Flexibility in our itenerary had been great, but, it was a bit difficult for anyone wanting to visit us. That changed when we decided to stay in Cusco and enroll the kids in school. As luck would have it, I FB messaged Justin just as the Fites were making Spring Break plans. One week is a tad short for a trip to the Andes, but they certainly made the most of it! And thankfully, we had not yet been to Machu Picchu.
The Fites flew into Lima and spent a day there Surfing. I gotta give them props for that, as I can’t think of anything better in Lima. The next morning, they flew to Cusco. I really want them to do a post on their cab ride from the airport, as I can’t do it justice I know. There was a huge transportation strike that day (with grumblings of violence this time). Suffice to say from my side, we waited to meet them at the Marriott, and a 7 minute cab ride took well over an hour.
The other complication was that our ride from Cusco to Ollantaytambo was delayed about 5 hours. We decided to chill out in Cusco and not do too much for fear of altitude sickness, while we waited for our ride. The good news is, we certainly know how to chill for 5 hours in Cusco by now! Though I nearly killed myself running up to our apartment with the “care package” from home (what felt like a 50 lb duffle bag full of stuff).
The ride to Ollanta was uneventful, save for being packed into the taxi with our bags like a bunch of clowns in a VW. We checked into our swell Hotel, found a nice restaurant via Trip Advisor, and called it a night. Ollanta is a really quaint little town about 1/2 way between Cusco and Machu Picchu. It’s at sufficient altitude to allow for “tapering” up to Cusco (it’s a few thousand feet lower).
Day one gallery:
Day two gallery (Machu Picchu):
There are certain things in life that sort of defy description… you simply need to see them to believe them (like the scale of the Grand Canyon, or the life changing effect of kids). I’d put Machu Picchu somewhere near that category. There are certainly many ruin sites around, and near Cusco alone many sets of Incan ruins. What sets Machu Picchu apart though, is the location. They were hard enough to get to that the Spaniards didn’t do as much damage as other places, and the surrounding area is simply stunning.
We caught a train from Ollanta to Aguas Calientes (the nearest town to M.P.) the next morning, caught lunch in Aguas Calientes, and jumped on a bus up to the ruins. I may add that there are better ways to get there for the adventurous and patient. There are 2 and 4 day hikes along the Inca Trail, that allow you to hike right into the ruins. This would be amazing as you actually approach the ruins from above. The bus works in a pinch, and the Inca trail is usually booked 6 months in advance (and closed in Feb).
When we arrived, the ruins were mostly socked in with fog, which was pretty cool in and of itself. We had a near miss with “Machu Picchu Mountain”, we bought tickets, but missed the window to do the hike. We just hiked up toward the Sun temple, and turned around when it looked like the fog was lifting a bit. We returned to the main ruins just in time to watch the fog roll away to reveal Wayna Picchu (the famous mountain behind the ruins). I got a serious case of WaynaPicchuFever, and could not stop taking photos of it!
We spent probably 4 hours hiking around the place, and I’d say we just scratched the surface. Bussed back to Aguas Calientes, trained back to Ollanta, and back to the same restaurant for dinner again!
The quickest way to my heart is to laugh at my jokes. There are two people in this world that I know for sure appreciate my humor fully… my sister and Justin Fite. Which is why a visit from Justin in Peru was probably the best birthday present I could have received. We had a great time yucking it up, and Justin helped by chewing on Coca leaves 24/7. He had to taper the last couple of days! 🙂
Day three, we got up, did a great little hike in the “Graineries” (the free ruins in Ollanta), grabbed lunch, and caught a cab back to Cusco. Dinner was at my favorite place in Cusco… “Korma Sutra”, where the Fites sampled the Tandoori syle Cuy (guinea pig). It was terrific.
Day three gallery (Ollantaytambo hike and Scott’s birthday):
The Fites last day with us was really their only full day in Cusco, ironically. Justin and I took Kane to school, and walked back (this is a 30+ minute walk, extended by our stop at a french cafe). The girls and Carter slept in a bit and met us near the square later on. We toured a few places, including the San Pedro Market… we know Susan would love that given her interest in food and nutrition. I also took them to “El Molino” to buy movies, and Carter scored a great Chelsea soccer jersey. We had a failed negotiation for some shoes, and headed back to the historic district. The Fites did the 2 hour chocolate making class at the Choco Museo, and I went home to make dinner… my semi-famous Lomo Saltado (traditional Peruvian dish).
It was a great time for us, I’m pretty sure the Fites had a good time too, though like I said it was an incredibly long way for them to come on short notice and with a short schedule. We supremely appreciate it!
Day four gallery (Cusco):
