It was a bucket list moment when I walked through the gates of Machu Picchu - one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It had been a long time coming and I was pinching myself that I was there. It was a cool morning with an annoying amount of rain but once in the citadel, the fog lifted to expose the magnificent Inca ruins. Sitting high above the Urubamba River valley, in the middle of a tropical rainforest, the views were breathtaking and I sat and marvelled at this amazing urban creation of the 15th Century. The lead up to getting to the sacred site can take one of many paths but for each one, you start in the Inca capital of Cuzco. You should spend 1-2 days here just to get acclimatised as it is high above sea level and altitude sickness can set in. Cuzco is a fabulous city steeped in history and colour and it has a great vibe, so spending the time there is not a chore. From Cuzco, you can do one of the following treks – The Inca Trail, The Salkantay Trek, The Lares Trek, the Quarry Trek, Adventure Trek or take a combination of trains and buses. They all start from a different location and are of varying length. There is no right or wrong way to get there – all roads lead to Machu Picchu. Due to time restrictions, I did the latter and caught a bus to Pisac and visited the ruins and markets before weaving my way to Urubamba and on to the town of Ollantaytambo. More ruins to climb and already a sense of what was to come. From there, I boarded the train to Agues Calientes, a tiny town at the foot of Machu Picchu. At this point, the only way up to Machu Picchu is by bus. I stayed in Agues Calientes overnight and left first thing the next morning. As the bus winds around endless hairpin turns, the anticipation builds. When you walk in the gates and along a short path, you turn the corner and there it is – bigger, better and more amazing than you could imagine. As I stood there in awe, I heard the screams of the people who had just reached the Sun Gate and finished the 4day/3night Inca Trail. Weary and wet, they were as happy to be there as I was, but I just got there a different way.
Donna Phillips Travel is an Independent Affiliate of Frontier Travel - A Virtuoso Member https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/donnaphillips
