Good thing we left early as there was a beer truck parked on the street in Ollantaytambo and nothing could pass... so we waited for the truck to finish the delivery and still made it to the station in plenty of time. Fortunately for us, we were stopped with our bus window opposite a funeral parlor and could look in the doorway. Talk about culture shock!

I had expected a rattle-trap train but it turned out to be a modern and very comfortable touring train. It even had stewards and we were served coca tea as we chugged along. The Urubamba Valley eventually became a narrow mountain gorge, and it was a magnificent ride.

Needless to say... there are lots of "uphills" here... and countless steps! And wicked steps they are, too! Uneven, each with a different width and riser height.. some with loose stones or gravel You had to watch your feet every minute...or you were "gone". Everything is up.. and up.. and up. Even when you want to go "down" you have to go "up". I guess you really had to be there... so just take my word for it!

Most of the stairs were built of rock but there were many steps were hand hewn from bedrock... very smooth, but short, rounded treads which made them difficult to use.

Seeing Macchu Picchu was amazing. It is hard to describe. No, it is impossible to describe. The mountains, terraces, and the stone remains of the city were far more impressive than I ever thought they could be.

Our guide seemed to have a great love of panorama views and so we did a LOT of hiking up hills and stairs. A lot. But honestly.. I will remember the beauty of that place long after I have forgotten the pain of the climb!

One of the places we did visit that day, after we decended from the hillside.. was the Sun Temple.. yes another one.. but this was by far the best! However, as memorable as the temple itself, was the stairway down... narrow... uneven... without a handrail... with one side against a wall.. and the other side nothing but a straight drop down the mountain. If you recall.. Gypsy and Cuz share a common complaint... acrophobia! Need I tell you this was one of our more exciting moments in Peru. As soon as we saw the steps we had to descend.. Cuz took off down them immediately, and I was right behind her.. we both knew that if we thought about it first... we would never do it!

We also saw an Inca altar... with hand hewn steps... little ones. I suppose this altar could have had a number of purposes... I will leave you to your imagination.

We catch the 7:30 a.m. bus, and again are on our way to Macchu Picchu. This morning we are on our own to do as we wish... at what ever time we want. But we will be able to rest when we get home.. when will we ever see Macchu Picchu again?

Cuz and I are both quite content to leave the hiking to the more energetic of our group. We want to spend our morning prowling around the city and visiting the various neighborhoods. And what a great decision that was.

We wandered in and out of buildings and looked at everything we could find. We were wishing we could time-travel so we could wander the city in it glory days, bustling with activity. All around the city the steep mountain sides were terraced for crops.

We were amazed at the water system.. there was water channeled down the mountain, and through the town. These places had running water! The Incas seemed to have a fascination with water.. they made it run through zig-zag channels... and tumble as waterfalls into little pools.. which led to other channels or fell into yet other pools. There was even a sacred bath right on the edge of the mountain at a temple.. it was like a big hot tub.. and what a view!

We visited the area where the royals lived. Their homes were made of the intricate stonework which is normally reserved for temples and sacred areas. The the ordinary buildings have ordinary stonework.

It was interesting to learn that there was only one Inca. He was the king... and the only person to be called Inca. The rest of his people were the early Quechua indians. Their decendants live in the area today. Somehow all the indians of that ancient time have come to be called Inca.. which probably wouldn't make the one and only Inca very happy.

The city on Macchu Picchu was built in the 1400s and 1500s... and many of the buildings have been restored... sans their thatched roofs. It was a fascinating thing to see.

We have heard that Macchu Picchu is slipping away at about a centimeter a year.. or some such drastic amount. There were places where we could see this was actually true.. as the fitted stones were starting to separate. You wanted to take your hand and just pat the stones back into place and make it all right again.

We spent the whole morning here in the city and hated to leave. It surely has to be one of the lovliest spots on earth.

We take the bus down the mountain and do a bit of shopping before lunch... then some more shopping after lunch.

Then it is time to resume our tour... so we again board the train for the almost 4-hour ride to Cuzco. Near the city, the train must go backward and forward on switchbacks to make the descent into Cuzco. Is it an interesting trip and as we approach the city, evening has fallen and Cuzco glitters with lights.