Peru Update - Ollantaytambo

Just checking in again from yet another place in Peru.  From Pisac, Christine and I took a taxi to Ollantaytambo, where we boarded a train for Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu.  Yes, just as it's name states, AC has hot springs.  It's funny how literal names are here, as well as other foreign countries I've visited.  We seem to spruce things up a bit in the States with names like Brushfire Springs. 

Aguas Calientes was like the Estes Park or Gatlinburg of Peru.  From the moment we got off the train, people were everywhere, trying to sell a trinket or give a guided tour.  Just walking down main street you would be bombarded by workers in restaurants trying to persuade you to come in side...."Happy Hour, 4 for 1!"  Christine and I checked into our hotel then headed out to get a glimpse of the trail up to Machu Picchu.  We planned to wake up early and hike up, rather than take the bus like most everyone else.  We got up around 4 AM, had breakfast at 5, and were out the door by 5:15.  We crossed the bridge and started the ascent when the first bus took off at 5:30.  From the maps, the ascent was approximately 1000 vertical ft, but it definitely seemed much more.  By the time we arrived at the top, there was already a long line of people waiting to enter the ruins.  The reason everyone tries to get there early is a chance to be 1 of the 400 people allowed to climb Huaynu Picchu, the egg shaped peak you see in most every Machu Picchu picture.  We made the cut!

While waiting in line, the rain started to fall.....and fall it did.  It was pretty much relentless the entire day.  We hiked through the ruins to find the entrace gate to HP, met a kid from Durango who was traveling through Boliva, Peru, and Ecuador, and headed up in the cold rain.  When we summitted, we were in a fog.  We did get a 2 sec window where the clouds parted and we could see the ruins, but it was gone in a flash.  We hiked back down, walked to through the ruins, and decided to call it a day by 11 AM. There were no signs of the rain letting up and we were completely soaked and cold. 

We headed back to our hotel for some hot coca tea.  They let us use a room to change into dry clothes and we found a great restaurant with a fireplace, where we stayed for hours.  The rains finally stopped in the late afternoon and we hiked around town taking pictures until our train left at 6:30.  We dined on Nutella and crackers, while we watched a fashion show on the train.....pictures will come later!

We took the train back to Ollantaytambo and slept hard after arriving at our hotel.  Olly is an end of the road town in the Sacred Valley, where most people come through headed to Machu Picchu.  We decided to stay here 3 nights, as the ruins are said to some of the most preserved in the valley.  We were greeted with rain again in the morning, so we took the opportunity to check email and then hung out at a great cafe called Heart.  The quick and dirty is that a 76 year old lady from the UK came to Peru to learn Spanish.  She left Cusco due to the altitude (approx 11,000 fasl) and came to the Sacred Valley where she opened a restaurant where all the proceeds go to helping native Quechua women and children.  It's a pretty amazing story, which I'm sure we'll write more about in the future.  The rian finally stopped around lunch and we headed out on a non-stop 5ish hour hike around the ruins and town.  We topped off the night at supposedly the best restaurant in town, where we had Salmon Trout, Quinoa Soup and Alpaca Ravioli. 

This morning, we awoke to yet more rain, but things are looking up.  We came back to the internet cafe to get some information about where we're staying in Lima, as well as some airport information.  We plan to promote Heart again for lunch, then head out on the Inka Trail for more hiking.  If time permits, we may head out of town to the salt flats which seem to be pretty elaborate. 

For those of you who are keeping track on our whereabouts, we will leave Ollantaytambo tomorrow, midday, and take a collectivo to Cusco, which is the biggest city in the region.  We'll be staying there for another 2 nights, then flying to Lima on Sept 5th.  We only get the afternoon in Lima, then we head back to Denver early Monday morning, Sept 6th, via Miami. 

Christine and I continue to have an awesome time in Peru.  I think this trip thus far, more than any other, has opened our eyes and given us a different perspective on life.  One of the best parts of the trip has been the people we have met.  Unlike any other trip, we meet new and interesting people daily, many of which we've seen before.  They all have stories to tell.  We're able to get a glimpse of who they are and hopefully they leave with a sense of who we are.  We have many stories to tell and pictures to share when we return home, but rest assured we are safe and having a wonderful time.