The train we had booked for Machu Picchu left from the town of Ollaytantambo, so we had booked two nights there. We caught a taxi to the mini bus area to catch a bus, and were swamped by taxi drivers offering to take us, but we'd done our research and knew that the minibus was cheaper and apparently safer as well. We hopped onto a half full bus, we knew the bus wouldn't leave until it was full so we were prepared to wait, not so the locals though as they soon got sick of the delay and made their feelings felt until the bus driver started the 2 hour bus trip. By the time we arrived into Ollantaytambo about lunch time we were the only people left on the bus and we walked the narrow cobblestone streets dragging our cases until we found our hotel.
We then headed back into the square for some lunch only to find we had arrived during Santisima Cruz de Señor Choquekillca, the annual festival to honour the town's patron saint. There was music and dancing in the square, with all sorts of costumes and masks, which lasted all day and into the night.
After finishing lunch and watching the dancing for a while we climbed the Ollantaytambo ruins at the edge of town. Once again there were hordes of people - a sign of what we should expect at Machu Picchu.
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