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eru has so much to offer, especially in the way of Inca and Spanish colonial relics. Add to that a day of no-holds-barred celebration, and you’ve got R. Crusoe’s Machu Picchu and Corpus Christi journey in May 2008.

See Peru is rare form.

Start in Lima, founded by conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535. Churches, palaces, and vast catacombs have such tales to tell. Pay a specially-arranged visit to a private art gallery, and dine with its owner.

Take lunch in a hacienda and see an equestrian demonstration of Peruvian Paso horses.

Fly to Cusco, former capital of the Inca Empire and oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent. The spirits of the Incas still linger here. You sense their presence near the village of Pisac, where well-defined remains tell stories of Inca life as it once was, and in the mortarless masonry of Ollantaytambo, a "living ruin." In Chinchero, see women artisans demonstrate traditional weaving just for the likes of us. Then the odd salt works of Maras and the terraced ruins of Moray. Wander in Sacsayhuaman, an ancient fortress whose masonry is exquisite.

Indulge in a pachamanca, a traditional Andean dish popular throughout Peru and with roots in the Inca culture. Our chef and cook explain how the huatia cooks our food.

Have a history lesson in the pre-Columbian age while we visit one of Cusco’s finest museums.

A local expert in Andean art and Cuzquenian history briefs us on the festival of Corpus Christi - it’s meaning to the people of Cusco and the rituals and traditions we’re about to see. Then on with the festivities. We’ve reserved the best spot in town to take in the scene, right on the city’s main square.

Board the Orient-Express’s luxurious Hiram Bingham, and experience rail travel in a thoroughly new way. What’s not to love? Dramatic scenery out the windows, and within, a gourmet brunch as we take in the scenery en route to Machu Picchu.

What we’ve seen so far is but a preamble to Machu Picchu, Lost City of the Incas. In 1911, American historian Hiram Bingham was wandering about looking for one lost city when he chanced upon another lost city. (Isn’t that always the way?) Hidden for centuries in the clouds, Machu Picchu is wonderfully preserved (the Spanish never got there). Archaeologists and anthropologists think it was a religious center for the ancients.

Precariously perched 2,000 feet above the Urubamba River, it’s arguably the ruin with the most spectacular setting of any in the world. Seeing Machu Picchu in the light of the setting sun is wondrous; seeing it at dawn is a defining moment. We stay at the only lodge situated at the entrance to the site, so we can access Machu Picchu before other visitors arrive. Lucky us.

While here, attend a pago al la tierra (or papago) ceremony, a traditional ritual led by an Andean priest. He makes offerings to give thanks and ask for favorable harvests. You’ve never seen anything close.

Before leaving Machu Picchu, consider one of three optional hikes (each varies in intensity).

The Vistadome train returns us to Cusco. Fly back to Lima and then home again, having finally met the ancients.

Perusing Peru. Sunset & Sunrise Over Machu Picchu & the Festival of Corpus Christi. 11 Days.