So after the major partying in la Paz we faced a 20 odd hour bus journey to get to Cusco in a hope to get train tickets to get to Machu Piccu for my birthday.

It was 11pm when we finally arrived at the hostel to say we were exhausted stressed and grumpy was an understatement - you can book the tickets to Machu Picchu on Peru Rail website but our card wasnt working and we MUST get on the train the next day or we wouldn't m ake it in time .

Awake at 7am still grumpy and exhausted we used a diff card and got the train booked - except time we had breakfast we were gonna be cutting it fine as we had booked train from Ollyantambo which was 2 hours away in a minibus but was cheap - last min we had to give in and pay loads more for a taxi to make sure we got the train in time.

We booked a hostel in Agua Calientes for that night, made the train in time and 4 hours later we sat with a beer trying to compute the stress we had just been through. We had to walk up this huge hill to the hostel we were exhausted, we then had to go down and back up 2 more times to book the stupid Machu Picchu tickets then realiseleft around 7am d we had to book a bus ticket to get there there too aggggggg.

Machu Picchu at last...
We got up and left the hostel around 7am and it was utterly pouring down so like everyone else we had our poncho's and our hats, it seems if ur a tourist you have to wear these hats haha - it was cloudy and miserable ..just our luck but our heads were warm. We got there and ended up getting a guide with another few people seeing as we didnt know much and were too tired to try n read maps haha. As we entered the view was covered in clouds...not how you imagine walking into Machu Picchu, our tour took 2 hours and at points the clouds cleared to get some pics but the weather sucked. 

After our tour we headed back to the viewpoint as the guide said if the weather has not cleared by lunch time it wont (it was rainy season after all) Just as we got to the top it cleared we literally took about 10 pics and then turned round again and the whole thing was covered in cloud again - see the before and after pic lol. We were just so glad to get that pic looking down on it - the place is truly amazing and what a great way to spend my birthday.


The Train back to Cusco
So we had to climb the hill again to get our bags as our train was booked back to Cusco that afternoon, this time direct to Cusco no changing or getting taxi's ....until we got on the train to find out there had been a landslide so we had to get off at Ollyantambo again and go on the bus that they were providing. What a nightmare the train was going well we had a couple of beers, there was some random local festive clown thing, a fashion show of llama clothes it was all good until the stupid bus.

Birthday Drinks
We finally arrived back in Cusco and headed out to this lovely bar that had a balcony overlooking the plaza it was lovely, we sent the rest of my birthday drinking cheap beer watching the world go by - what an amazing day.


Costs
Train from Ollyantambo - Agua Callienties - Cusco - £65 each
Bus to Mach Picchu -  £11 each
The guide for 2 hours - £4.71 each
Hostel in Agua Calientes - £23 for a room
Hostel in Cusco £16 a room
Cost of a beer in the bar - £2.35