Peru day 3: travel to Machu Picchu

Woke up at 830; showered packed up and went down for brekke. Special omelet and bread with meat and cheese again. Then we went in search of an ATM. Passed by a market and picked up Bryson a birthday present and then found me an adult alpaca sweater. Matt picked up 2 3liters of water and waited for our taxi driver. 150soules for a ride to ollyantatambo, which is about a 2 hour drive no stops; but he was going to stop along the way. He arrived a few minutes past ten blocked traffic down the one lane road and we quickly loaded all our gear in the trunk and off we were. We stopped at a couple lookouts and then went to an alpaca producer where they demonstrated how they make yarn from alpaca hair. We saw the weaving process, one table runner can take up to 1.5months to create. They use natural things to dye the yarn as well. Then we were set lose to please buy something. Ended up buying matt a hat and me an alpaca throw blanket for 115soules (~35$). This spot also had a cuy (guinea pig house) which held a couple dozen guinea pigs (much cuter before they are baked in an oven)

Continued on our way stopping at a gorgeous overlook of orubamba before continuing onwards. We reached ollyantatambo around 1230; and our taxi driver brought us to the train station to get our train tickets and drop our luggage off so we could venture the town before catching our 430pm train to Machu pichu. Our driver dropped us off at the town square where we found a second floor balcony to enjoy a "happy hour 2x20s pisco sour" soaking in the ruins of the last town of the sacred valley. Then we walked the square and found a woodfired pizza shop overlooking the ruins of ollyantatambo. Finally we still had 45 minutes; we went atop a Panoramic view cafe and had a brownie with icecream and cappuccino for dessert. Finally time to board the train, picked up our luggage, found our carriage, ran into a klm fa who was worried about getting home because of the Air France strike and we were in our seats for the 1:40 minute ride to Machu Picchu town (aka Aguascalientes) we were served a biscotti snack and coffee and I was dozing in and out of sleep trying not to be car sick with the consistent sway back and forth along with the constant change in speed.

Anyway, before we knew it we were pulling into Machu Picchu town. Grabbed our bags and were on our 6 minute walk to our hotel through weaves of merchants selling the same: alpaca sweaters and blankets and table runners and alpaca statues and jewelry. Ended up buying a baby alpaca figure. But made it to our hotel. Nicest hotel I have ever paid to stay in. King size beds, rainshower head blackout shades, wowza it was nice. We then asked for advice from the front desk agent on how to get bus tickets. Buy them tonight! So we set off to buy bus tickets (2h hike up 1h hike down or 20min bus ride each way for 24$. Made it to the bus ticket booth only to be turned away because we didn't have our passports. Also, being 7pm we were worried about the restaurants closing. So we decided on a place that had Mexican and pasta and matt would stay and order the 4x1 pisco sours for 15s while I walked back the 6 minutes to the hotel and back with the passports. Get the passports and get back to the bus ticket station only to have forgotten the cc. Go up 50m to the restaurant to get the cc from matt and back to the ticket booth only to find out they only accept MasterCard. Good thing we had pulled out 250s in ollyantatambo. Paid the 155s and then went to the restaurant to join matt. He ordered me the chicken quesadillas and he ordered himself a pesto spaghetti dish with chicken. His dish was way better than mine. Finished it up walked the markers back to the hotel. Picked up waters and off to early bed for a big day. 7am wake up, brekke, bus around 8am to Machu Picchu waynapicchu hike at 10am train at 4pm to a bus in ollyantatambo. To Cusco by 8 pm to our hostel to check flights and determine a ride home Monday.