Machu Picchu
On the face of things, this was going to be a grueling trip we had planned for Liebi's 40th birthday: 45 minutes to the train station, three hours on the train to Machu Picchu, plus another half hour on a bus that would take us to the lost civilization.
For beginners, we have to answer a wake-up call at five thirty a.m. and hustle the kids out of the hotel. True to form, Axl gets carsick again, luckily this time without throwing up. Poor guy. People who are not familiar with motion sickness can easily downplay it. Not me. I remember many trips I would take with my family as a kid when the car had to be stopped and yours truly would have to toss his cookies by the side of the road. This will be the worst of it for the day, though, we're hoping. The kids are experienced travelers, and it turned out they take Machu Picchu with incredible ease.
The train itself is nothing special, a diesel engine that creeps along the old trails at something like a 30 mile per hour clip. Riding the train in Peru is as comfortable as riding a camel - it always seems like one side or one car of the train is in the air. We pass old farms with every animal from Old McDonald's song before the train starts its slow descent toward Machu Picchu. A half mile below Machu Picchu, we spot a bridge where the famous Inca Trail begins. Here numerous hikers humping professional gear can be seen on the first mile of the Inca Trail, and this is where the dry hills and dusty roads end and the green rain forest begins.
When you look at the high green mountains hugging the clouds with its lush green vegetation and rocky cliffs, you simply know where you are - only South America has mountains like these, in much the same way Jordan has endless miles of vast red desert or Ireland has emerald green rolling hills. We ride another twenty miles along a river before we finally reach Machu Picchu. The kids fall asleep on the bus leading up, and we stare at the winding road without protection and the 1,000 foot drop below, hoping the driver keeps his eyes on the road.
At Machu Picchu, you don't anticipate any surprises - you think you've seen these images before, but we quickly realize it's quite another story to see this in person. Vast ruins cover the mountain top, a full city that in its heyday must have compared to the hustle and bustle of any Peruvian town near sea level. And yet, this region with its old stone walls and thatched roofs and breathtaking views wasn't even discovered until the 20th century. Old steps lead us from one quarter of the town to the next, and we need to watch our step. We stare through the windows of some of the old stone houses and realize that even in the 15th century people enjoyed the most stunning views, which means people chose wisely.
The kids play hide and seek among the ruins, and we still have to keep our eyes on them to make sure they don't find the one hiding place on the side of the mountain that will ensure a 1,000 yard drop to the river and the rain station below.
The wonderful thing about nature is that - arguably - it's always been there. The views of the mountains today are exactly what the Incas saw back then. There are no real estate agents or developers that can alter that (for the time being), and chances are these places will remain untouched for a long time. Even after visiting Machu Picchu, you wonder whether what you just saw was real, whether it wasn't just a setting for an old movie and people will hustle and pick up all the rocks within the ruins once you've left.
On the way back, there is some special entertainment on the train, including a local dancer (dressed up as an old Inca warrior) and, get this, a fashion show that features the local wear tastefully tailored and worn by what appear to be Peruvian models.
The trip in all goes without a hitch, and we are proud of the kids, who are such brave troopers. It seems like you can't even surprise them anymore with all the miles they have clocked on planes, trains, and automobiles.
For beginners, we have to answer a wake-up call at five thirty a.m. and hustle the kids out of the hotel. True to form, Axl gets carsick again, luckily this time without throwing up. Poor guy. People who are not familiar with motion sickness can easily downplay it. Not me. I remember many trips I would take with my family as a kid when the car had to be stopped and yours truly would have to toss his cookies by the side of the road. This will be the worst of it for the day, though, we're hoping. The kids are experienced travelers, and it turned out they take Machu Picchu with incredible ease.
The train itself is nothing special, a diesel engine that creeps along the old trails at something like a 30 mile per hour clip. Riding the train in Peru is as comfortable as riding a camel - it always seems like one side or one car of the train is in the air. We pass old farms with every animal from Old McDonald's song before the train starts its slow descent toward Machu Picchu. A half mile below Machu Picchu, we spot a bridge where the famous Inca Trail begins. Here numerous hikers humping professional gear can be seen on the first mile of the Inca Trail, and this is where the dry hills and dusty roads end and the green rain forest begins.
When you look at the high green mountains hugging the clouds with its lush green vegetation and rocky cliffs, you simply know where you are - only South America has mountains like these, in much the same way Jordan has endless miles of vast red desert or Ireland has emerald green rolling hills. We ride another twenty miles along a river before we finally reach Machu Picchu. The kids fall asleep on the bus leading up, and we stare at the winding road without protection and the 1,000 foot drop below, hoping the driver keeps his eyes on the road.
At Machu Picchu, you don't anticipate any surprises - you think you've seen these images before, but we quickly realize it's quite another story to see this in person. Vast ruins cover the mountain top, a full city that in its heyday must have compared to the hustle and bustle of any Peruvian town near sea level. And yet, this region with its old stone walls and thatched roofs and breathtaking views wasn't even discovered until the 20th century. Old steps lead us from one quarter of the town to the next, and we need to watch our step. We stare through the windows of some of the old stone houses and realize that even in the 15th century people enjoyed the most stunning views, which means people chose wisely.
The kids play hide and seek among the ruins, and we still have to keep our eyes on them to make sure they don't find the one hiding place on the side of the mountain that will ensure a 1,000 yard drop to the river and the rain station below.
The wonderful thing about nature is that - arguably - it's always been there. The views of the mountains today are exactly what the Incas saw back then. There are no real estate agents or developers that can alter that (for the time being), and chances are these places will remain untouched for a long time. Even after visiting Machu Picchu, you wonder whether what you just saw was real, whether it wasn't just a setting for an old movie and people will hustle and pick up all the rocks within the ruins once you've left.
On the way back, there is some special entertainment on the train, including a local dancer (dressed up as an old Inca warrior) and, get this, a fashion show that features the local wear tastefully tailored and worn by what appear to be Peruvian models.
The trip in all goes without a hitch, and we are proud of the kids, who are such brave troopers. It seems like you can't even surprise them anymore with all the miles they have clocked on planes, trains, and automobiles.
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