Today's the day we take our train ride! We found the bus to Ollantaytambo and arrived there around noon. Enough time to find some empanadas and other snacks and walk down the hill to the train. The town of Ollantaytambo is really nice and I'm glad that we have planned on staying here a night on the way back to Cusco. More Inca ruins here not to be missed :-)
The train. Wow! The Peru Rail train line through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu is part of the Orient Express and it really felt like it. There are a number of classes of service - Expedition (cheapest), Vistadome and Hiram Bingham which is the luxury option. It reminded me of the train up to Whistler - lots of tourists, stunning views and a bit of luxury. Of course we were in the Expedition car but it was still really nice. Comfortable seats and there are windows in the ceiling so you have a great view of the mountains on the way. There is also a stewardess that serves snacks (fried plantain chips and Inca cola). It was a great trip to Aguas Calientes - only 1 1/2 hours.
Everybody says that Aguas Calientes isn't a nice town but I don't agree. You just shouldn't miss the amazing vibe that there is here. After finding our hotel we sat in a cafe late in the afternoon people watching. Half of the people in town are coming off of the buses from Machu Picchu and are excited and exhausted from what they have experienced - whether it's the successful completion of their big trek or just a lifelong dream to see these ruins for a day. Seeing this made me even more excited for tomorrow. The other half are people like us that are waiting with eager anticipation for our turn to get up there and see what there is to see (and check off our bucket lists). Whichever group you belong to, you definitely feel the buzz and camaraderie and and that's why it is worth it to be here.
Off to bed early. We are getting up at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow to try to be on the first bus up the mountain at 5:30.