I woke from my long soroche-induced sleep to find my headache nearly gone. No more chills or nausea, either. Still, I moved slowly, feeling vulnerable and afraid that the symptoms would return. We left the Niños Hotel at 8:00am, picked up by Abram, the taxi driver we would use over the next few days. The 1½-hour cab ride to Ollantaytambo, to catch our train to Machu Picchu, cost us about $30. Abram turned out to be a friendly fellow who was easy to chat with. I found out that he is a native of Cusco, that he grew up speaking Quechua, and that to this day his mother still speaks only Quechua, no Spanish.
The road out of Cusco ascends a ridge, drops down to a valley, then ascends again before the final descent into the Sacred Valley. From one end to the other, the valley is beautiful. We arrived in Ollantaytambo in plenty of time to catch the train. Betsy and Jim had seats in the very front of the train with a large window right in front of them, which turned out to be quite a treat since the views from the train were spectacular. I was just a couple of rows behind them on the right side. As you proceed down the valley, the vegetation becomes greener and fuller, the walls of the valley narrowing until you are in a leafy gorge with the swift-flowing Urubamba/Vilcanota river making its way down the mountains to the jungle to the east. By the time you reach Aguas Calientes the mountains are covered in leafy vegetation, with flowers and butterflies in abundance. You have descended from Cusco, about 11,500 feet, to about 6,500 feet, and the difference is notable in the quality of the air and light.
We had a 1:30 appointment to meet our guide, Wagner, at the checkpoint just before you enter
Machu Picchu. He was there, on time, and our tour began. It was a good idea to hire a guide for our introduction to the ruins, as there are very few signs telling you what you're looking at. Wagner had a historical/scientific view of Machu Picchu and Inca history in general and scoffed at those who think the place is a source of spiritual energy. He pointed out the agricultural and structural terracing, the two urban centers, and gave us a pretty detailed account of the the Sun Temple and how astronomical observations were used to construct its orientation to the sunrise over the peaks to the east. This orientation was especially important during the summer and winter solstices, when the rays of the rising sun pinpoint specific areas inside the temple.
After our 2½ hour tour, we said goodbye to Wagner and explored the ruins on our own. The afternoon light was perfect for photos, and we were able to explore the city after the vast majority of tourists had already left. The setting of Machu Picchu is stunning. It sits high on a spur with the Urubamba/Vilcanota River making a large loop at its base, thousands of feet below. The Andean peaks in this area on the eastern slopes are covered in vegetation and the air is more humid than in Cusco because of its orientation toward the jungle. Snow-capped peaks sparkle in the distance.
We had a 1:30 appointment to meet our guide, Wagner, at the checkpoint just before you enter
Machu Picchu. He was there, on time, and our tour began. It was a good idea to hire a guide for our introduction to the ruins, as there are very few signs telling you what you're looking at. Wagner had a historical/scientific view of Machu Picchu and Inca history in general and scoffed at those who think the place is a source of spiritual energy. He pointed out the agricultural and structural terracing, the two urban centers, and gave us a pretty detailed account of the the Sun Temple and how astronomical observations were used to construct its orientation to the sunrise over the peaks to the east. This orientation was especially important during the summer and winter solstices, when the rays of the rising sun pinpoint specific areas inside the temple.
After our 2½ hour tour, we said goodbye to Wagner and explored the ruins on our own. The afternoon light was perfect for photos, and we were able to explore the city after the vast majority of tourists had already left. The setting of Machu Picchu is stunning. It sits high on a spur with the Urubamba/Vilcanota River making a large loop at its base, thousands of feet below. The Andean peaks in this area on the eastern slopes are covered in vegetation and the air is more humid than in Cusco because of its orientation toward the jungle. Snow-capped peaks sparkle in the distance. 
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