We booked a 10:30 departure so we weren’t in a big rush to get out of the hotel. We had breakfast and Millie worked on her book with her work scattered all around her.

We walked about 10 minutes to the station. I am constantly so grateful that we’ve packed light enough that a 10 minute walk through a city with our bags is no big deal.

The first half of the journey today was via bus. It was almost 2 hours and along windy mountain roads. The views were beautiful and it was interesting to pass through small Peruvian towns. So many had guinea pigs on spits on the side of the road, so I guess they really are very common here. Probably without the little hats though.

We arrived at the town where we switched over to the train journey. After a bit of waiting we boarded the train.

Aesthetically, it was amazing. Unfortunately we were uncomfortable for a few reasons. The windows and lack of ventilation made it feel like a greenhouse, and we forgot to pack snacks. Will we ever learn?! The family next to us had so much food they were handing around, which made it extra painful for Millie.

Despite the heat and the hunger, it was a beautiful 2 hour ride through the mountains.

We arrived at the small tourist town of Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Village. This is the closest town to Machu Picchu and only accessible via train. We checked into our hotel and immediately went out to investigate two things: tickets for Machu Picchu and food.

First, tickets. There are two ways to get tickets, you can either book many months in advance or buy them in person the day before your visit. I’m sure you can guess which type we are going to get. The ticket office opens at 6AM and we met some women on the street who said they arrived at 4AM and were #490 in line. Our plan is that tonight I will wake up in the middle of the night, get in line, and then Nick and Millie will meet me there at 6AM. Ouch.

After this we had a very early dinner of river trout ceviche. Bold move for people who need to wake up before dawn.

We walked back towards our hotel and noticed a very lively field, full of families, marching bands, and dancers. We stopped to let Millie run around and get some energy out. She made some girlfriends and ran around kicking a soccer ball with them.

We came back to the hotel and watched Aristocats for Sunday movie night. Now we’re going to bed at 8pm ahead of our crazy early morning.