Aguas Calientes to Cusco

October 8, day 7 of our tour, was pretty low-key. We stayed at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel,  named as one of the world's best hotels, which has its own rain forest with more than 200 species of orchids and dozens of birds.

We got to sleep in a little before we had breakfast in the dining room.I had quinoa pancakes.

After breakfast, we had time to go on a nature walk or go into the markets in town. Henry went into town to the markets.  I chose the guided nature walk.

The guide, a young man with a college degree in biology who himself was raised in the Peruvian rainforest, showed us some of the many different plants and explained how they were integral to the survival of all the creatures in the rainforest.

We had an opportunity to see some of the many hummingbirds -- and one orchid that resembles a hummingbird.

After lunch, we took the train to Ollantaytambo and then buses from there to Cusco, altogether a trip of about four and a half hours.

I spotted these women in the market as we walked to the train: one woman displaying hangings; the  other preparing flowers.

When we reached Ollantaytambo, we saw these porters in their waiting to guide the hikers to Machu Picchu.

As we left Ollantaytambo, we were in the middle of Saturday market traffic.

Finally, we were on the road and headed to Cusco. Our destination: Hotel Monasterio, a former Incan palace built in 1545, turned monastery in 1592, now run as an Orient Express hotel.

Finally, at early evening, we arrived at Hotel Monasterio.