AS GOOD AS GOLD
Words Emma Wright
Photography the bigger picture/alamy, gallo/gettyimages, sanctuary lodge, Hotel Monasterio
The road to Machu Picchu has long been associated with sore feet and trail mix, but there are other, more luxurious, options. Cusco, a picturesque city that was once the capital of the Incan empire, is a good place to begin your journey. Spanish colonial buildings built on Incan ruins represent the character of the place – a Spanish facade beneath which beats a vibrant Quenchuan heart – and there are plenty of museums and markets to explore. The lovely Hiram Bingham Orient Express train runs between Cusco and Machu Picchu, leaving Poroy station at the leisurely hour of 9 am (the other trains leave before 6 am) to meander through the Sacred Valley and its myriad beautiful sights, both historical and natural, to the town of Aguas Calientes. From here, it is a short bus trip up to Machu Picchu.
On the narrow access path beyond the entrance gates, the force of mystery surrounding the site seems to rise up to meet you before Machu Picchu appears, scattered like some fairy-tale kingdom among the clouds. There are theories that this was a place of worship, an observatory or the Incan Emperor Pachacutec’s retreat, but no one really knows what occurred here. The speculation is interesting and having an informed guide is a good way to gain some insight into the intelligence of the architecture and the brilliance of the Incan people – the fact that the massive stones making up the mortar-free walls sit together so perfectly that a knife blade cannot fit between them and the various rooms dedicated to tracking the solstices are particularly intriguing. It is, however, worthwhile to simply wander the site, feeling the texture of the beautifully wrought walls, listening to the birds and sitting on an ancient stone for a while to look out over the sacred mountains that are apus (gods) to the local people and to the valley and the Urubamba River below.
There is only one hotel adjacent to the site, the understated Sanctuary Lodge, and it is here, in a suite with views of Machu Picchu, that honeymooners should lay their hats. With arguably the best location on the planet, the subdued decor allows the commanding natural beauty to hold sway and even celebrates it with spectacular indigenous gardens teeming with orchids. There’s a plot for growing produce that goes from the garden straight to your plate, some adept masseurs and all the luxuries one would expect at a boutique bolt hole, but the best thing about Sanctuary Lodge is that you have Machu Picchu to yourselves at the magical times before 10 am and after 4 pm.
Wandering this ancient place with just the fireflies for company, a strangely familiar peace and grace may flood your heart with longing – an experience worth its weight in all the gold in the Incan empire.
ROMANTIC THINGS TO DO
♥ Organise dinner in your suite and watch the light play over the ruins.
♥ Have a holy man guide you through a ritual at a part of the site that resonates with you.
♥ Wake up early and hike up to Huayna Picchu to watch the first rays falling on Machu Picchu below.
♥ Enjoy a traditional Incan massage together.
♥ Imagine that you are in a time before buses and walk down to Aguas Calientes (be sure to pack two miner’s lamps for this), enjoying the tangle of jungle beside the dirt road, the silence, the stars and the fireflies along the way.
GETTING THERE
SAA operates daily flights between Johannesburg and Buenos Aires with connections on local airlines to Lima and on to Cusco. Fares start at about R10 720, excluding taxes.
WHEN TO GO
Machu Picchu has a subtropical climate so is pleasant throughout the year. The dry season is between April and October and the rainy season is between November and March (pack a poncho if you choose to travel during this season).
STAY
Hotel Monasterio, located in a Spanish stone monastery leased by Orient Express Group from the archbishop, is a suitably luxurious and romantic place to stay in Cusco.
+511 610 8300
www.monasteriohotel.com
Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge
+511 610 8300
www.sanctuarylodgehotel.com
