Peru Day 7 - afternoon tours and train ride

Here is another stop on our drive. From Cusco, we have been driving through the mountain range, getting closer and closer to Machu Picchu. Along the way there are many more historic sites. Here we are at the city of Ollantaytambo.

During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. Nowadays it is an important tourist attraction on account of its Inca buildings and as one of the most common starting points for the three-day, four-night hike known as the Inca Trail.

A typcial Inca doorway, still used in the town:

Water running under the city:

 Here you can see the city rooftops, with the ancient site in the background on the mountainside. 

Glad we weren't traveling with these guys:

 Now we've come through the town to the mountainside behind.

 Looking across the way at a nearby mountainside, you can see what look like fortresses on the mountain face. These are actually store houses. The Incas realized the higher altitude with more wind and lower temperatures made a good place to store food.

Our next adventure is a train ride further through the mountain range to Aguas Calientes, which is the base point of Machu Picchu. We are getting closer!

Gorgeous views from the train! We followed the river, with mountains nearly straight up on both sides of us. The ancient Inca trail runs along here as well.

At the end of the train tracks, there is a tiny tourist village of Aguas Calientes. This is the closest access point to Machu Picchu. So we will spend the night here, then visit take our time visiting famous Machu Picchu tomorrow!

Our hotel is a couple doors down form here to the left. Centered in the picture is the restaurant we ate at- "Toto's House." We did see some trick or treaters! Kids in costume came in to the restaurant chanting "Hal-lo-WEEN! Hal-lo-WEEN!" The manager sent them away bc he did not have candy to hand out. I was sure thinking of my kiddos!

 This is the view from our hotel room. I think we are in heaven:

We fell asleep to the roar of the river. But I think the river went to sleep when we did. I didn't hear it again until my alarm went off the next morning. 

It is the Urubamba River, one of the main sources of the Amazon River.