I finally get what all of the fuss is about & I see now why so many online dating male profile pics include the conventional shot in front of Machu Picchu. It’s unbelievably stunning. This crazy little town sits like a saddle connecting 2 mountains in a valley full of mountains as far as you can see. We didn’t do the 4-day Inca trail hike in as we were visiting in rainy season & that can be a bit risky. One benefit of visiting in the low season? No prebooking necessary. We bought our MP & Montana tix 2 days before in Cusco. That’s great for me as I am not a planner on these backpacking trips. It’s tough to change your mind & your route when you do that.
So we took the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (or Machu Picchu Pueblo), where we stayed the night & awoke before dawn to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu in the morning (park opens at 6am). You can choose to walk from AC to MP & I’d be tempted if the walk didn’t take the exact same route (uphill, naturally) as all of the buses. On dry days, you’re walking in a dust storm. But on a morning like ours, it’s a muddy mess. That’s because when we awoke at 4am, it was pouring rain. It wasn’t going to slow us down so we geared up, caught the bus & luckily found that upon entrance to the park at 6am, the rain had ceased, the clouds were dissipating & it would turn into a beautiful day. Team Lucky in the house!