked him for a remarkably special experience - we could not have asked for a more warm, funny or knowledgeable guide.

For our last night in Cusco we returned to Cicciolina for dinner. According to our Lonely Planet Guide, this restaurant is rated a Cusco's best, and with good reason. The meal began with Spanish Wine and home marinated olives - so flawlessly marinated that they weren't too salty or too briny, they were just perfect and melted in our mouths. We feasted on risotto with succulent scallops and shrimp in a whiskey sauce. White chocolate mousse for dessert was the finale to a fabulous culinary show.

We strolled back through the main square and haggled with a local artist, eventually buying a water color of the streets of Cusco, depicting the alleys we walked each time we left our hotel. To top off our evening we stopped for a Guinness at the highest 100% owned Irish Pub in the world. The pub, which is perched on the corner of Cusco's main square was jam packed with ex pats watching a Peru v Mexico soccer match.

With a bitter sweet feeling, we headed back to our hotel and organized our things for our flight to Lima the next morning.

July 9, 2011

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DAY SEVEN: Lima and Astrid Y Gaston.

Miraflores, Lima, Peru

At 9:15am, our lungs thanked us as we landed in Lima, back at sea level. We caught a cab into the city, walked around the shops for an hour and then excitedly marched over to Gaston Acurio's flagship restaurant, Astrid Y Gaston, for our noon reservation. The exterior of the restaurant was unassuming. Except for a bronze plaque on the wall outside, you could easily mistake the building for a person's home. We entered, and to our surprise and delight, we had successfully made our reservation months earlier - they were expecting us!!! Our 2.5 hour lunch began by sampling several Pisco sours (the drink menu was massive) accompanied by a variety of breads baked in house. Next came three complimentary appetizers including causas, king crab and ceviche. This was followed by a larger ceviche sampler. There is nothing as fresh and delectable as ceviche in Peru. For our main courses we enjoyed a stir fry of beef, peppers, onions and french fries (Lomo Saltado, a classic Peruvian dish) and Chilean Sea bass over pan fried noodles. Our lunch was completed by a ten dessert sampler. Each was delicious. Was it deserving of the title of one of the top 50 restaurants in the world? Without a doubt. Despite the fact that we had heard and read great reviews regarding Peru's gastronomy, we weren't sure what to expect before the trip. As it turns out, Italy and France should move WAY over...because Peru has officially arrived on the culinary scene and the food is world-class.

After lunch, we waddled over to Bike Tours of Lima. We had hoped to join a bike tour, something we like to do in every foreign city we visit. The tours were sold out, but the bike shop rented us two beach cruisers and gave us a map of the city with a recommended route. We spent the next 4 hours peddling around Lima, exploring the artsy neighborhood of Barranco, the upscale streets of Miraflores and the old Spanish Olive Groves of San Isidro. As we biked along the cliff's edge bordering the ocean, paragliders dotted the cost like Christmas tree ornaments. With more time, we would have taken the opportunity to see the city from the air as well.

After returning the bikes we visited a specialty chocolate shop, and then around 9pm headed over to a long standing Lima establishment to get a coffee and a final bite to eat before going to the airport. We boarded the plane, and couldn't help but think that the seats seemed a bit roomier on the flight down, prior to enjoying maybe a little too much Peruvian food. All smiles, we drifted to sleep soon after our plane took off at midnight.

Many nights we revisit our evening strolls in Cusco as we gaze over at the water color painting that we bought on the street - it has been framed and is on the wall adjacent to our bed. Our memories of this trip are so rich in detail; they can seemingly bring the painting alive. And what a dream it would be to return one day....

July 10, 2011

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Afterthoughts...

Albany, New York, USA

In all honesty, I was completely put-off by the idea of traveling via tour operator, especially during peak season. As an experienced traveler who has backpacked several continents as well as lived overseas, I was highly skeptical. All I could picture was a scene I had witnessed all too often in foreign cities - people following around a leader holding a flag, like lemmings heading toward the cliff. I pitied the participants. Surely that wasn't travel, was it? It seemed impersonal and culturally devoid. It felt wrong.

That said, I decided to give it a try, and I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Our guide didn't carry a flag (thank god) and we weren't herded around in a large group. Rather we had a personally tailored experience that was only enhanced by Marco's assistance. He didn't orchestrate all of our free time or impose activities that weren't of interest to us. Instead, with his help, we were able to find, do and see things that we may never have known about otherwise. We were also able to experience a greater level of relaxation that comes along with letting someone else worry about the tickets/transportation/reservations, etc... Rather than wasting time figuring out basic logistics that come along with every trip, we got to spend our time genuinely enjoying our surroundings and the experience at hand. What a nice change. All in all, a fantastic experience that I would highly recommend, as it exceeded our expectations in every regard.

My Photo Album: Machu Picchu By Train 2011