I have dreamed of visiting this place for some time now. Several friends have visited this place and Darla was completely moved by her experience there. No one has ever expressed disappointment in what they saw and felt there.
We boarded a tiny (one car) and very modern train in the Sacred Valley, for a one and a half hour trip through the mountains to the village of Machupicchu. Bob and I were seated in four seats that faced each other. Bob sat opposite me and I sat beside a young man with an accent that one second sounded South African and another second, Aussie. Within minutes we were hearing of his experiences in the Brazilian jungle the week before. I knew that there was something very special about Roland. As Bob and our friend Margaret chatted and watched the scenery, Roland and I had an amazing conversation about his year in a Tibetan monastery, his year living in Oz, his travels all over the planet, his 3 separate experiences travelling with the Dalai Lama, Desmond TuTu and Nelson Mandela. We laughed, we had tears and I knew that Roland was the perfect connection to the place I was about to visit. At the train station, he hugged me and gave me some precious words to remember. It was as though my dear coach and friend Samy was right there with me.
Above: Roland
Above: Other guests on the train; Amazing staff on the train
Below: The fabulous scenery
Once we arrived in the town, we were picked up by our guide and drove an incredibly twisting road, up to the mountain. Following a short climb, we came into a clearing and there it was, just as we had seen it in photo's.
The little llama above was less than 24 hours old
We were so in love with the place that we returned twice more; once in the rain when the place was virtually deserted. The third time, our friends, Bob and I hiked a small part of the Incan trail, through the Sun Gate and beyond to one of the Incan bridges. That morning was misty and it added to the mystery as, from time to time, the fog parted to reveal the mountains surrounding us and the deep valleys below.
Above: The Sun Gate on the Inca Trail
The place is magic! An experience never to be forgotten. And as a final word.....
Love and peace.
