Arthur and I joined four dear friends Christopher Knight and Fernando Sarthou and Gailey and John Beinicke, on the Belmond Hiram Bingham luxury train for a two-day excursion to the extraordinary Inca ruins at Machu Picchu.
Before we boarded the train, we were greeted by costume dancers. After five hours, allowing plenty of time for a delicious lunch, we arrived at the fabled destination. A harrowing bus ride connected us to the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge at the mountaintop, close to the heart of the palace retreat.
Rising on certainly the most dramatic building site in my experience, this remarkable complex was built using impossibly precise masonry technique.
It is believed that the only tool used for carving the massive stones were the hand-size meteor fragments that showered the Andes mountains surrounding this spectacular architectural wonder.
The entire Belmont experience was gracious, comfortable and even luxurious.
My advise: Go now. The trip is a vigorous workout best enjoyed while young.
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