Pisco Sorrows

Today is Friday, February 25. As I write this post, it's about 5pm in Peru. We're at the Wyndham, just steps away from the Lima airport. We've gotten to know this hotel pretty well, as we've made it our home base for all those flights in and out of Lima. I'm sitting by the hotel pool, which is indoors and the size of a postage stamp, while Taylor and Wyatt burn some energy swimming. And I'm so sad!

Tomorrow, we head home. It's a long travel day: A 7+ hour flight to Dallas followed by ~3 hour flight to Orange County. I've been feeling lots of feelings these past couple days, and I'm guessing I'll be feeling it all tomorrow.

*****

Yesterday, we said our goodbyes to Felix and Casa Barco about 9am and hopped in a taxi for Talara. We flew on our last LatAm flight back to Lima. (We were on the tarmac extra long in Talara for a 'technical problem' with the plane, which seemed like it was built in 1970. Thank goodness and then some that the technical problem got resolved. Tim and I didn't care to think about a worse-case scenario in Talara.)

Talara airport: Gotta pay for that surfboard bag one more time.

When we arrived in Lima, we headed for Miraflores, a popular district in Lima. We walked around a bit to stretch our legs, then drove into Barranco (the neighborhood next to Miraflores) for more walking around and dinner.

This morning, we enjoyed croissants and coffee for breakfast, then had our COVID tests done. The results: Negative. We high-fived each other and felt our test worry melt away. After the tests, we walked through a few Miraflores parks; the parks, which overlook the ocean and are incredibly well-maintained, are just beautiful. When the kids had had enough walking, we returned to our hotel, packed up our bags yet again, and checked out. We headed for Larcomar, the most incredible shopping mall we've ever seen!, for lunch and to pick up a couple souvenirs.

It's COVID test time!

Wyatt went first. Note the socks with sandals; it's a new look for him. And yes, that Eagles sweatshirt will be the first thing I wash when we get home.

Here goes Taylor.

Taking a walk (or a sit) in Miraflores' Love Park.

It's no treadmill, but it's the next best thing.

As promised, I threw out my horribly foul-smelling running clothes. That tank top and those shorts are really no bueno.

Around 3pm, we said goodbye to Miraflores and took a taxi to the Wyndham. And so here I am, at the tiny pool, writing.

*****

This trip has been superb. I remember thinking at the beginning, "How are we going to make it two months? That's such a long time. Maybe we should have planned for a shorter duration." And now, on the other side, I find myself wondering if we could have done three months. The kids are definitely ready to go home; they miss our dog and their friends and recess and Heinz ketchup. Tim and I have mixed feelings; we're both excited and sad to be going home.

Our adventure has tested and pushed us all. Tim and I see growth in Taylor and Wyatt; in the early days, they'd say things like, "This is weird" about something new or different. We haven't heard them say that in a long, long time. I hope the kids are more resilient; I think they are. I hope the kids are more flexible; I think they are. 

We've had this protected time, just the four of us, to talk and wonder and learn about each other. We've had this special time to explore and observe and gain new perspectives. We've also just generally had a lot of time together, so on the plus side, going home will allow for more space. 👍

Personally, I've loved getting to know Ecuador and Peru. I have a slight bias toward Ecuador (#amalavidaEcuador), but both countries are beautiful and much more biodiverse than I ever imagined. My one regret is that I didn't learn enough Spanish to really converse well, although I've decided to stick with Duolingo and keep working on my Spanish skills once we're home. 

I wonder what our re-entry will look like. Will I feel overwhelmed during my first trip to the grocery store? (Do we seriously need 30 types of bread on the shelves?) Will I have newfound appreciation for toilets in which I can throw toilet paper? (Affirmative.) Can I get by on less clothes? Can we keep playing cards? Do I still need to subscribe to all those email news-y newsletters? Can I have more passion fruit in my life? And that's just the beginning.

We asked ourselves today: "What are you proudest of from this trip?" I loved hearing our answers and I loved remembering. We looked at pictures from our first week; we were so green...and our hair was so short and our clothes were clean.

Before we left home, we said, "Ahh, it'll be the trip of a lifetime!" And now, we'd like permission to edit those words. This is not the trip of a lifetime. This is a trip -- a most dazzling adventure in 2022. It's been wild, it's been marvelous, and we are immensely grateful. But we have many more trips to take, and who knows what those trips will hold. True, our future trips may not look like this one; we may have more responsibilities to work around from here on out. But we will pursue adventure, we will pursue this exciting world -- with backpacks, two kids, and lots of bug spray.

And though our Andean adventure may be coming to an end, we're not yet ready to button up this blog. We've got some more posts coming, including a 'by the numbers' listicle and a family reflection piece. (So please stay tuned!)

Dear Reader, we thank you for coming along on this journey with us. We thank you for the comments and prayers and texts and good vibes -- we heard and felt it all, and loved it. 

To Sachamama and Pachamama, we thank you for this wide world and for showing us such beauty over the past two months. May we all do our part to make our world last forever and ever.

To Tim, thank you for all the hours you put in planning and plotting. Thank you for all the LatAm wrestling matches and for the many internet searches to find just the right hotel. Thank you for making us laugh and for talking me off a ledge about rabies, Zika, and so much more. It should be known that Tim engineered 99% of this trip, and deserves all the kudos for making it exquisite. From Indonesia in 2008 to the Amazon in 2022, I'm glad this guy's my travel partner.

And to Taylor and Wyatt, thank you for being such fabulous children. May you love nature and animals always, may you seek creativity always, may you wear sunscreen always, may you adventure always. Daddy and I love you, and wouldn't want to swim with sea turtles or caimans with anyone else.

Tonight, Pisco Sorrows Sours. Tomorrow, a plane ride home.

The Third Bone: A Post by Wyatt

On Wednesday, we were at the beach again. We walked down to a place with no rocks and swam for a little bit. Sometimes my dad would body surf over to us, pick me up, then throw me into a wave. That was really fun. When we got out of the water, we started heading to the pools to see if my dad and I could cave surf. 

We could cave surf because the tide was just right. I couldn't see over the cave, so my dad told me when to duck under the cave. The waves were really big, so whenever a wave came, it got dark. We did that for about 15 minutes, then got out and started walking down the beach to rocks. 

When we got there, there was a mound of sand that was like a little island because there was a little pool surrounding it. I walked through the pool and got on the island. I found a really cool shell for Taylor. I handed it to her, then I looked down for more shells and I saw a bone wedged into a rock. So I grabbed the bone and wiggled it so it could come loose. Finally, it came out. I held it up by the middle and yelled, "A bone!"

My dad laughed and so did my mom, but my mom laughed more. On the walk home, I asked, "What kind of bone do you think this is?" My mom said, "I think it's a rib bone." 

I want to bring all these bones back to California with me.

Me holding the bone.

A close-up of the bone.

Mancora

On Friday night in Lima, we thought we had a problem. We had arrived in Lima from Cusco mid-afternoon, and since checking into our hotel, Tim had been using the top-notch wifi to search for a place to stay in Mancora -- a beach town in northwestern Peru. Mancora would be our final stop before returning to Lima and flying back to the States.

But Tim wasn't finding any available hotel rooms in Mancora. So many hotels were sold out, and he was getting nervous. He submitted several inquiries, and we hoped for the best.

Saturday morning, Tim woke up to emails from two hotels stating they had room for us. He confirmed with one place -- Hotel Casa Barco (https://casa-barco-mancora.hotelmix.es/) -- and we headed for the Lima airport. 

After a nearly two-hour flight, we arrived in Talara, the town with the airport nearest to Mancora. To us, Talara looked like remote Afghanistan; driving through, we felt like we were in a war zone. We drove for an hour before we had our first sighting of the ocean. In all, it took us about 75 minutes to reach Mancora. Once in Mancora, we turned off the main road onto a dusty, bumpy, half-dirt, half-paved road, and a handful of minutes later, reached Casa Barco. On the way into Mancora, I remember thinking to myself, "Where the heck are we?" It just felt so different from any other beach town I've visited. (We did not pick this town randomly; it had been and is billed as a resort town.)

Welcome to Mancora.

We climbed out of the car and rang the bell at Casa Barco. Felix, the hotel's owner, let us in and showed us our room. In his 70s, Felix has been running hotels (he's got one more in Lima) for 28 years. He was a great help while we stayed in Mancora, pointing us to restaurants and surf spot service. One of the main reasons we came to this beach town was because of its surf (for the surfer in our family).

We spent Saturday afternoon playing at the beach, swimming in the Casa Barco pool, and getting a feel for Mancora. We walked 40 minutes into town (it's a mile and a half away) and marveled at/questioned the commotion there. Felix had let us know that we were visiting during Peru's summer, and so things were generally busy. But on a Saturday, town seemed kind of crazy. Tim and I could not figure out the draw to this place; we settled on warm water. The Pacific Ocean is about 75 degrees Fahrenheit here -- Mancora has the warmest water in all of Peru. But the town is gritty and, at times, outright depressing.

We've witnessed poverty during this trip, but it's a different kind of poverty here at the beach, perhaps because you can see it more easily. Sadly, we've come across a handful of homeless families during our visits to town. I was gutted seeing these families. I've got one father's haunting eyes burned into my mind; and the kids are so little. We watched as a couple of the parents panhandled in the middle of the Panamerican Highway, which cuts through Mancora. You just wonder how these families can be helped...

On Sunday, Tim and I debated leaving Mancora early. Being here felt stultifying, and we knew we wouldn't be spending much time in town. But the cost to change our flight amounted to more than $400...and the kids were having a ton of fun.* So we let the idea of leaving early go, and we embraced the upcoming days of total downtime. And now, as I write this post on our last night in Mancora, I'm so thankful we stayed here and didn't try to return to Lima early. Taylor and Wyatt absolutely loved swimming in the ocean, splashing in the pool, hanging out in the sun, walking on the beach -- and turns out, Tim and I did, too. We've had some extra quality family time over the past five days. Here's what else has been going on:

1). I got to do laundry! In the ocean! It's been a couple weeks since we've been able to visit a lavanderia, and it was high time for clothes to get washed. I managed to wash some of my clothes in the hotel shower, but I packed a bag with a few of Taylor's and Wyatt's most desperate clothing items and washed 'em all in the ocean. It kind of worked.

2). Mosquitoes are here, gosh darn it. We tossed our bug spray back in Iquitos; I thought we wouldn't come across another mosquito after leaving the Amazon. But I was wrong. Mosquitoes are in Mancora and they got my legs, like, big-time. You'd better believe I bought a can of bug spray at the local mini-market. I also spent way too much time googling Zika virus, because I'm fairly certain it's here as well. 

3). I've been able to run in Mancora -- not on the beach, but on the dusty, bumpy, half-dirt, half-paved road right behind our hotel. And wouldn't you know it, but one morning I ran into two dogs, one of which started to chase me. Flashbacks to Montañita came fast, and I started yelling at the dogs and slowly walking backwards away from them. Eventually, they gave up and left me alone.

Don't let their size fool you.

4). So this road...as I've shared, it's bumpy and dusty and can get crowded. Most everyone gets around Mancora in tuk-tuks. We've been doing the same, and let me just say, I'm quite thankful for my mask; it cuts down on some of the massive dust intake to and from town.

Don't mind us. We're just outside our hotel, hoping to flag down an empty tuk-tuk.
Check out the video below and join us on a tuk-tuk ride.

5). Thanks to Felix, Tim got connected to another surfer named Harold who drove Tim south along the coast on Tuesday in search of good surf. While they drove around, Tim asked Harold some burning questions about things we'd seen in Mancora. For starters, we'd seen sailboats out on the ocean, and it appeared like perhaps these were fishing boats. Harold confirmed that, yes, these were fishing sailboats and there's just one fisherman on board each boat. He said these boats set out in the morning, fish all day, and then in the evening, hope the wind is such to push them back into Mancora's port. Generally, this plan works, but at times, some of the Mancora fishermen sail instead to the Galápagos Islands (!). We'd also seen people, including families, sitting atop of cargo carried on large commercial trucks. When asked, Harold said it's probably Peruvians just hitching a ride around, but that Peru has seen an influx of migrants from Venezuela -- and these people and families literally jump onto the backs of large trucks barreling south down highways; they are beyond desperate to get out of Venezuela.

And that's what we've been doing in Mancora.

Our time in Mancora has afforded us space to reflect and reminisce on the past two months. We've rehashed funny moments and talked all about our favorites (favorite town/city, favorite meal, favorite activity, etc.). Interestingly enough, we've spent dinners here explaining what's happening in Venezuela and Russia and China, and the kids are hungry for more information; evidently talk of despots is enthralling to the upper elementary crowd.

Tomorrow, we fly back to Lima and really start to wind down this adventure. (I'm not ready!)

*Our initial reaction to this beach town is clearly a result of our still-intact Western biases. Sure, Mancora may not be the beach scene we're used to, but we also have to check our privilege. This place is wonderful for so many who flock here.

Our favorite meal of the day: Breakfast at Casa Barco.

The beach at the center of town.

Shaka, brah! And oh my word, Wyatt needs a haircut.

Another Bone: A Post by Wyatt

My dad, my mom, my sister, and I wanted to take a walk on the beach. My dad, sister, and I started walking, but my mom came later. My sister didn't want to walk anymore, so she started walking back with my mom. So my dad and I started walking. I found two shells for Taylor. I washed them off then I started hurrying back to catch up with my dad. And when I got there, my dad picked up the bone and showed it to me. I asked him, "Is that another bone?" He said, "No, I think it's a piece of coral. Actually, I think it's a bone." We know it's a flipper bone of a sea lion. 

So my dad and I started walking to the pools. When we got there, the waves were really big, bigger than yesterday. My dad jumped in one of the pools, went under the cave, and started cave surfing. He said, "Come on and come cave surf with me." I jumped in and swam to my dad. Since I couldn't see over the cave, my dad told me if a wave was coming. 

When the first wave came, it was huge. There was so much water going over us, it got dark in there. We did a couple more, then started walking back to our hotel where we saw Taylor and my mom collecting shells. I gave Taylor the shells that I found, then held up the bone. My mom started laughing for some reason, then we walked back to the hotel and Taylor and I jumped in the pool. 

A close-up.

Me holding the flipper bone.

Sick Dogs?: A Post by Taylor

While we were in and nearby Machu Picchu, we saw a new species of dog. The first time we saw one was at an alpaca place in Cusco. At first, we thought they were sick, and we felt badly. But then we realized they're supposed to be that way. That breed we saw was called Peruvian Hairless Dogs. Yep, totally hairless except hair on the tip of their tail, their head, and their feet. The hair on their head looks like a sweet mohawk. 

We got this photo off the internet. This is what a Peruvian Hairless Dog looks like.

Over the course of the time, we saw five Peruvian Hairless Dogs. The next time we saw them was at a market in Machu Picchu Town. There was a little clearing and we saw a stray Peruvian Hairless Dog who looked like she had a lot of babies, and she was standing next to a Peruvian Hairless Dog who was wearing overalls. Right near them was a very tiny baby Peruvian Hairless Dog dressed in clothes as well. He was going up to the stray Hairless Dog and jumping around her and playing with her. She laid down and they were snuggling for a little bit. 

The Hairless Dog in overalls who was hanging around the stray.

The stray and the baby.

The last time we encountered a Peruvian Hairless Dog was in Cusco again. That dog was owned and his name was Francis. He was also wearing a jacket and overalls. Francis probably had the sweetest of mohawks. Francis was very nice and let us pet him. 

This is us with Francis. See that sweet mohawk?

Peruvian Hairless Dogs are very short and almost look like wiener dogs, just hairless. They feel like really smooth, soft human skin. They are very, very sweet and love people. Most Peruvian Hairless Dogs wear clothes because they always get cold.

A Bone and Cave Surfing: A Post by Wyatt

We are staying now in Mancora. Mancora is a beach town. Sunday. After breakfast, the hotel owner, Felix, told us there were some pools on the beach near our hotel. So we got dressed in our bathing suits and headed to the pools. My dad saw some people under rocks that made caves in the pools. So we tried it out and whenever a wave came, we ducked under the cave and saw the water go over our head. It was like we were in a barrel, and that was cave surfing. 

After that, we started walking down the beach so Taylor could get shells. Then we started heading back. After lunch, we went back to the beach for more cave surfing. My dad and I found a different spot along the beach for cave surfing. The waves were about the same but it was still really cool. Then, once again, we started walking down the beach so Taylor could collect shells. 

That's when I found my bone. My parents went to check out a hotel restaurant, then I said to Taylor, "Hey, let's play baseball." So she said back, "Okay, find a stick and a shell." So I ran back not far along the beach and found the bone. I came back and said, "Now all we need is a small shell for the ball." Then my dad came and said, "Let me see that. I think it's a bone." So I gave it to him and he examined it and he gave it back to me and said, "Yeah, that's a bone." But he doesn't know what animal bone that is. 

So we started walking back to the hotel and my dad told me, "Hey, there's going to be a swell tomorrow, so it will be really cool cave surfing. I can bring the GoPro." I said yes and for the rest of the day we just chilled.

The next day, my dad got the GoPro and we headed out for more cave surfing after breakfast. Since the waves were bigger, it was super cool. And we found a really good cave to hide under for the waves to go over.

I still have the bone and it's turning white. My sister doesn't like the bone because she thinks it's gross and creepy, but I think it's cool. 

Me holding the bone.

Close-up of the bone.

Cusco

On Wednesday, February 16, we drove away from the Cusco train station and made for our hotel -- on into Cusco's historical center and around the famous Plaza de Armas -- and then up and away from the Plaza. Our taxi driver drove down a tiny and cramped one-way street and stopped in front of a dark wooden door. He helped us get our bags out of the trunk and then sped away as the honks of other cars came from behind. 

It was about 8pm as we checked into our hotel, El Balcón. I had booked the hotel through booking.com, and knew that there would be a restaurant on-site. Our plan was to eat at the hotel restaurant and then promptly fall into bed. But upon checking in, we learned that the restaurant was closed. We were told to head back toward Plaza de Armas to find something to eat. Then we were shown to our room.

We walked into our room and saw...three twin beds. Three. Twin. Beds. For four people. Oh my word. I had done this, I had done this! I had screwed up this hotel booking! I scurried to the hotel's front desk and confessed I had made a terrible mistake -- that there were four of us, not three of us, and did the hotel have a room with more beds? Nope; the room that could have held four people was booked and not available, so sorry. I trudged back to our room and berated myself. Three twin beds! How did this happen?! But we couldn't dwell on the issue; we were all hungry and needed dinner.

We walked toward Plaza de Armas and found the first viable restaurant. While waiting for our food to arrive, I looked for other nearby hotels that could fit a family of four. I was getting close to booking the Casa Andina Standard in Cusco, but my credit card information didn't go through. I knew the Casa Andina was just off the Plaza, so I ran out of the restaurant (this is how desperate I was) and used Google Maps to find it. While showing the man at the front desk my attempt at reserving their last-minute rate, my phone died. And the man seemed perplexed at my story; he let me know they didn't have a room that could fit four people, but I could get two adjoining rooms for $140 a night. That was too rich for my blood, especially since I had already paid for two nights at El Balcón. I gave up the hunt and ran back to the restaurant, where my food was now waiting for me.

By the time our dinner was over, it was late, and we had to get to bed. Wyatt and I bunked together in the third twin bed, and we made it decently through the night. When morning arrived, we decided to stay put at El Balcón -- we didn't need the added expense or headache of moving hotels. I will tell you what though -- I (hopefully) will not be making that kind of hotel reservation mistake again [insert face palm here].

On Thursday morning, I got up early to go for a run. Two miles later, I was back in our hotel room. Everywhere I turned, there was cobblestone, and the streets were a bit maze-y, and I didn't want to get lost. So, just like my hotel booking, my run was a bust. 😉 But it was all good because El Balcón has amazing coffee and eggs for breakfast, and we enjoyed our time in the sun-filled breakfast nook.

Tim wants coffee.

These two want breakfast.

The padlock to our room. Quaint or creepy?

A most delicious breakfast!

We used Thursday morning to catch up on some schoolwork. When we got hungry for lunch, we walked to Plaza de Armes and found a spot to eat there. Following lunch, we met a Cusco guide, Fredy, who happened to be Elisban's (our Machu Picchu guide) cousin. I had asked Elisban for a guide recommendation, and he had connected us to Fredy. Fredy was great; he took us to the San Pedro Market and told us some cool stuff about Plaza de Armas and then walked us through a couple of Incan architectural hot spots. 

In Incan times, Plaza de Armes was called ‘Haukaypata’ which is a Quechua word meaning ‘place of ceremony or party,’ alluding to the important activities that were carried out in this place. The plaza is also called ‘Wakaypata’ which means ‘place of weeping,' in honor of Incan leader Tupac Amaru, who was executed in the plaza in 1572. (And yes, 2Pac was named after this same Incan leader.)

A stone signifying one of the four streets leading away from Cusco to a region of the Incan empire. Also, do you see the puma? The Incans built Cusco in the shape of a puma. There are allusions to pumas all around Cusco.  

Entering San Pedro Market.

I will take everything in this stall, please. #chocolatefordays

Another stall.

A stall with hundreds of potatoes. Peru has about 4,000 types of potatoes. (I had no idea. I always thought Ireland won that race!)

Following Fredy (gray hat, blue backpack) through Plaza de Armes.

In front of the 12-Angled Stone, laid by Inca masons over 700 years ago (no mortar!), and considered a National Heritage Object. The stone was originally part of the Inca palace called Palacio Inca Roca.

Around the corner from the 12-Angled Stone is this masterful wall. Fredy is pointing out the puma -- the Incans carved and set rocks in this wall in the design of a puma. In this photo, you can see the head and the beginning of the puma's body.

That night, we again walked to the Plaza to find some dinner. We were astounded -- and totally put off -- by all the restaurant and store owners hawking their goods. Everywhere we went in Cusco (and we only stayed in the historical part of town), we were accosted. We had menus thrust in our faces, handicraft items dangled in front of us; clearly, this is how advertising is managed and promoted. I'm sure at times it's effective, but we were seriously over it -- quickly.

On Friday morning, we got up, had breakfast, and then packed up our bags. We left our bags at the hotel and wandered back into Plaza de Armes. We passed the Plaza and headed for the Qoricancha, also known as the Inca Temple of the Sun. When the Spanish arrived in Cusco, they destroyed most of Qoricancha, and the Santo Domingo Church was built on the foundations and the remaining walls of the temple, preserving only a small part of its original build. After our visit to Qoricancha, we hiked back to our hotel, grabbed our bags, jumped in a taxi, and drove to the airport.

I literally cannot get over any of the Incan stonemasonry (this is at Qoricancha). It's out of this world.

A view of Qoricancha.

We really enjoyed Cusco -- it's got a ton of history and it's beautiful and there's a lot to do. If you're going to Machu Picchu, it's a must-see part of Peru. However, take it from me, just double-check your hotel booking -- specifically, the number of beds. (Good thing Wyatt's a little guy!)

It's crazy to think we've got about a week left. I mean, where did the time go?! Are we ready to head back home? I'm not sure, but we'll be thinking and processing and reminiscing and still planning this next week. 

Also, the kids have become crazy about Peruvian Hairless Dogs (just google it). This one is named Francis, and we found him in Cusco.

I don't find these dogs all that attractive, but the kids are OBSESSED.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu -- South America's most impressive archeological ruin and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World -- had us in complete and total awe during our visit. We were beyond thrilled to see Machu Picchu with our own eyes, and so grateful for the entire experience. Here's how that went:

The morning of Tuesday, February 15, we woke up in Casa De Don David and packed up our bags. We grabbed breakfast in Ollantaytambo's main square (just couldn't take the free, watered-down Don David coffee) and then returned to our hotel to check out. Throughout the morning, I kept checking my email to see if I had a response from Peru Rail about our luggage. As a reminder, the Peru Rail policy is that each passenger can carry one bag onto the train; the bag could be no more than five kilograms or 11 pounds. I had requested special authorization from Peru Rail to bring our backpacks plus two smaller bags. By the time we left for the train station, I still hadn't heard from Peru Rail. Tim and I agreed to chance it -- to walk past the Peru Rail storage center and see if we could get all of us and all of our bags onto the train platform. And that's exactly what we did, with our face shields on, of course (another Peru Rail policy).

I had booked us on the 10:32am Vistadome train to Machu Picchu. There were only two cars heading to Machu Picchu at that time; I imagine in the high season, it's a lot more. About 10:15am, we started boarding. I showed our tickets to the train porter, and we were motioned on -- with all our luggage (success!). We found our assigned seats and settled in for the ride to Machu Picchu.

Hmm. Wyatt is due for a haircut...

On the train...

...with our face shields.

We loved our time on the Vistadome train. During our ride, announcements were made in Spanish and English about the towns and ruins we were passing, so we could learn while we rode. 

After about two hours, we arrived in Machu Picchu Town, also known as Aguas Calientes. This place was hopping! There was a ton of energy and excitement here -- and we immediately picked up on it. There are no cars or taxis in Machu Picchu Town; you walk everywhere. From the train station, we ended up walking in the wrong direction to find our hotel, but ran into Machu Picchu guides offering their services. You cannot enter Machu Picchu without a guide, so on my to-do list for Tuesday afternoon was to identify one. (In fact, this was another element to our Machu Picchu visit that I went around and around on. I had considered booking a guide in advance through GetYourGuide.com, but they weren't cheap. In the end, I decided to wait to find a guide until arriving in Machu Picchu Town, and I'm so glad I did.)

A licensed guide named Elisban came over to us and, first, pointed out our hotel, and second, talked to us about how the Machu Picchu guides work. He quoted us a price of $60 -- he'd meet us at our hotel in the morning, take us to the bus stop, ride with us up to Machu Picchu, tour us around, and then take us back down to Machu Picchu Town. We wanted to do a little more research before booking, so I grabbed his WhatsApp number and said I'd be in touch.

From there, we headed to our hotel and checked in. I had arranged for a room at the Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu (www.casa-andina.com). This hotel was great; I'd highly recommend if you're visiting Machu Picchu. The staff at Casa Andina told me where to purchase bus tickets and offered to print out my electronic Machu Picchu tickets (yep, you need to the paper tix to gain entry). Bonus!

A note about buying tickets to Machu Picchu: The cheapest way to buy Machu Picchu tickets is on Peru's Ministry of Culture website. But that website is only partly in English, and wouldn't allow me to purchase the half-price tickets for the kids. I could also buy tickets in Machu Picchu Town, but I had this scenario in my mind where we'd get to the ticket booth and they'd tell me all Wednesday tickets had been sold. So I ended up paying for peace of mind and purchased our tickets -- at a higher cost -- in advance on GetYourGuide.com. In hindsight, because we visited in the low season, we could've just paid the regular ticket prices at the Machu Picchu Town ticket booth; the tickets would not have been sold out. Lesson learned.

We ate a delicious lunch at Full House and while there, were able to verify that the going rate for Machu Picchu guides hovered between USD$60-70. I sent Elisban a WhatsApp message and let him know we'd like to book him for our tour. He wrote back, and confirmed that he'd be at our hotel the following morning at 8am.

Lunch at Full House.

After lunch, we walked across town to buy bus tickets. These tickets ain't cheap, but it's the only way to get up and back from Machu Picchu, unless you opt to hike up or walk down. We weren't prepared to do either with the kids, so it was the bus both ways for us.

The rest of the afternoon we spent walking around Machu Picchu Town (took about 15 minutes -- it's just not that big!), grabbing ice cream at a French boulangerie (go figure), and doing some schoolwork.

At dinnertime, it was raining outside, so we opted to eat just down the street from our hotel. Back in our hotel, it was off to bed. We had to get a good night's sleep!

Wednesday morning, we woke up super pumped. And by we, I mean me and Tim. We went downstairs for breakfast, then packed all our bags, and checked out of our hotel. Casa Andina staff placed our bags in storage, and we waited for Elisban in the lobby. At 8am sharp, Elisban showed. He ushered us out of the hotel and over to the bus stop. We were lined up for a 9am entrance to Machu Picchu. We waited in line for maybe 20 minutes; Elisban shared that in the high season, tourists can wait up to two hours to get on a bus (!).

Waiting for the bus with Elisban.

The bus took us up a ton of switchbacks and the ride lasted about 25 minutes. At the top, the bus turned around and let us off. We all used the bathrooms outside the entrance; there are no restrooms inside Machu Picchu. We showed our passports at the ticket gate; our actual tickets had been scanned while we were waiting for the bus.

Once inside, Elisban took us to the very top of Machu Picchu. He said we'd do the hardest climbing first (smart, smart man). At the top, we saw where the Inca Trail enters Machu Picchu. Elisban pointed out the Sun Gate and a few other features. He took us around the up-top ruins and had us stop at the famous photo op where he took our picture. Along the way, Elisban told us about the discovery of Machu Picchu, its history, its use, what happened where ("here are the homes," "here are the temples"), and so much more. It was like drinking from the historical fire hose, and we absolutely loved it. And by we, I mean me and Tim.

You can learn all about Machu Picchu here, but I'll share a few nuggets from Elisban:

1). Machu Picchu means "Old Peak" in the native Quechua language, which the Incan nation spoke. Yet, according to Elisban, 'machu' also means big, and the Peruvians who helped American explorer Hiram Bingham find Machu Picchu thought Bingham was a big man (he was very tall). So Bingham became known as the big man on the mountain -- Machu Picchu.

2). Hiram Bingham is a bit of a controversial figure, as we learned. During his exploration of Machu Picchu, he removed thousands of artifacts and took them back to Yale University, where he worked. For about 100 years, Peru kept asking for the artifacts to be returned, to no avail. Finally, in 2011, artifacts were returned. You can read more about this story here. Bingham also labeled Machu Picchu as "The Lost City of the Incas." That's a mistake and Bingham knew it -- the true lost city is actually a place called Vilcabamba, which Bingham never found.

3). The Incans did not have a written language, so archeologists really don't know what happened at or with Machu Picchu. They have theories and assumptions, and tourists and the public alike just go with it. But it's thought that those Incas at Machu Picchu learned of the Spanish conquistadors' arrival on their land from a chain of Inca runners that functioned, essentially, as mailmen delivering oral messages. The Spanish conquered the Incas, oftentimes brutally. The Incans at Machu Picchu would have abandoned the site for fear that the Spanish would soon arrive (it's presumed they fled to Vilcabamba). And when visiting Machu Picchu, you can see so many unfinished areas. The Incans were only at Machu Picchu for 80 years -- such a short time.

There were so many more facts and stories that Elisban shared with us, and we're still sifting through all of them. We spent about three hours walking around Machu Picchu, and it was just incredible. We learned, too, that in the low season, about 3,000 tourists visit Machu Picchu each day. In the high season, Elisban shared that 8,000-12,000 tourists visit each day (!). 

Elisban showed us floating steps the Incas had made. These Incas were astounding!

A panoramic view.

Getting closer to the main part.

Following Elisban.

AMAZING.

I mean, look at this gate -- look at the precision with which the stones were cut.

You can see that the Incas were in the process of cutting this rock -- but obviously didn't get to finish.

And the Incas were in the process of moving this rock -- you can see the 'wheel' underneath it.

Behind us is an Inca 'auditorium' -- where the Inca ruler would have spoken to large crowds. The way this space was designed allowed for natural acoustics.

I mean, just incredible...

Elisban explaining to us about these Inca homes.

Making our way through Machu Picchu.

In front of the Temple of the Condor. It's hard to see from this photo, but by the triangle stone at the bottom is the condor's head; the two large striped rocks behind the condor are its wings in flight. Stunning stonemasonry by the Incas.

At the end of our Machu Picchu visit.

After we had made our way around the entire Citadel, we exited Machu Picchu and boarded a bus for Machu Picchu Town. Amazingly, we stayed dry for most of our Machu Picchu visit; it had started to rain just as we were finishing our tour. Back in town, Elisban dropped us off at a restaurant he recommended for lunch. We paid him, thanked him profusely, and said goodbye. He had been a tremendous guide for us.

Shortly after lunch, we headed back to the train station and boarded the Peru Rail Vistadome for Ollantaytambo. About 15 minutes into our train ride, a traditional Saqra dancer (Peru Rail staff dressed up!) appeared and danced his way up and down the aisle. Why, yes, he did invite me to dance -- and dance I did. Then two more Peru Rail staffers presented a fashion show that featured Peru Rail's exclusive baby alpaca clothing collection. All of us passengers clapped in time to the traditional, fantastic music while the fashion show was going on. Our trip from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo was a blast.

Saqra dancer.

And again!

In Ollantaytambo, we had -- we thought -- just a few minutes to get from the train station to the bus station to catch the 5:15pm bus for Cusco. But a couple of us had to go to the bathroom. We followed the flow of passengers out of the train station, then ran into a Peru Rail staffer who informed us that no, there wasn't a bathroom on our bus. But he assured us we had time to go. So we doubled back and used the restrooms at the train station. Then we once again exited the train station, and the Peru Rail staffer walked us to the bus station. There, our bus tickets were verified, and we were put onto a 15-passenger van. The travel gods must have been smiling upon us, and perhaps the bathroom break worked in our favor -- for that van takes about an hour less to get to Cusco than the bus. It appeared that the bus was full, and that's why our family was shown the van. 

The three Peru Rail staffers from our Vistadome car also joined us in the van, and we were all driven back to Cusco. While daylight lasted, it was a beautiful drive through the Sacred Valley -- the same way we had come into Ollantaytambo in the first place. And once darkness came, the many lights of Cusco beckoned.

We arrived at the Cusco train station about 7:30pm, thanked the Peru Rail team, and climbed into a taxi to head to our hotel. 

Our trip to Machu Picchu had been one in a million billion trillion. We know this phenomenal site is on the world's bucket list -- and we feel elated and grateful to have had a chance to see it, feel it, and be in it.