Getting to Machu Pichu

I have no idea how the incas got themselves to Machu Pichu. It is way out of the way and takes a lot to get to and I live in Peru. Arequipa is only an hour plane ride away. Most people take the bus which is I think 10 hours.  We left early in the morning around 8am. When we arrived in Cuzco we caught a cab to Ollantaytambo, which is an hour and a half away. We could have taken two buses, but once again we chose the easiest and fastest way. Creed did not sleep very much the night before, nor did I, so we were glad we made this decision. He was able to take a little nap on the taxi ride. The driver was nice and asked if we minded if we swung by and picked up his wife to join the ride. We were able to practice our Spanish as well. Jason is very  impressive with his conversational skills. 

This is Creed and I on the plane.

Here they are in Ollantaytambo. Where we grabbed lunch before getting on the train.

Here they are on the train. It was the kids first train ride and they loved it. It was so much fun and the scenery was amazing. You can only get to Aguas Calientes (the town at the bottom of Machu Pichu) by train or walking. There was no way I was taking a four day trekking trip with the kids. The train was only an hour and a half. There was a gorgeous river with huge boulders in it the whole way. As we approached the town there were more and more mountains. The kids also loved the little table between our sits and we were given a snack on the way.

Here is Aguas Calientes. It is a tiny town in the middle of the mountains. It is very touristy and many half done buildings. I think we got there around 3:30. Long day and the kids did great. We ate dinner and were in bed by 6:30. Luckily it was dark and the kids were exhausted.