We got up at stupid o’clock to get our train from Ollantaytambo (try saying that after a couple of pisco sours), and poor Willington must have got up at a sparrow’s crack to make the journey from Cusco.   A very pleasant and scenic journey meandering through the valley following the river Urubamba until we got to Machu Picchu village, a town that seems to serve no purpose other than as a stop gap for hikers and us tourists.  

We boarded our bus and headed up the mountain via a series of rather stomach churning bends.   My advice, don’t look down!

The view from the bus.

And there we were.  At last.   Crowds of tourists, big queues, and so much beaurocracy just to get in, but when you go through the barriers and climb a few feet then turn the corner, there it is in all it’s glory!

Willington gave us the tour and a run down of the history etc.   No one is exactly sure what it’s purpose is but the popular theory is that it was a summer palace, a holiday pad so to speak, with added spiritual value due to the alignment of various points with the sun at the solstices.  There is a temple, various upmarket houses for the nobles, lesser quality dwellings for the servants, workshops and what is thought to be the school house.   Certain children were scouted for their high intelligence, taken from their families and educated and lived here.   If there was some kind of disaster such as an earthquake or El Niño, a group of the children would be taken high up to the glacier.  Some would die on the journey,  but one of the survivors, i.e. the strongest, would be offered as a sacrifice to the gods.   This seems cruel to us but apparently it was an honour to be even selected to be taken to the school.  Having a child who was sacrificed was an even greater honour because he or she was now living with the gods.   Obviously, children are no longer sacrificed, no matter how bad the weather, but animals still are killed as offerings, particularly during festivities.   The country is 90% catholic but they still use shamans regularly to do cleansing rituals for projects such as building a new house, and to help cure ills.   If someone is suffering from trauma the shaman will bring a guinea pig and rub it over the person to cleanse them.  The animal is then killed and the blood runs black as it has taken the bad spirits away into its blood.   They may also run an egg over the patient’s body and when it is cracked open after the yolk is black and smells putrid.   It sounds odd to us but Willington is pretty convinced of their healing power and appparently you wouldn’t dream of getting building work done without a visit from a shaman first.  It will even be written into the contract before anyone will continue.   

After we said our last goodbye to Willington we stayed for the afternoon.   The queues for the buses at lunchtime can be over an hour as everyone needs to get back for their trains so the site is relatively peaceful after that.  

We wandered around and then started the climb to the Sun gate.

  We only got about half way up because Tim was sweating and puffing like a sweaty puffy thing and we didn’t have time to do it unless we ran up.   Even half way up the views are pretty awesome – not a word I use often or lightly.

We climbed back down, had a bit of llama fun and finished our day with a pisco sour at the mirador.

The hotel Sumaq, where we were staying, is at the foot of the mountains overlooking the river.   Beautiful and loud.   And a bit smelly.   

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A casual morning the next day and then our train back and onwards to Cusco again for our last night in Peru.  Randomly one of the train staff appeared dressed as a devil half way through the journey and did some dancing.   Then there was an alpaca-themed fashion show.  You don’t get that on Chiltern railways.   

The drive showed more stunning views.  

Our hotel for the night was an old Inca foundation with a colonial hat on.   Very atmospheric and slightly disconcerting ambience.    Tim was feeling the altitude again and we had an early start so just wandered around, bought some more llamas and said farewell to Cusco.   

Good bye Peru, you have been wonderful.