Peru - My whirlwind long weekend to Peru

I have more miles than common sense and I am impulsive so I booked the following "fun weekend" trip in April 2009 for myself, Mrs. MileageAddict and MileageAddict Junior:

Day 1: arrive Cuzco 800am, visit Cuzco and stay the night
Day 2: train to Machu Picchu, return on late train to Cuzco, stay night in Cuzco
Day 3: CUZ-LIM late morning, visit sights of Lima, stay night in Lima
Day 4: 6am departure LIM-MIA-DCA


Yes, it's nuts but then again, I also do mileage runs. We just want to have a fun weekend and see something amazing. Pretty much, Cuzco, Machu Picchu for a full day and an afternoon/evening in Lima.

My biggest concern is the time it takes to check-in for the LIM-MIA flight which departs at 6am. Should I stay at an airport hotel? I would prefer to stay at the Starwood property in Lima but if I need to get up at 2am, it's not worth it.

I dislike the idea of a 6am departure but it was the only thing available with miles.

Any suggestions or ideas? Please share!

I'm refining my itinerary a bit:

Day 1: arrive Cuzco 800am, take it easy - lunch and then taxi to Ollantaytambo (night in Ollantaytambo)

Day 2: morning train to Machu Picchu, return on late afternoon train to Cuzco, dinner and stay the night in Cuzco

Day 3: Explore Cuzco in the morning, fly to Lima, afternoon sights and dinner in Lima, stay night in Miraflores (nearer the airport)

Day 4: 6am departure LIM-MIA-DCA

I did even a quicker trip :)

Landed in Lima PM
Flew to Cuzco 8am...took bus to different sights near Cuzco few hours away
Spend the night vomiting because of the altitude sickness
Took train Machu Picchu
Flew Cuzco-Lima-Miami

Obviously I am not an expert, but these are some of my observations:
I would probably take the bus, not the train to Machu Picchu. There is nothing wrong with the train other than it takes 3 hours there and 3 hours back. The bus I took the first day during the day trip was literally within 10 minutes of the Machu Picchu entrance. Perhaps I would take the bus to a city close to Machu, spend the night there, and then catch the train in the morning. Not only would this be a shorter train ride, but it would give you more sleeping time.

On the way back they give you the option of skipping the last hour of the train ride and taking an organized bus...would strongly recommend this.

Cuzco is small. I would stay at the 'right' place, not near the airport.

4 hours in Machu is more than enough unless you are really into archeology.

I wish I would have also scheduled the lineas de nasca as an airplane tour from Lima. I am not a city person.

why not? My roommate a few years ago did a trip to Macchu Picchu over a short Thanksgiving weekend. I did my first trip to Peru in June and the flight from Lima to Cuzco was one of the most scenic in my life. And when I got to my birdwatching lodge in on the Madre de Dios river, it was clear enough that we could see the cordillera of the Andes 100 or so miles away above the rainforest.

Saving Machu Picchu for next time, otherwise someone would have been mad at me for going alone :)

I am sure you researched this trip more than you posted here.;)

To take the train from Oilantaytambo (I believe, which what we did in Feb) you have to make reservations before and pick up your tickets in Cusco.
Not sure you can leave from one town and return to the other.

I would actually recommend you spend the two nights in O'tambo and travel back to Cusco early the following AM since the late train to Cusco gets in around 930 pm. ( it is about two hours further timewise from O'tambo)

We stayed at the wonderful little Pakaritampu hotel which is about 100 yards from the O'tambo station and if you contact the hotel they can arrange for driver to pick up (and return you to Cusco)

We also arranged with the hotel for a guide pick us up in Cusco to take us to Pisac and the ruins in O'tambo among other places and then privately arranged with the same guide to meet us in Macchu Picchu it was worth every penny I am absolutely sure I we had visited any of the sites even with all the guidebooks in hand we would have got less than 10% of what the guide imparted.

mike

p.s. noticed your earlier post about going to Lima airport we did something similar staying at the Doubletree also in Miraflores.
Our flight was 730 and left the hotel at 0500 at that time in the morning it took no more than 30 mins to the airport.

I did even a quicker trip :)

Landed in Lima PM
Flew to Cuzco 8am...took bus to different sights near Cuzco few hours away
Spend the night vomiting because of the altitude sickness
Took train Machu Picchu
Flew Cuzco-Lima-Miami


I will try my hardest to omit this activity from my itinerary. :p

I'm refining yet again as award seats for returning a day later opened up . Any feedback or suggestions?

Day 1: arrive Cuzco 800am, take it easy - explore Cusco liesurely. (night in Cusco)

Day 2: midday taxi to Ollantaytambo, explore village (night in Ollantaytambo)

Day 3: Early morning train to Machu Picchu, return late afternoon to Ollantaytambo (night in Ollantaytambo)

Day 4:Taxi to Cusco Airport in the morning, fly to Lima, afternoon sights and dinner in Lima, stay night in Miraflores (nearer the airport)

Day 5: 6am departure LIM-MIA-DCA

Having just stepped off the plane from LIM / CUZ, I would suggest to skip Lima altogether. With so little time I would concentrate on Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, and maybe visit a couple of other sights (like Pisac or Moray), instead of fighting Lima traffic. Lima's OK, but doesn't have nearly the charm of Cuzco. It takes about 45 mins from Miraflores to LIM, so it's actually a little farther than downtown, where the Sheraton is (note that there currently is a ton of construction right smack in front of it). (Oh, just re-reading your itin, and it looks like you probably can't get into LIM early enough for your flight back to the US...)

In Machu Picchu, if you want to climb Wayna Picchu, you need secure your "permit" as early as possible - they limit it to 200 ppl before 10AM and 200 ppl after 10AM. The view from up there is definitely worth the climb.


I'm refining yet again as award seats for returning a day later opened up . Any feedback or suggestions?

Day 1: arrive Cuzco 800am, take it easy - explore Cusco liesurely. (night in Cusco)

Day 2: midday taxi to Ollantaytambo, explore village (night in Ollantaytambo)

Day 3: Early morning train to Machu Picchu, return late afternoon to Ollantaytambo (night in Ollantaytambo)

Day 4:Taxi to Cusco Airport in the morning, fly to Lima, afternoon sights and dinner in Lima, stay night in Miraflores (nearer the airport)

Day 5: 6am departure LIM-MIA-DCA

Thanks for the advice. Regarding Lima, my wife has a "pen-pal" friend there that may have us over for dinner.

I didn't realize Miraflores is about the same distance from LIM as downtown Lima. I might as well use Starwood points in the city.

Ideally, I will be able to secure award space on the late evening flight to MIA and skip an overnight stay in Lima altogether.

A couple of suggestions about visiting Machu Picchu. These are some lessons that I learned somewhat painfully earlier this month.

1. Machu Picchu is owned and operated by the Peruvian mosquitoes They just let you visit. Make sure you bring repellant.

2. Suntan lotion. Cuzco and Machu Picchu are at high altitude. Make sure you are prepared for a very intense sun.

3. Sleeping. High altitude really can affect your sleep, especially if you quickly transition from sea level. You might want to talk to your doctor about getting a sleeping aid (i.e. Sonata). It is a long way to travel to walk around all day in a sleep-deprived state.

The "advantage" of Miraflores is that you can use the coastal road for part of the trip to/from LIM - it has no lights or real intersections. To downtown I imagine you're stuck on roads with lights pretty much all the way. Cab drivers are good at "navigating through traffic", though.

As far as hotels in the airport, there is a Ramada across from the terminal in LIM. Nothing really of interest around LIM.

I also used an award to get there - booked about 6 weeks prior, with ample off-peak availability almost every day! (30k in Y). Actually, the DCA-MIA &vv legs were a lot more tricky than the MIA-LIM &vv legs.

Note that AA operates the A300 on the route, and you may get an aircraft that has the high-density Caribbean-service seating (no headrests, limited recline). F looked horrible - hello 1985. The plane on the way back was marginally better. Also, you may want to try for LP - LanPeru, who also has a LIM-MIA red-eye (leaves LIM at 00:20 or something vs. AA at 23:10).


Thanks for the advice. Regarding Lima, my wife has a "pen-pal" friend there that may have us over for dinner.

I didn't realize Miraflores is about the same distance from LIM as downtown Lima. I might as well use Starwood points in the city.

Ideally, I will be able to secure award space on the late evening flight to MIA and skip an overnight stay in Lima altogether.

I'm kind of stuck with the itinerary on AA as there are hefty fees (x3 of us going) to switch the international legs over to Lan Peru if I opted. Moot point since there is zero availability (at this time) on Lan Peru anyway.

I am encouraged by your posting about availability six weeks out as I would save a ton of money not staying overnight in Lima on the way back. I'd much rather leave at 1040pm than 600am the next morning.

Mosquito repellant and sunscreen. Check. On the list. :)

Hm, interesting - a few days ago there was a total of zero mosquitos at Machu Picchu... However, there were hundreds of Peruvian schoolchildren.

Another advantage of flying AA out of Lima is that the cost of the $32 departure fee is built into your tickets, the only airline flying out of LIM to offer this. Sounds like a great trip (I flew DCA-LIM 14 times from 2004-2007). Definitely take it slow that fist day in Cuzco! That 3000m altitude will sneak up on you!

~Alan

One suggestion how to avoid altitude sickness (don't know if it will work for everybody, worked for me, but I live at 900m altitude, so might be more immune anyway):
After arriving in Cuzco, immediately take a bus or a taxi to Ollantaytambo, then the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo. Sleep there, see the ruins and head back. Machu Picchu is lower than Cuzco and will not pose any problems, and by the time you arrive back in Cuzco, you'll have accomodated a bit.
Otherwise, a good idea for saving time is to take a guided Sacred Valley tour from Cuzco in the morning, see the sights and when you arrive at Ollantaytambo, leave and take the train to MP.
There are just 2 or 3 train departures daily from Cuzco to MP (just in the morning), but many more from Ollantaytambo.

I would save a ton of money not staying overnight in Lima on the way back. I'd much rather leave at 1040pm than 600am the next morning.

Success! I've been checking AA.com almost daily since my last post. I now am returning to MIA at 1050pm instead of 7 hours later at 6am. Saves me the cost of hotel for the night. ^

great thread^

as I've thought of doing the same with me & Mrs Sweet Willie.

any updates or are things set for now ?

I have found this website (click on links in yellow column on left) to be the best source of info on the web:

Andean Travel Web (http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/index.html)

In Ollaytamtambo, we are staying here:

Hotel Pakaritampu (http://www.pakaritampu.com/ENGLISH/photos.htm)

In Cusco, we are staying here:

Novotel Cusco (http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-3254-novotel-cusco/index.shtml) (if you opt to stay here, ask for a historical colonial room)

Train tickets were purchased online with ease. I just need to be sure to bring my "proof of purchase" printout with me to claim the tickets.

Final itinerary chosen:

Day 1: arrive Cuzco 800am, take taxi to Ollantaytambo. Kick back, relax, wander around town. (night in Ollantaytambo)

Day 2: Morning train to Machu Picchu, afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo, pick up luggage and taxi to Cusco (night in Cusco)

Day 3: Explore sights of Cusco, maybe take bus or taxi to Pisac (night in Cusco)

Day 4: Taxi to Cusco Airport in the morning, fly to Lima, meet up with a friend of Mrs. MileageAddict's for tour of sights and dinner in Lima, late evening departure to USA.

In Machu Picchu, if you want to climb Wayna Picchu, you need secure your "permit" as early as possible - they limit it to 200 ppl before 10AM and 200 ppl after 10AM. The view from up there is definitely worth the climb.


^^ I agree - Wayna Picchu is definitely worth it! Unbelievable view and I am not one who is usually moved by views from high locations. Absolutely spectacular.

I want to re-iterate that unless you are doing the Inca trail (or you are an archeologist) one day in Macchu Piccu is more than enough.

Doing the day trip from Cuzco works out perfectly. (Strongly suggest that on the way back you pay for the bus at the next to the last train stop...ask on the train...will save you an hour at a time when the train will have lost its allure).

Also, I just stayed at the hotel Inkaterra in Cuzco...I am not sure if it was officially open, but the hotel was amazing. Would strongly recommend it.

p.s. remember to take altitude medicine (I recommend acetalomide...ask your doctor), before you leave Lima.

Doing the day trip from Cuzco works out perfectly. (Strongly suggest that on the way back you pay for the bus at the next to the last train stop...ask on the train...will save you an hour at a time when the train will have lost its allure).



Yes. We are getting off the train at Ollantaytambo on the way back. Many others have made the same suggestion. ^

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8100/4.2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)



Doing the day trip from Cuzco works out perfectly. (Strongly suggest that on the way back you pay for the bus at the next to the last train stop...ask on the train...will save you an hour at a time when the train will have lost its allure).



Yes. We are getting off the train at Ollantaytambo on the way back. Many others have made the same suggestion. ^

You could even get off at the next stop (poroy). I think that is the most cost / time efficient way back to CUZ.

If you can get into the Inkaterra hotel CUZ before it opens officially opens that would be great. The hotel was amazing.

BTW we just did this trip last week.

Final itinerary chosen:

Day 1: arrive Cuzco 800am, take taxi to Ollantaytambo. Kick back, relax, wander around town. (night in Ollantaytambo)

Day 2: Morning train to Machu Picchu, afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo, pick up luggage and taxi to Cusco (night in Cusco)

Day 3: Explore sights of Cusco, maybe take bus or taxi to Pisac (night in Cusco)

Day 4: Taxi to Cusco Airport in the morning, fly to Lima, meet up with a friend of Mrs. MileageAddict's for tour of sights and dinner in Lima, late evening departure to USA.

Make sure you visit the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman, on the hills above Cusco. Great views of Cusco. If your in shape, it is an easy walk from downtown.

I really liked Pisac. The main sqaure is filled with vendors selling local crafts (even on "non-market" days). I found the prices there were best.

By the way, try the alpacka when dining out.

Final itinerary chosen:

Day 1: arrive Cuzco 800am, take taxi to Ollantaytambo. Kick back, relax, wander around town. (night in Ollantaytambo)

Day 2: Morning train to Machu Picchu, afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo, pick up luggage and taxi to Cusco (night in Cusco)

Day 3: Explore sights of Cusco, maybe take bus or taxi to Pisac (night in Cusco)

Day 4: Taxi to Cusco Airport in the morning, fly to Lima, meet up with a friend of Mrs. MileageAddict's for tour of sights and dinner in Lima, late evening departure to USA.

Couple of thing to remember:
a( Cusco is higher than Machu Picchu so the first effect of the altitude is going to be felt there...ie just after you get off the plane... not total sure I would want to set off the Ollantaytambo on a taxi, a trip which is on some pretty winding roads.

We spent the first night at the Novatel, Cusco and just lifting the bags out of the taxi and to get the reception I was pretty dizzy.
The hotel staff is well accustomed to visitors ( bet more than a few that have fainted/collapse at the reception) so instead of having stand up they will seat you and the checkin proccess is completed there alonng with cups of a sweet hot local tea (coca leaves)

b) Ollantaytambo has some very nice ruins well worth exploring ... again I would highly recommend that you ask the hotel Pakaritampu for a local guide and driver. They picked us up at the Novotel at around 830am ,we visited
the ruins at Pisac, the town and market at Pisac (they are in two different locations) and then also the ruins at Ollaytatambo and dropped us off at the Pakaritampu aound 500 pm The total cost I believe for the entire day was for my wife and I, including a box lunch was I believe about $100.00
Taking the taxi (even if you are lucky to find a driver very fluent in English) and going off on your own is great but the amount of info we would gotten on our own would have been less than a quarter of that we got from the guide.

On a similar topic when you enter the cathedral in Cusco ....take my advice and hire one of the English speaking guides, we were approached by a young girl who said she would show all the important facets of the church just for tips. It was worth waay more than the $10.00 tip I gave her.

mike

how much would the taxi from Cuzco to O'ambo cost and how long does it take? what exactly is the benefit in doing so? There are trains from cuzco to machu.

how much would the taxi from Cuzco to O'ambo cost and how long does it take? what exactly is the benefit in doing so? There are trains from cuzco to machu.

The benefits of leaving from Ollantaytambo is not the cost ;)

The drive from Cusco to Olly will take about 1 1/2 hours and costs about $30 but it affords some fantastic views of the Sacred Valley plus Ollantaytambo has some very intresting ruins well worth exploring. There is (more than one?) interesting Artisian village on the way which are well worth a stop, if only to see and feed the varities of vicuna, llamas and alpacas.

If you want to get to Machu Picchu site ( and in particular if you want to do the Wachu Picchu thingy) early enough for no other reason, than to avoid the inevitiable crowds then one can take a number of early trains from Ollytaytambo.... the first Ollay-MP train leaves around 0500, while the earliest Cusco train gets there after 1030.
For those of us who might want to take it a little bit more relaxed one can take the leisurely AM walk to the Ollay station take the 0800 train and still get there an hour earlier still than the first Cusco train, which leaves at about 0645 but spends about two hours doing the labourious switchback to get out of Cusco.

mike

thanks is it safe to take the taxi? Can one just hail one from the side of the road or airport or should it be arranged through hotels/travel agents?

Not applicable in my case but if you are late in planning at trip to Machu Picchu and find all of the trains from Cusco are sold out, taking a taxi to Ollantaytambo and getting to M.P. on the multitude of trains from that starting/end point will get you to M.P. on the travel days you desire.

Worth posting a second time, I find this website to be the most helpful out there:

http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/destinations/machupicchu/index.html

I thought I saw only 2-3 trains from Olly to MP.

I would like to second the comments concerning altitude in Cuzco..
it left me very tired and exhausted....had a big negative impact on energy
level.

Also, be very careful re: water, veggies, etc. many in my
tour group got very ill...make sure you take some cipro
with you.

I also stayed at the Hotel Pakaritampu -- it is very nice..i think it is
owned by a well known soccer player..

On my first trip there I didn't really feel the altitude, so I am wondering if it would be wise to fly to Cuzco then take the taxi and climb the other mountain of MP the very next day.

On my first trip there I didn't really feel the altitude, so I am wondering if it would be wise to fly to Cuzco then take the taxi and climb the other mountain of MP the very next day.

I suppose various individuals which have varying effects due to the altitude.
In our case (wife and I) we flew into Cusco arriving about 1100 am and took a taxi to the Novotel at arrival I felt quite dizzy carrying the suitcase into the lobby.
I drank a cup and a half of the "tea" the hotel provided and that helped a lot.

We took a 1 1/2 hour nap and then went out to explore the town... walked a ways up San Blas. Only effect of the walk was just that we needed to stop for a rest every now and then .. but that might due to being NOT "athlete fit";)
The next day we expored both the ruins at Pisac (which involved IMHO more walking than Machu Piccho unless you went up Wanchu Picchu) and then the ruins at Ollytaytambo and I would say that it appears the altitude did not present too much problems other than the need to catch ones breath while making some steepish climbs.

We visted MP on the third day and returned to Cusco the day after without any real problems.

It been suggested that if you travel directly to the Sacred Valley which is 1000 metres lower than Cusco that tends to mitigate the effects of altitude even if you return for a later visit to Cusco.

mike

What are the good times of year to make this trip ? (is there a rainy season? etc)

Hi there. I´m Peruvian.
The rainy season is now, starting in Dec and probably until April. Though I went to Cuzco last month and got really lucky with the weather. It only rain while I was on the train to Machu Pichu (by the time I got out it was really sunny).
Best time to go is June, July and August, but of course everything is more expensive and the city is more crowded.

What are the good times of year to make this trip ? (is there a rainy season? etc)

We were there mid Feb ...decent weather, some light sprinkles in the evenings down in the Sacred Valley. Actually, one evening in Ollantaytambo the fog rolled in just before dusk and covered the surrounding mountains giving the place an almost magical look/feeling ;)

mike

Mileageaddict leaving from NOVA tomorrow for an expanded version of your trip. Will report back.

Mileageaddict leaving from NOVA tomorrow for an expanded version of your trip. Will report back.

Excellent! I'll look forward to your next post. Four more weeks til I go!

Went for a week in Jan . Had no altitude issues ( drank a lot of tea at the Novatel; which hotel i highly recommend)

We did the leave the night before and spend the nite in Aqua Caliente route to Machu Picchu, Down side to that is unless you want to spend $300 a nite all the other "hotels" are pretty bad

Went for a week in Jan . Had no altitude issues ( drank a lot of tea at the Novatel; which hotel i highly recommend)

We did the leave the night before and spend the nite in Aqua Caliente route to Machu Picchu, Down side to that is unless you want to spend $300 a nite all the other "hotels" are pretty bad

At the Novotel, did you have one of the "historic" rooms or one of the modern ones?

Just returned- we arrived in Cusco at 9:45 am and took a short city tour including the cathedral and convent and Plaza and lunch. Then up to Sascuayhuaman and on to Pisac- for a short stop to the market and on to Ollantaytambo-- arrived at Ollanta around 6 and it was dark. Stayed at the Hotel Pakaritampu - they had a nice fireplace in the lounge and small bar. Our train to MP lefft at 5:30 the next morning and we did not take time to explore the town but ate at the hotel- which was just ok- especally compared to the wonderful food we enjoyed in Lima. The early train gave us the maximum time in MP we went to MP on the Backpacker train and returned on the Vistadome at 4:50 to Ollanta and then took a bus back to Cusco. The Backpacker train was cheaper but fine but the Vistadome train had a free snack and drink served as well as a corny fashion show We lucked out with the MP weather - we had about 7 hours of sun and cloud until it rained and some were able to climb Wayna Picchu. MP did not disappoint. We arrived in Cusco around 8 pm- in time for a nice dinner.
I stayed at Hotel Torre Dorado- on the outskirts of town with free transport to the main square. It is a simple clean and cheap hotel with very good personal service.

I was lucky regarding altitude problems- just a minor headache and I chose my food carefully but many of the students I travelled with had some stomach problems.

I stayed 3 days longer than my group and visited Pisac again- this time to visit the ruins and Ollantaytambo ruins as well. Also visited Tipon and Pikallacta, Chinchero, Moray and Maras.

I hired a guide and driver and was very happy with my touring. The landscape is extraordinarily beautiiful- the mountains are green since it is the rainy season and wildflowers cover the mountainsides. The views from Chinchero are lovely- if you take a car from Cusco to Ollanta, ask the driver to stop an admire the mountains and glaciers.

I have a leftover cache of Coramina Glucosa ( OTC altitude meds that my students did not finish) and am glad to send them if anyone wants them. Coca tea and coca leaves were useful as well- but coca tea at night may interfere with sleep.

naxos thanks for the report. may I know how long it took to climb Wauyna Pichu? Also for the taxi from Cuz to Olly, did you rearrange or hire one at the airport?

Any reason you took the bus from Olly to CUZ on your return from MP? Is it safe to do so? How far is it from the Olly station and where is CUZ did it stop?

Thanks.

UA Fan The students I was with took about 2 hours to do the climb- they are college age. I have heard that it takes others a bit longer- you need good knees to be quick. They were pretty sore the next morning!

We aarived by plane from LIM-CUS on Friday and on Saturday went to MP and the students climbed WP that day. Since MP is at a lower alt than Cusco, it seemed to be ok- the ones who felt the altitude in Cus directly after we arrived did not have signifiicant problems at MP .
Regarding our transportation- I guess I was not clear- We had a small bus arranged to meet us at the CUS airport since we were a group of 22 . Also for the trip from Olly to Cusco- it was the tour bus that picked us up- we left our luggage at the hotel while we were at MP and reclaimed it after our retun and then our bus met us to drive back to Cusco. When we disembarked from the train in Ollanta, there were many taxi drivers oferring to take folks to Cusco. If you stay in Ollanta, I am sure the hotel could arrange for taxi transport back to Cusco.

We have returned from our whirlwind long weekend in Peru!

The trip almost never happened! Our flight from DCA-MIA was delayed by 2 1/2 hours. If we missed our connection in MIA, we would not get to Cusco for 24 hours and that would have messed up our plans on such a quick trip. As it turns out, a total of 32 passengers on our 737-800 flight to MIA were also flying to Lima. The AA gate agent in DCA eventually announced that the MIA-LIM flight was being held. Yay! The MIA-LIM flight often leaves late anyway so I was hoping for this outcome.

MIA-LIM was your standard tired old AA A300. Coach seating sucked but the view I had fromn the right-side window seat on the flight south was spectacular. Leaving MIA, the Florida Keys were lit up like a string of diamonds all the way to Key West. A few minutes later, an eagle's eye view of Cuba. Later in the flight, we flew just south of the Panama Canal and were high enough and had enough moonlight to see both sides of the country at the same time.

A very quick transit through LIM and we boarded our Lan Peru A319 for Cusco. Lan Peru offers a small snack on the 55-minute flight that consists of a little bag of crackers and a slice of chocolate cake.

The arrival in Cusco is breathtaking as you pass mountain peaks before the descent. Upon arrival, we planned to take a taxi to Ollantaytambo which is about a 2 hour ride. I knew from research that the ride should costs about $25-30. Well, I was getting quotes from taxi drivers for $75-$100! Funny thing, as soon as I walked outside and the drivers hanging around inside the terminal saw they would have additional competition from the hoard of drivers outside, their price dropped to $45. Still a little more than I expected but a few extra dollars isn't enough for me to spend my day arguing about. Our driver turned out to be especially friendly and took time to point out sights along the way.

We planned to immediately leave Cusco for the lower ground of Ollantaytambo to avoid the altitude issues associated with visitors. However, I didn't realize that on the ride to Ollantaytambo, we would pass through the village of Chinchero which is actually 1,633 feet higher than Cusco. All three of us nodded off as we drove through the area at 12,492 feet above sea level!

Hotel Pakaraitampu in Ollantaytambo was a delight. We got a room near the main driveway and farthest away from the train station. The room appeared to be brand new and was spotlessly clean. No TV, simple furnishings but an incredibly comfortable bed. It was very quiet and we could hear the rushing river through the night. The thousands of beautiful flowers and plants on their grounds were impressive, my son loved hanging out with the resident llamas and the English-speaking staff was very helpful with our questions.

The actual village of Ollantaytambo is about a mile away but mototaxis (motorcycles with a cab on the back than can hold 3 people) cost $1 Peruvian Sole or about 33 US cents per ride! Cheapest taxi ride of my life.

We leisurely strolled around town and explored the Ollantaytambo ruins. My wife was a bit hesitant to eat at any of the locations in town so we had dinner at the hotel. It wasn't anything to write home about but it was tasty and presented nicely. She had alpaca medallions, I had some sort of chicken stuffed with local cheese and roasted red peppers.


The next morning we walked ( 3 minutes) to the train station and took the scenic ride to Aguas Calientes. Bus from there to Machu Picchu. The VistaDome service train offers dome windows and a complimentary snack which consisted of a cheese sandwich and a slice of cake.

Machu Picchu was wonderful as expected. We arrived before the heavy tourist loads from Cusco and had the opportunity to be among the limited numbers per day allowed to climb to the top of Wayna Picchu. Whew! That wore me out but the view from the top is one of the most was incredible I've experience in my lifetime. It took me about 120 minutes to reach the top and another 90 minutes to get back down. Lots of steps, ladders and even a natural tunnel to pass through on your trek to the top. I felt a bit like Indiana Jones! While near the top, we relaxed and ate the huge bag lunches the staff at Hotel Pakaraitampu prepared for us. Ham and cheese sandwiches, roasted chicken and vegetables, oranges, apples, cakes, candy bars, juice boxes, bottles of waters... I told you it was a huge lunch! After all that climbing, we ate every crumb.

When we got back down and headed to the snack bar, I purchased a bottle of water and drank the entire thing in one gulp! Weather was absolute perfection with sunny, clear skies and about 80 degrees. Another train back to Ollantaytambo, picked up our luggage at the hotel and took a taxi ride back to Cusco with a husband and wife drive-team that were in some sort of heated discussion the entire way...lol. The ride back costs $33.

Novotel Hotel is a terrific location in Cusco and we secured one of their historic rooms with the wood beam ceilings, thick wood plank floors and decorative walls. We arrived late and after hiking around Machu Picchu, and a bus, train and a bumpy taxi ride. It was 9pm and we were dirty, achy and exhausted. After hot showers, room service dinner (tasty wood-fire pizza and a traditional turkey club sandwich, more bottles of water), we were all instantly asleep. All of us slept a solid 9 hours!

The next day we planned to go to the Sunday market at Pisac but we were feeling the effects of the altitude and were still wiped out from the day before. So, we ended up exploring Cusco and visited the local market instead. As much as I would have enjoyed the Pisac market, I don't think my wife and son were up for another bumpy taxi ride.

We had a fun day around town, visited a few museums and had dinner at Cicciolina. Awesome place! Great ambiance, wonderful staff and we all ordered memorable meals. I had grilled trout with pan fried tomato and potato gnocchi, my wife had a steak cooked to perfection, accompanied by a delicious risotto. My son had a traditional Peruvian chicken entree. No appetizers but a bottle of wine and desserts brought the entire tab to $83 including gratuity.

Next morning to the airport (Novotel complimentary transport) for the return to LIM on another spotlessly clean Lan Peru A319 quick flight. Lima...Ahhhh! Sea level! We spent the day with my wife's internet friend. It was fun watching them meet for the first time and get along like old friends. She was wonderful and took us around Lima before we enjoyed a dinner with her along the ocean in Miraflores.

Back to MIA on another old AA A300 overnight flight. Even though we flew coach, I surprised myself by falling asleep before we left the ground in Lima and didn't wake up until the flight attendants were asking that seatbacks be returned to the upright position. My wife and son stayed awake for the movie and mentioned that the coach meal was either chicken in gravy or cheese tortellini. They didn't take the meal as we had a big meal a few hours prior but said it looked okay for a coach dinner. Easy connection in MIA and back to DCA.

If anyone needs questions answered regarding this area of Peru, feel free to email me. :)

MileageAddict did you feel safe while trying to get a taxi from CUZ to Olly?

MileageAddict did you feel safe while trying to get a taxi from CUZ to Olly?

Safe? Absolutely. The taxi drivers were simply trying to make living and as much money as they could. None of them were rude.

Keep in mind, I only know 100 words of Spanish. If I was fluent, I probably could have gotten them down to a better price. At no time on this trip did I feel I was in an unsafe situation. However, the journey from Cusco to Olly does pass through some terribly poor neighborhoods as you weave your way out of Cusco.

As per the rules anywhere in the world regarding personal safety, never allow a taxi driver to pick up additional passengers, lock the doors and always use a radio or official taxi service.