Blessings, Inca Rail and Machu Picchu!

Today left Urubamba and the Sacred Valley to finally venture off to Machu Picchu. Before we left, a local medicine man, Juan Pablo, led a ceremonial offering ritual to Mother Earth. He presented many gifts to Mother Earth and blessed all of us and prayed for our safe onward journey before burning the gifts. It was a truly unique experience.

Next, we stopped at a chichería which is a traditional Andean tavern that serves chicha de jora, a fermented corn beer that dates back to the Inca Empire. We tasted two kinds of chicha, one sour and one sweetened with strawberries. Our guide and the owner described how they made the drinks. There were Guinea pigs running around everywhere in the kitchen, as is normal in traditional Peruvian homes. We also played a local game called Sapo, tossing coins towards a frogs mouth to get the most points.

We boarded the Inca Rail’ Voyager train with our boxed lunches for our adventure to the lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. The rocking train ride took about an hour and a half at 27 mph through the Andes before arriving at Aguas Calientes, the closest city with a train station and access to Machu Picchu.

After disembarking from the train, the El MaPi Hotel we were staying at had porters take our luggage. and we immediately got in line for the bus that takes you up to the top of the mountain. In order to limit the number of tourists, you must be with a guide, and your group is limited to 3 hours at the site. There are also 3 circuits in order to spread people out. On this day, we had tickets to circuit #3 which granted us access to the lower part of the site. It combined sites such as sacred temples and noble residences. Its main highlight is its connection to Huayna Picchu Mountain, the tall mountain you see behind the ruins in most classic pictures of Machu Picchu. More information on tickets and routes can be found here:

Machu Picchu is one the seven modern wonders of the world and would have to agree. The Incas constructed this city up on a mountain where it would be protected by other taller mountains surrounding it. They quarried rocks and built stabilizing terraces on sheer cliffs. The drainage and plumbing and fountain networks are amazing. It took 90 years to build and it was estimated that approximately 700 people lived there.

The feeling of amazement when we turned and saw the ruins for the first time is indescribable. It was absolutely BREATHTAKING!! It was truly amazing, and the pictures don’t do it justice. Our guides (David and Carlos) were great in sharing historical information, helping us take pictures and keeping us all safe. The weather was perfect, and we saw many rainbows in the distance. What a wonderful and magnificent day.

It started raining as we boarded the bus for the ride back down the mountain to our hotel and dinner. We’ll be back tomorrow and hike route 1 of the magnificent Machu Picchu!.

Mother Earth Blessing