The lost city of the Incas was abandoned in the 16th century after the Spanish conquest of Peru. It is 7,970' above sea level. Cusco is much higher at 11,150'. We took the train from Cusco to the city of Machu Picchu, from there you board a bus to the archeological site. The train ride is very picturesque as it follows the Urubamba river and snow capped mountains of the Andes. On the bus we spotted several species of orchids and the biggest air plants I had ever seen, along with avacado trees as tall as Pines. 

The city of Machu Picchu is beautiful with many opportunities for snacks and pictures.
I had one of these Angel trumpet bushes at my old house that was given to me as a cutting from my daughters bus driver. I learned from our guide that these flowers actually produce hallucinations and not the fun magic mushroom kind.  Ingesting any part of the plant triggers a severe medical emergency known as anticholinergic toxidrome. This causes terrifying, highly realistic hallucinations, extreme delirium, temporary paralysis, high fever, and potentially fatal cardiac or respiratory failure. The more you know...

You can see the buses as they are lined up and moving non stop to and from the top of the mountain. Above is the first/last place once you enter the archeological site of Machu Picchu. I will create a separate post for the site itself next.