After 1 night in Cuzco I took the train from Cuzco to Aquas Calientes. I had to be picked up at 5:30am to make the 6:00am train. After a headache during the night I was pretty tired. The train ride, while beautiful, is long. We got to A.C at 9:45 am. I checked into the hotel and took a nap. I met my guide at noon and we had lunch before getting the bus to the ruins. Arriving at the ruins around 1:00pm was great. We were there on a Sunday which is the best day to go (least crowded). We spent about 3.5 hours exploring. When we left we had the place almost to ourselves.

The Macchu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, where I spent the night was WONDERFUL. I had the choice between the Sanctuary and the Pueblo and I am glad I chose the latter. The reasons: The grounds are amazing. They do twilight walking tours, bird watching tours (you would not believe the hummingbirds) orchid tours and general nature tours. The rooms are built along trails throughtout the trees. The pillows were the most compfortable I ever slept on. It is a great setting. The Sanctuary is nice BUT once the ruins close you are stuck there. Yes, a nice place to be stuck, but at the Pueblo you can walk into Aquas Calientes and see the people and experience the town. Also, the main reason to stay at the Sanctuary is to get into the ruins early, for sunrise. Be aware, you will be with others as the buses start very early on thei trek from A.C to the ruins. You may be there with many many others for the sunrise. Also, according to my guide its 50-50 whether the weather will co-operate and you will even be able to see the sunrise. My guide went back up on Monday and it was completely cloudy, overcast, gray and crowded. For my money, I prefer the Macchu Picchu Pueblo Hotel.

Long train ride back to Cuzco. Train leaves at 3:30PM. Hint- To cut the train ride time start it and/or end it in Poloy. It cuts about 35 minutes from the trip. The leg between Cuzco-Poloy or reverse is a series of zig zags into/out of town which is very slow. You will not miss any great scenery either if you take a cab for that segment. I did the Vistadome which is a mid point between the back packer train and the Hiram Bingham. Seats were comfortable. Hint-It is VERY cold in Cuzco when the sun goes down during this time of year. Bring a WARM jacket and dress in layers. There is NO heat on the Vistadome train. On the train back I got car A seat 1. I was the first row in the first car with a big picture window in front of me. I had the same view as the engineer. On the return trip the staff do a fashion show and dance. They have great balance....

I will post more in the next 24 hours.
Cheers,
Pat

Great report, Pat. I also loved the Pueblo in AC. My friends and I all had massages there plus doing the walks. Great. The other great asset was an excellent restaurant.
I am looking forward to the rest of your report.

just posting to say I am enjoying your report, my husband and I are leaving for Peru in 10 days, so I hope you will post your continuation soon.

Pat
Did you take public buses from city to city? Did they run frequently, and did you need advance reservations? Is there a website with intercity bus info?
Many thanks

HI,

Re: public buses. I had been advised against this. After seeing the roads and seeing the buses I was glad I heeded the advice. The road from Cuzco to the Sacred Valley (Pisac) and from Pisac to Ollyatambo and back via Moray to Cuzco are steep, curvy and the drivers are a bit crazy. I saw one bus pass another on a blind curve....Nope, didn't take the buses.