We arrived in Cusco in the evening, after spending the day hiking Huayna Picchu. First, we checked in at the Belmond Monasterio Hotel, then we headed out to do some shopping and get dinner at Uchu Steakhouse.
The food and the service were both very good.
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What did I like about the Belmond Monasterio Hotel? Quite frankly, everything. From a great location to beautiful rooms and grounds to fabulous food, this hotel has it all.
Upon entering the hotel, which was a former monastery, the lounge and bar are to the right.
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If you are looking for a bird’s eye view of Machu Picchu and some amazing photo opportunities you absolutely should sign up for a hike to the summit of Huayna Picchu (also called WaynaPicchu). The entrance is located on the far side of Machu Picchu.
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On our first visit to Machu Picchu our guide, Luis from Kuoda Travel, brought us into Machu Picchu through the less populated back entry. This was our first view of Machu Picchu.
No matter how many pictures you’ve seen of Machu Picchu it does not compare with viewing it in person.
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There are three choices for getting to Machu Picchu: a 4 day hike on the Incan Trail, a 25 minute bus ride from Aguas Calientes, or a 1 1/2 hour uphill hike (depending on your level of fitness) from Aguas Calientes. As we wanted to spend as much time as possible at Machu Picchu,
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After a nice breakfast buffet at Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel, our driver picked us up and drove us to the Ollantaytambo train station.
To get to the station you must walk past a variety of food and souvenir vendors.
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After visiting the ruins in Ollantaytambo our driver brought us to the Pumamarca ruins where we started our hike down into the Patacancha Valley.
At the beginning of our hike, there was a woman selling crafts. Her adorable daughter was running around playing with baby llamas.
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The Ollantaytambo Ruins were built in the 15th century as part of the Incan empire. They are located at the northern end of the Sacred Valley.
Temple Hill, also called the Fortress, was used primarily as a religious site. It consists of farming terraces, crop storage buildings and the Temple of the Sun (which was never completed).
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Happy thoughts for your day!
All photos are available in fine print or digital format for purchase at Alamy.
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The Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel is located in Urubamba, nestled in the mountains of the Sacred Valley in Peru.
The rooms are very comfortable and clean.
The bathroom has plenty of space. I found the window in the shower odd,
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