All Aboard the Orient Express

When we first heard that we 

would be staying at Orient Express hotels in Peru and taking an Orient Express train to Machu Picchu, naturally we thought that all of these places were part of a chain of Chinese take-out places. Not the case. In the place of scorpion bowls and smelly General Tso’s chicken we were greeted with bathrobes, pisco sours, and the smell of rich mahogany. The company that manages all of these places originated from the famed Orient Express train from Venice to Istanbul – a luxurious black tie affair with multiple course meals and live music. So, basically, Brian and I were very out of place arriving to our first hotel in smelly shirts with unshaven faces. We know what you’re thinking. How did we afford such nice accommodations? Answer – we didn’t. we can barely afford to eat at McDonald’s. Thank you to Bernard, Anne and other family friends who were kind enough to let us join them on this Peruvian adventure to the lost city of Machu Picchu.

We joined Bernard and the rest of the party in Lima just before our flight to Cusco. Cusco is a staggering 11,000 feet in elevation and when we got off the plane I felt as though someone punched me in the lungs. Brian, of course, was fine because unlike me he has gone for runs during this trip and does curls with his luggage in the room while I watch Silver Linnings Playbook and talk about Jennifer Lawrence. The elevation does make it difficult to breath in Cusco but there are several methods of coping with this change. You can suck on sour candy, drink water, or chew on coca leaves.

When we arrived Bernard bought several packages of coca leaves from what seemed to be a reputable dealer of the plant leaves who patronized the back alley of the airport. Yes, these are the plants used to make the illegal narcotic made famous in the 80’s, but no, it is not illegal and it does not have a drug-like effect.  The nutrients in the leaves make it easier for oxygen to get into your blood and are used by many local farmers during the work-day. What do they taste like? Answer – shit. The taste is like putting leaves in your mouth and chewing on them, because that’s what you’re doing. We don’t believe these leaves have any effect, but it is possible that the “dealer” (an old woman selling hats and key chains) simply plucked the leaves from a nearby tree.

We arrived to the Hotel Monasterio in Cusco where we would spend one night and then travel to Machu Picchu. This hotel literally used to be a monastery and so they were not joking when they played ambient music that consisted of religious hymns. The hotel was built in a breath-taking baroque style and featured a courtyard, excellent food, and most importantly, fresh towels.

Brian and I used our sheets to dry ourselves off in Rio because they refused to bring us towels. Needless to say, this hotel was like heaven for us. We will remember how soft the beds were for the rest of the trip because it won’t be like that again.

While in Cusco, we took a tour with a very passionate tour guide named Romulo. We saw many of the local Catholic churches and some Incan ruins at a place called Saqsaywaman. Romulo told us this would be easiest to remember by sounding it out as “Sexy woman.”

The real highlight, however, was the man outside our hotel selling paintings who went by the name of George Washington (shown to the left). He and his female associate (who went by Martha Washington) sold excellent works of art and although we did not buy any it was an honor to meet the first President and the first First Lady.

The next day we boarded the Orient Express train (called the Hiram Bingham) from Cusco to Machu Picchu. 

Entering the train was like traveling back in time to the Belle Epoch. The train had a beautiful wood interior and between all seats facing one another were dinning tables set with crystal-ware. It was at these tables that a multiple course lunch was served; and if you got tired of sitting at the table, no worries, there were two bar cars in the back of the train along with a viewing car to take in the scenery.

It was, to say the least, the best train I have ever been on. Brian and I, along with Bernard and friends, drank beers in the bar car before lunch and took in the breath-taking landscape of the Andes. Three hours later, we were in Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu was the most impressive display of civil engineering I have ever seen.

We went in the morning when there was still fog so we entertained ourselves by taking action shots.   

Upon our return in the afternoon, the clear skies illuminated these beautiful ruins. 

We trekked all around the mountain village with a guide and got an appreciation for just how sophisticated the construction of the city was and just how difficult it was to build. The city was built over 500 years ago on an impossible mountain and contains both astrological and geological alignments. The city is high, and when I say high I mean there are certain parts that if you slip it’s 8,000 feet to the next patch of level ground. Despite this we still found ourselves creeping towards the edge.

 Family friend Lou Brown, who has a fear of heights, also peered over the edge a few times. We determined that his new sense of bravery was due to an increased dosage of coca leaves.

By day we trekked Machu Picchu and by night we stayed at the Sanctuary Lodge Hotel just next door and enjoyed the comforts of good food and wine. In terms of food, Rio has iguana, but Peru has Alpaca and Guinea Pig. The Alpaca I was fine with, but people in the US have guinea pigs as pets. Of course we ate the guinea pig anyway and I’m nervous that this is a slippery slope that could have us eating cats and dogs in China.

Today we took the train back to Cusco and now we are enjoying our last pisco sours (the national Peruvian drink) before we head out in the morning for our long trip to Auckland, New Zealand.