Peru Rail Market Stands
Due to the nearly 8,000 foot altitude, ever-shifting earth, and popularity of Machu Picchu, getting to this Unesco World Heritage Site has its challenges. Located deep in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru, your best bet for getting there is by train.
Peru Rail, Agua Calientes
View of Urubamba River from train
Agua Calientes, Last stop
The train service, Peru Rail, runs frequent journeys across the Sacred Valley past the Urubamba River, and through the picturesque Andes. (Click for more: Peru Rail and Machu Picchu .)
I boarded the train from the beautiful town of Ollantaytambo, from there it took 1.5 hours to get to Agua Calientes. All train rides end in Agua Calientes. Then buses take you up the final miles of steep roads and switchbacks to the sacred site.
Machu Picchu
(Click on Machu Picchu to read an earlier post I wrote about that adventure.)
Peru Rail Fashion Show
For the return train ride, we were surprised with an animated fashion show! A few women and two men modeled lovely alpaca wools, professionally parading up and down the train’s center aisle. They were accompanied by a microphoned multi-lingual fashion description and price. There was lively music, clapping, and passenger participation for this event. Each piece was exquisitely designed and created.
Peru Rail Fashion Show
Then after the fashion show was over, the elegant clothing was tucked away somewhere, and the same individuals who modeled the clothing delivered us tea and snacks. This made me laugh.
Peru Rail service cart (attendant aka model)
Of all the train rides I have been on in this world, this was the most unique and memorable. And the views, well they were simply awesome.
Photo credit: Athena Alexander
Jet Eliot 