One step closer.

Today wasn’t the destination — it was the build-up. And what a build-up it was.
An 8am departure from Cusco (still sitting at a casual 3,200m above sea level) and we wound our way down into the Sacred Valley toward Pisaq. I suspect this is one of those places people either skim through or completely fall for. I was firmly in the second camp.
Pisaq is beautifully positioned, deliberately placed to look down each valley it oversees. Terraces ripple across the mountainsides like contour lines on a living map. Burial caves dot the cliffs. The stonework — tight, clever, purposeful — speaks of a civilisation that really understood both landscape and astronomy. I could easily have spent hours wandering.
Somewhere along the road (honestly couldn’t tell you which village) we passed street vendors cooking guinea pigs. When in Peru… observe respectfully and keep driving! 😄
Then on to Ollantaytambo — and this one genuinely raised the bar. Massive terraces climbing steeply toward the unfinished Temple of the Sun. Pre-Inca stonework respectfully left by the Inca builders who created new foundations. Enormous blocks shaped and positioned with mind-bending precision. You can almost feel the story pause mid-sentence — construction halted by the arrival of the Spanish.
We had 50 minutes of free time, which of course translated into:
“How high can we get without missing the bus?”
Milenko and I powered upward and did pretty well. The views back down the valley were spectacular, with the same mindset as Pisaq to view every valley and up close the stonework is even more impressive — perfectly carved chunks of rock, water channels, walkways. Engineering and art combined.
By 3pm, after a basic but perfectly acceptable lunch and refreshing iced coffee, we were at Ollantaytambo train station ready for the two-hour train journey to Aguas Calientes — the gateway to Machu Picchu.
Hotel by 5:30.
Craft beer bar by 5:50.
Pale ale in hand shortly after.
Balance restored.
Tomorrow: 6am start.
Machu Picchu awaits.
The teenage Time-Life-book dream is about to step off the page.Read more