Sunday May 24, 2015
We awoke to another glorious bright sunny day in Urubamba. Below is a view looking out from the lobby of the Tambo del Inka Resort. At 9,400 feet the air is thin and dry. The cool air felt fresh and exhilarating but I had to walk slowly to avoid breathing heavily and having my heart pound. I wondered if I would be able to get used to the altitude.
I understand why the Incas called the high plains between the mountains ‘The Sacred Valley’. It is a fertile protected area which provided farmland and water for the people. The Incas valued food more than gold and silver and thrived for many years until the conquistadors arrived to take the gold. The valley is incredibly beautiful.
The festival in Urubamba continued today and streets were closed so our buses were late to pick us up. We rode to Ollantaytambo to catch a train to Aquas Calientes which is the nearest town to Machu Picchu. Then we would continue by bus up to the Lost City of the Incas. We expect to arrive in four hours which is much faster than the famous Inca Trail which takes four days and three nights to cover about forty miles over the mountains.
After riding a bus and a train for three and a half hours, we arrived in Aquas Calientes:
One more bus up to The Lost Empire of the Incas – Machu Picchu. 
We explored, climbed, and stepped up and down all over Machu Picchu. It was the fulfillment of a dream and I felt astonished and overwhelmed. The Inca people had created an incredible majestic place. Emperor Pacchacuti had a wonderful vision. He built the city between the peaks of several mountains at an altitude of only 7800 feet and chiseled out a protected, self-sufficient territory. Machu Picchu was incredible. After several hours, we returned to Aquas Calientes and arrived at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel for the evening. It had been an amazing day….
