A Table Called HomeLauren Lulu Taylor
At the foot of the Ollantaytambo terraces
The Sacred Valleyshown uncropped

At the foot of the Ollantaytambo terraces

Machu Picchu: What I Wish I'd Known Before We Went
Part of a larger story
Machu Picchu: What I Wish I'd Known Before We Went

Machu Picchu really does live up to the hype. But there were quite a few things about getting there that I didn't fully understand until we did it ourselves.

Read the dispatch →
More from The Sacred Valley
The whole stream →
An alpaca and her cria above the valley
Terracotta walls on a Pisac lane
Inside the barrel sauna
The lodge after dark, under a bright moon
Tented lodges at dusk
Wood-fired tubs beside the river
Cabins beneath the ridge
Bunting over a cobbled street in Ollantaytambo
Walking home through the market street
Carved balconies over the street
Machu Picchu, first light on the terraces
A baby alpaca, and a borrowed poncho
Feeding the alpacas, everyone in ponchos
A weaving demonstration, spindle and loom
Ponchos, in front of the stall they came from
The Sacred Valley from above
A stone cross against the cloud line
The salt pans at Maras, terrace after terrace
At the foot of the Ollantaytambo terraces
Ollantaytambo, looking up at the storehouses
Alpacas grazing below the ruins
The garden at the house we rented
Taken around the same time
The whole stream →
The cathedral, wet street, late
A saxophone on the street in Casco Viejo, after dinner
Barrio Chino, lanterns strung over the street
Yellow walls and iron balconies in the old town
Molas behind glass
Cured fish, chives, and a bowl of salsa
Clams in chilli butter, with cashews
Steak, black beans, and sweet plantain
Outside Lo Que Hay
La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel
A View of La Parroquia from Calla Aldama
El Grito de Independencia