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by Carole Terwilliger Meyers
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are times for roughing it and times for not. Peru,
with its Third World plumbing, is one of those places
where a comfortable hotel room is greatly prized.
I've heard about freezing temperatures at
some of the less expensive hotels in densely populated
Cuzco and more primitive Aguas Calientes. Bear in
mind that in Cuzco (at 11,000-foot altitude) and
in Aguas Calientes (at 6,000-foot altitude), nights
are usually cold and altitude sickness also enters
the mix.
So on my three-night tour to Machu Picchu, I scheduled
my first and third night in Cuzco at Orient Express's
Hotel Monasterio, a converted Spanish monastery
dating from the 17th century. For the second night,
my first choice was atop Machu Picchu at another
Orient Express property--the 31-room Machu Picchu
Sanctuary Lodge. Some of this hotel's rooms
have views of the ruins, and guests have the enviable
priviledge of lounging on a grassy terrace overlooking
the ruins. Plus they get to be here in the quiet
evening, when the day visitors have gone. Unfortunately
it was full even several months in advance. So
instead, I opted for a night at the landmark's
base in the atmospheric Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
(a former Orient Express property) and planned
to indulge in the famous buffet lunch at Sanctuary
Lodge.
When
we arrived in Cuzco (originally laid out to resemble
a puma in profile, its name translates as "navel
of the Earth") after the short, scenic early
morning flight over the Andes from Lima, we were
met by a hotel van--a welcome convenience because
we were exhausted after being up all night in
the Lima airport. At the hotel we were offered
coca tea, which eased our discomfort from the
altitude, and our room was ready for early check-in.
Though
still feeling a bit woozy after just a short nap,
we took the de rigueur orienting tour of this
legendary city of the Incas, viewing the rich
treasures of La Compania church and the ancient
ceremonial site of Saqsaywaman (which sounds like
"sexy woman").
Later,
we walked through weathered stone arches sheltering
the halls of our magnificent hotel, examining
the many original religious paintings decorating
the walls. We really appreciated being able to
order up a light dinner from room service and
stay put, as we had an early call for the long
train ride the next day.
Since
transportation to Machu Picchu is via comfortable
new train coaches now owned and operated by Orient
Express, the excursion was quite efficient and
comfortable (snack service and functioning restrooms
were recently added), with just enough of Peru
reality thrown in to make me feel I'd also
had a cultural experience.
After
a comfortable, stunningly scenic four-hour journey
aboard colorful blue-and-yellow coaches and a
short, exciting, zig-zaggy bus trip up the mountain,
we entered one of the world's most spectacular
sights.
Built
by the Incas in the 15th and 16th centuries, Machu
Picchu was never discovered by the Spanish and
was basically lost until 1911, when American professor
Hiram Bingham rediscovered it. Now this fascinating
fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We
toured with an English-speaking local guide arranged
for at the desk of the Sanctuary Lodge, then came
back the next morning for a more leisurely exploration
on our own. (Describing the site requires another
article, but I was most surprised by the semitropical
climate and recommend taking the time to just
sit quietly and listen to the sounds of birds
twittering and of the river flowing through a
deep gorge far below, and to be on the lookout
for the occasional butterfly and orchid.)
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Spending
the night in Aguas Calientes allowed time to explore
the charming small village and to visit the hot
springs used by locals for bathing and by hikers
fresh from the Inca Trail for refreshing and
relaxing.
Sporting a bar and only a very basic changing
area, it was quite a scene. After, we strolled
the town's few streets and dined lightly
on pizza, as our appetite was still suppressed
by the altitude.
Our lodging, the Pueblo Hotel, features expansive cloud-forest
gardens. After a rejuvenating breakfast on a terrace
overlooking a river far below, we walked the property's
Orchid Trail. The head orchid gardener showed us where
the colorful flowers hid and also proudly introduced
us to a gorgeous bloom he had discovered and that was
named after him. The celebrity angle was brought in
with photos in the lobby that told of a visit by actor
Ben Kingsley just a few weeks before.
Back
atop Machu Picchu, we selected lunch from a fresh, delicious,
and beautifully presented buffet in the roaring dining
room of the spectacularly situated, but relatively simple,
Sanctuary Lodge. It was a relief that water was safe
to drink and that we could also eat the fresh fruit
and vegetables.
After
purchasing a soft, soft alpaca coat in the Alpaca 111
shop here, we rode down the windy road again, bought
a few souvenirs from the colorful stalls lining the
path back to the train station, and spent the late afternoon
and evening riding the rails back to Cuzco.
Home
again at the now familiar Hotel Monasterio, our window
this time looked out over a sea of terra cotta rooftops--imprinting
a wonderful last sight in our mind's eye. Still
experiencing little hunger, we continued drinking coca
tea and for dinner, instead of the traditional guinea
pig dish we had anticipated, ate only a satisfying corn
on the cob fresh from a vendor's backpack. It
cost about 25 cents; 30 cents with a wedge of local
cheese.
On
our last morning we feasted in the cheery golden breakfast
room on electric-colored fruit juices and sampled tasty
local Kiwicha biscuits and Andrean cheese, then boarded
another early morning flight back to Lima.
Afternote:
Since my visit, 50 rooms at the Hotel Monestario have
been equipped with oxygen pumps to further ease altitude
discomfort.
(Images
c 2002 Carole Terwilliger Meyers)
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