Narrative - Page Five

Later that morning we departed from the Ollanta Railway Station on board our train to the fabled Machu Picchu.  We arrived at the Machu Picchu Station in time for lunch at the beautiful Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel.  After depositing our luggage there, we boarded a minibus that climbed the steep, zigzag road up to one of the most famous archeological ruins of all -- Machu Picchu!  This is really an impressive ruin, hidden for more than 400 years by semitropical jungle.  It lies in a saddle between two peaks, with sheer mountainsides falling almost vertically to the Urubamba River far below.  Known as the "Lost City," Machu Picchu's existence was virtually forgotten even by the native population until its rediscovery in 1911, by Hiram Bingham.  We wandered all through a maze of empty plazas, chambers and dwellings.  We could only guess what inspired this archaeological wonder.  Our guide told us that it was built in the style of the Late Imperial Inca, but it shows no evidence of pre- or post-Inca habitation.  The site was apparently constructed, occupied and abandoned, all within the span of less than a century.  Our guide also pointed out the significance of the various stone structures and discussed some of the theories put forward to try to solve the many mysteries of Machu Picchu.  Returning to the hotel, we were given the rest of the afternoon to explore this really gorgeous region.  We had an option to either visit the many other ruins associated with Machu Picchu or to go off in search of the spectacular Andean Cock-of-the-Rock.  We were told that the bright orange-red male birds put on quite a show as they display for the drab brown females, strutting on traditional mating grounds called "leks."  We were able

to explore the wet montane forest along a discovery trail offering unique giant tree ferns, orchids and Birds-of-Paradise, as well as other species such as Torrent Ducks, Mitred Parakeets, Roadside Hawks and the occasional fer-de-lance, one of the world's deadliest snakes.  Butterflies were all around us as we walked along the White Water Trail.  Huge rock formations and falling water made wonderful backdrops for all the wildlife of the area.  There was also an orchid farm and some thermal baths.  The bird-watching was excellent even back at the hotel and its extensive grounds, which are a haven for wildlife.  We spent some time just watching all that activity before having dinner there at the hotel and, finally, calling it a night.

Day Eleven - Tuesday, April 4 At dawn, we left the hotel and got back aboard our minibus for a return visit to Machu Picchu.  We enjoyed hours there in virtual solitude before other visitors arrived on the morning train. We stayed in Machu Picchu, that most memorable of  Inca sites, all morning, with a break for lunch at the restaurant adjacent to the site.  In the afternoon, we returned to Cusco where we had dinner at our hotel, the Libertador, and retired for the night.

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