When you’re focusing on climbing, hiking, or touring Machu Picchu, you might not even realize that all the mountain towns on the way there build up to the excitement. 
Climbing or hiking “Old Mountain” which is the Quechua word for Machu Picchu, are specific athletic feats. However, just touring and walking around it also involves some climbing because there are steep areas and rocky roads.
All of the rigorous details required to journey to Machu Picchu are worth it and so are the charming towns of the majestic Andes Mountains. There are choices to be made on train routes to Machu Picchu. Let me shorten that information by recommending that you take the Ollantaytambo train station departure. For one thing, it’s only 1.5 hour train ride to Aguas Calientes which is the entry town to Machu Picchu. This particular train route is faster due to where it travels through and the cab ride from Cusco to Ollantaytambo is a picturesque way to see many of the cultural nuances of the cities.
You could even tour Ollantaytambo which is historic for being a stronghold of Incan resistance to the Spaniards. Historic ruins make it a specific tourist attraction. Personally, I loved leaning out of our cab window to shoot photos of the roadside activity. The small kiosks of chicharonnes (pork rinds/ cracklins) in Poroy are a side attraction all their own. Sinuous and somewhat barren country roads curved around as we neared the train station. Earthen and sepia-toned like much of this region of Peru, the light and aura of the terrain made the jagged Andes stand out even more. High in the cliffs, you could see camping pods where intrepid travelers dare
to lodge amongst this robust beauty. You find yourself striking the balance between taking photos and just looking at the scenery and being in the moment of appreciation without capturing it for posterity. I have begun to respect the rhythm which happens between experiencing the visual impact with or without lifting the camera to use it. Sometimes it’s enough to store the moment in my heart instead of in the SD card of the camera.
Once we embarked on the train to Machu Picchu, conversation with another couple in our dining booth was entertaining and enriching. Thank goodness I periodically looked out the window of our Vistadome train with its panoramic views or else I would’ve missed the sheer magic of the Urumbamba Valley and river.
Serene and placid, the mountains can offer the same feelings that the ocean provides. These pastures were so specific to Andean identity and my husband and I had never experienced such vistas. Even more so, the camelid animals made the landscape so unique with the llamas, alpacas and guanacoes. 
Next stop was Aguas Calientes…the entry town to Machu Picchu. Although some call it a “tourist trap”, it was an up close and personal confrontation with the Andes peaks and their hot springs. 
The church in the town square and the numerous parades and celebrations engulfed us into the Incan pride. This larger region surrounding towns like Aguas Calientes is considered the area of Cusco. One thing I found certain is that the Cusqueños demonstrate an Incan pride which seems impenetrable to the Spanish conquest. 
They take pride in their Incan roads and masonry as well as the foundations found in their ruins. I loved that quality and it reminded me of the Native American heritage back home in Oklahoma which is celebrated. As we walked around the main square of Aguas Calientes, I translated each plaque for my husband which explained the Incan history. The many layers to Peruvian culture include the indigenous Incan traditions, the Spanish influences, the Japanese fusion in the cuisine and the pastoral Andean flavors, too. Neither a melting pot nor tossed salad approach….it was more of an array; a cultural array.
© Gina Michalopulos Kingsley
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photos by GIna Michalopulos Kingsley
For more stories like this, read Vagabonderie by Gina Michalopulos Kingsley.