Today was primarily a travel day. Normally, I don’t enjoy travel days too much
because they just aren’t that exciting.
Today was a little different though.
It began with a fantastic breakfast at our hotel in Auguas Calientes. Most of the breakfasts on this trip have been
subpar, with mainly bread and cereal.
This morning was a breakfast full of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs,
cheese, bread, and even pancakes! It
also helped that this was the first time in a week that I actually felt like
eating breakfast. Of course, my body
would finally adjust to the high altitudes the day we leave, but hey I am not
complaining.
Anyways, we left our hotel around 8 a.m. to catch a train to Ollantaytambo, Peru. The train ride should have taken an hour and a half, instead it took about 5. The reason was because a wheel on our train car somehow derailed about 15 minutes into the trip. We were stopped on the tracks for at least 2 or 3 hours. The problem was fixed thankfully and we were able to get to our destination. A driver met us at Ollantaytambo with a private bus where he transported us to a lunch buffet about 15 minutes away. My appetite came back just in time because the food was really great. I even tried alpaca meat and liked it!
After lunch we had about an hour bus ride back to Cusco, with a brief stop at a textile market. The market was very much like ones we visited on World Tour. First the locals tell you how they make it, starting with harvesting the material and then they lead you through every step of the process. At the end they expect you to buy their goods. It’s very effective. You educate the tourists, get them involved, and before you know it they are hooked. They have to buy something to commemorate the experience. I saw their scheme from a mile away, and I still fell for it. I bought a blanket woven of alpaca wool. To be fair, I had previously planned to purchase one before I left Peru. I don’t regret the purchase; I love it!
I had planned to either nap or journal on the bus ride back to Cusco; however, the ride was so scenic that my eyes were glued out the window the entire trip. We drove through The Golden Valley, up the side of a mountain, and through the foothills and plains of the Andes, all while the snow-capped mountains dominated the landscape. It is, hands down, one of the prettiest roads I have ever been on.
We got to the Cusco airport in plenty of time for our flight to Lima, despite the morning train delay. There were a couple hours of down time before our flight started boarding, so Amanda and I reviewed pictures that we took from Machu Picchu. It is only a day later and it does not seem real that I was there. With a place as pretty as Machu Picchu any photo you take is a great photo. It makes amateur photographers (that’s me) look like experts.
Our flight was a typical one. It lasted about an hour and a half; I blogged for most of it. The minute I stepped off the plane, my lungs had so much oxygen, by body didn’t know how to react. It was a great feeling, also one that I had never felt before. The air felt heavier breathing it in. It made my lungs ache a little bit, but not in a bad way. It didn’t take long for my body to adjust and I finally felt normal again. After six full days, the altitude sickness was completely gone!
It took a while, but we made it to our hotel in Lima, the last city on our itinerary. Once again we are spoiled with a nice, clean room to stay in. We are all very thankful for that. I am speaking for us all when I say that it has been a fantastic trip so far. I also know that we are ready to get back home. For me specifically, it is bitter sweet. I know that this is my last chance, probably ever, to travel on a trip of this magnitude. Also, the idea of going back to work in a couple weeks is really putting a damper on my will to return home. That being said, I am ready to see my family again, and my friends, and my roommates. I want to sleep in my own bed, have an entire closet of clothes available for me to wear, and brush my teeth with my Sonicare. It’s the little luxuries in life that I am most thankful for.
Anyways, we left our hotel around 8 a.m. to catch a train to Ollantaytambo, Peru. The train ride should have taken an hour and a half, instead it took about 5. The reason was because a wheel on our train car somehow derailed about 15 minutes into the trip. We were stopped on the tracks for at least 2 or 3 hours. The problem was fixed thankfully and we were able to get to our destination. A driver met us at Ollantaytambo with a private bus where he transported us to a lunch buffet about 15 minutes away. My appetite came back just in time because the food was really great. I even tried alpaca meat and liked it!
After lunch we had about an hour bus ride back to Cusco, with a brief stop at a textile market. The market was very much like ones we visited on World Tour. First the locals tell you how they make it, starting with harvesting the material and then they lead you through every step of the process. At the end they expect you to buy their goods. It’s very effective. You educate the tourists, get them involved, and before you know it they are hooked. They have to buy something to commemorate the experience. I saw their scheme from a mile away, and I still fell for it. I bought a blanket woven of alpaca wool. To be fair, I had previously planned to purchase one before I left Peru. I don’t regret the purchase; I love it!
I had planned to either nap or journal on the bus ride back to Cusco; however, the ride was so scenic that my eyes were glued out the window the entire trip. We drove through The Golden Valley, up the side of a mountain, and through the foothills and plains of the Andes, all while the snow-capped mountains dominated the landscape. It is, hands down, one of the prettiest roads I have ever been on.
We got to the Cusco airport in plenty of time for our flight to Lima, despite the morning train delay. There were a couple hours of down time before our flight started boarding, so Amanda and I reviewed pictures that we took from Machu Picchu. It is only a day later and it does not seem real that I was there. With a place as pretty as Machu Picchu any photo you take is a great photo. It makes amateur photographers (that’s me) look like experts.
Our flight was a typical one. It lasted about an hour and a half; I blogged for most of it. The minute I stepped off the plane, my lungs had so much oxygen, by body didn’t know how to react. It was a great feeling, also one that I had never felt before. The air felt heavier breathing it in. It made my lungs ache a little bit, but not in a bad way. It didn’t take long for my body to adjust and I finally felt normal again. After six full days, the altitude sickness was completely gone!
It took a while, but we made it to our hotel in Lima, the last city on our itinerary. Once again we are spoiled with a nice, clean room to stay in. We are all very thankful for that. I am speaking for us all when I say that it has been a fantastic trip so far. I also know that we are ready to get back home. For me specifically, it is bitter sweet. I know that this is my last chance, probably ever, to travel on a trip of this magnitude. Also, the idea of going back to work in a couple weeks is really putting a damper on my will to return home. That being said, I am ready to see my family again, and my friends, and my roommates. I want to sleep in my own bed, have an entire closet of clothes available for me to wear, and brush my teeth with my Sonicare. It’s the little luxuries in life that I am most thankful for.
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