World Cruise 2013: Day 11 - Cuzco to Machu Picchu

World Cruise 2013

January 15, 2013

At 7 AM we had breakfast at the hotel and at 8 AM we started the drive to the Poroy train station. We arrived at the train station at 8:30 AM and 9:05 AM the Hiram Bingham train left for Aguas Calientes. The Hiram Bingham train is a luxury train. The train runs along the Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley approximately 9,350 feet above sea level. Our group had one car. We sat at a seat with a table between two seats with white tablecloths. We had lunch on the train and the train had a bar car with an outside observation area where we could take pictures. The train followed a canyon with a nearby river. This river is part of the Amazon River system and drains in the Atlantic Ocean. The river is a rapid flowing river and the water in the river is very dirty.

At about 12:30 PM we arrived at Aguas Calientes. To get to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas we took a 25-minute bus ride, which took us to an elevation of 7,874 feet.

After we got off the bus at Machu Picchu we stood in line with our tour guide to enter Machu Picchu. After passing the gate it was only a short walk before I got my first look at Machu Picchu at 1:30 PM. We would walk for a short time ant the tour guide would talk. At some places we had to walk up stairs to get to another level. Some others and I did not go to two of the higher areas. These areas required a walk of over 100 steps each and I didn’t think it was worth the effort.

At 4:30 PM we got back to the gate of Machu Picchu and at 5 PM we took the bus back to the train station.

We got on the train at 5:50 for our train ride back to Cusco. A very nice tenderloin dinner with wine was served on the train. We arrived back at the Poroy train station at 9:15 and got back to the hotel at 9:45.

Below are some pictures of day 2 of my overland tour to Machu Picchu.