the Hiram Bingham train

the journey began early when our driver picked us up to drive about an hour and a quarter to the place where we were to board the train.  the train is an all-inclusive trip with brunch on the way to Aguas Calientes and the tour of Machu Picchu (MP) and then tea at the MP Sanctuary Lodge and then return on the train to Urubamba town with dinner on the train- we would be due back in Cuzco at the hotel around 10:30.

the train did hearken back to an earlier era- an Orient Express run operation (like our ship "The Road to Mandalay" in Burma) it was all grace and elegance, even the toilets were nice...LOL

brunch menu:

pisco sours anyone?

the train tracks follow the Urubamba river- 

and drop the passengers off at Aguas Calientes to pick up buses up to MP from town-

after the tour of MP we had high tea at the MP Sanctuary Lodge (some passengers stay overnight there and return the following day- we chose the one day trip) - photos of MP in a separate post... then you get back on the train and have a leisurely dinner as you head back to Urubamba Town and your transport to Cuzco or a local hotel there...

 

we really weren't dong a trip to Peru or to MP so this was a perfect way to squeeze in the famous site for Phil (who had not been before) as we made our way - in a VERY roundabout manner - to Ecuador!