പ്രസിദ്ധീകരിച്ചു: 17.01.2018
Cusco, Peru
We arrived in rainy Cusco and took a taxi to the city center. We found a beautiful hotel, which had a classic style with modern touches. After settling in, we went to the center to get our Machu Picchu tickets. There were many tour offices offering tickets, so we had to choose carefully. We followed our instincts and went into an office where we talked to the salesman and negotiated a good price. We paid 80 francs for the Machu Picchu entrance, transportation to Aguas Calientes (the closest village to Machu Picchu) which was 6 hours away, and entrance to Machu Picchu Montana. Some people pay even more just for the entrance, depending on where they book their tickets. It's said that there are limited spots, and many people advise booking the tickets 3-4 months in advance as they only let in 2500 visitors per day, but we've never heard of anyone actually being turned away. We were happy to have our tickets and then relaxed while having some food. We found a great restaurant where I ordered a delicious Alpaca fillet on a hot stone. It was so tender, but unfortunately we couldn't cut it properly because the knives were very dull.
The next day, we went to the city center at 10 o'clock to join the free walking tour. We had already thought that Cusco was one of the most beautiful cities we had visited in South America, but after the tour, it definitely became the most beautiful.
We then walked around the city, admiring the impressive Inca stone walls and their precise craftsmanship.
At the end of the tour, we reached a viewpoint high up. We admired Cusco from above but noticed that there was a Christ statue even higher up, which surely offered better views. So we left the group and walked up there because we were already halfway exhausted. It was a small taste of what to expect at Machu Picchu since it involved climbing a lot of stairs.
We were rewarded with a stunning view.
See you soon,
Ernesto and Muriel
Next Stop: Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu