Macchu Pichu?

piquemacho says on Mar 1, 2006, 14:54:

"Enough time for everything"... Only in the same way that one week in Colombia would give you enough time to do everything (that is, the gold museum, salt cathedral and Cartagena)!

The Inca trail is worth the time. I think a lot of the effect of Macchu Pichu comes from putting in some effort to get there, and it wouldn't be the same arriving by train/bus or helicopter. There are several other sites along the trail that you wouldn't see otherwise. It normally takes four days/three nights camping, with the last day spent at Macchu Pichu. The walk is not really that hard. Even though there are lots of tourists, everyone is travelling in the same direction, so people spread out a lot and you don't really notice it. It rained every day when I did the trail (in October) but it doesn't spoil the experience.

Two or three days is not a lot of time to see everything else around Cusco, but you definitely shouldn't miss Sacsayhuaman and the Incan sun temple (can't remember the name). I visited some other sites further from the city - Maras Moray (terraces that were an ancient horticultural laboratory) and Pisac. You can get there by local bus or taxi, and if you plan it so that you aren't there at the same time as the tour buses then you can have the place to yourself. "Self tours" are easy with a book "Exploring Cusco" that you can buy there.

There are lots of good restaurants in Cusco (especially after living in Armenia!). Many streets are full of touts shoving menus in your face. Anyone who thinks that Colombia is "over-touristed" hasn't been to Cusco.

The Lonely Planet Thorn-tree site has people asking and answering these exact same questions every day, so you can get up-to-date information from there.

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Monpirri says on Mar 1, 2006, 16:10:

Cusco, Peru I have heard great things about Cusco, Peru from my friend Carlos.
I will visit Cusco when I begin my journey.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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dilate says on Mar 1, 2006, 17:33:

I didn't do the Inca trail, but took the train from Cuzco. We kind of did our own thing, not through a travel agency, just got train tickets and stayed at a cheap little hostel, of which there are dozens, at Aguas Calientes. Both Aguas and Cuzco are highly touristified (at least in the centro); if you venture farther from the main square, things like restaurants are cheaper.
My biggest Machu Picchu advice is to get up early and get there in time to see the sun rise. We awoke at about 3:30 am, hiked up to the park from Aguas Calientes with flashlights, and were the first people in the park for the day. We were able to just sit there for a while, taking in the silence and the beauty, as the sky slowly brightened and the shadows crept closer and suddenly the sun emerged over the Andes peaks and the ruins were illuminated with the sunrise. Unforgettable..

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plokij says on Mar 2, 2006, 00:23:

caulfield2 check out this guy's travel log - he's on the trail
right now:

www.steveislost.com

Very informative on how to do it the cheap way...

Enjoy

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bickerss says on Mar 2, 2006, 11:48:

You can do a 2 day tour, the train ride the same day, or a 4 days tour. You wilñl need at least 2 days in cusco to get used to the altitide. Cusco is one of the best cities I have been to and is great for a longer stay.

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