Spring 2015 Week 8

This week was our week to travel. First we took a bus from TRC express to Lima. We spent Friday in Lima along the coast and in Miraflores. There we went to a mall called Larcomar which is right on the coast built on some cliffs. We would highly recommend checking it out if you have time while you're here, it's really cool. 

We then got up early Saturday morning to fly to Cusco. We flew through Peruvian Airlines which is a great airline to check out if you want to save a little money. We then got to Cusco and everyone needed most of the day to adjust to the altitude. Honestly I didn't think that altitude sickness would effect us that much but I recommend drinking a lot of water and taking ibuprofen when you arrive in Cusco. We rented an apartment for seven people which was probably the most economical way to go if you have a big group. 

On Sunday we then took a bus through PeruRail to Ollantaytambo to get on the train. The train ride was spectacular because of the views through the Peruvian rain forest. The train ride lasts nearly two hours and the service and comfort is really nice. The final destination of the train is Aguas Calientes.

Aguas Calientes is a little town way up in the mountains and it sits below Machu Picchu. It's more expensive than Cusco so we would recommend buying snacks and water in Cusco it will help save a little money. The main things to do in Aguas Calientes are shopping in the big souvenir markets and then at night going up to the hot springs above the city. Everything from the train ride up to Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu kind of seems like a dream how beautiful it is. Make sure your cameras are fully charged with plenty of memory because you'll want a lot of pictures. 

On Monday we woke up at about 4 a.m. to be able to have breakfast at the hotel and to see the sunrise at Machu Picchu. Even after waking up that early and getting to the bus stop at 5:15 there was still a pretty long line. After we got to the lodge at the foot of Machu Picchu Ryan and his parents were able to find a guide for about S/.20 a person, which is a pretty good price. Getting a guide is highly recommended because there is a lot of history surrounding Machu Picchu. 

Machu Picchu is far better than what the photos portray. The views from the tops of the mountain and looking out across the ancient ruins feels like you're in a movie. It is by far the place where you will take the most photos. While we were up there Kurt proposed to his girlfriend which was an amazing place to get engaged. Ryan and his dad went and hiked Machu Picchu mountain which they believed was just as cool as Machu Picchu itself. 

After returning from Machu Picchu to Cusco we spent the rest of the week going on a few tours such as the sacred valley. We would recommend going on these tours but also take a day or two to hang out in Cusco because there are a lot of museums and great places to check out.