I left Arequipa last Friday on a really cheap overnight bus. In fairness, you get what you pay for and it was adequate, even though it left 40 minutes late. The main problem was that I had chosen a seat with zero legroom, and I knew that was likely when I picked the seat, but I did it anyway. I even had the choice of ANY seat on the bus as well, but there you go. Anyway, once in Cusco on Saturday morning, I took a taxi into the city centre and began my search for a hostel. The first one I tried was full, as was the second, as was the third... not good, especially having to walk up and down the hilly cobbled streets loaded up like a packhorse! I eventually found a place right near the centre that wasn't particularly cheap, but could have been worse. I had my own room with private shower, and the owner assured me it was nice and quiet there.
After that, Saturday became yet another typical "I can't decide what tour to do" day", yes dear reader, another one of those! Long story short, I thought it would be best to make my own way through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. However, due to more planned strike action in Cusco, I was concerned that I would end up stranded in Aguas Calientes for a few days - that is the closest town to Machu Picchu, which is overpriced and as boring as hell, not somewhere you spend more time than necessary! So, I booked a tour that would take me through the Sacred Valley on Sunday and then I could visit MP on Monday before returning back to Cusco that evening.
Now, I made a mistake. I should have done it all myself as the agency had to put me on an earlier train to Aguas Calientes, cutting my time at Ollantaytambo extremely short and so I spent the entire day fuming at the back of the bus as the guide refused to shave a few minutes off each place, just so there would be a point to me actually being on the tour! Anyway, that's enough about that as there's been way too much complaining in this blog recently. Put it this way, from now on when I have a gut feeling that I can do things better and more cheaply by myself, I MUST stick with that and NOT proceed with buying a tour from Peruvian cowboys!
So, on Sunday evening, I boarded the train to Aguas Calientes from Ollantaytambo. It was a very scenic journey and there was even a sandwich snack included. Once at AC, I was supposed to be met by the hostel the tour agency had booked for me, but I seemed to be the only gringo whose name wasn't written on a placard. After waiting at the station for long enough, I decided to walk into town in the dark, hoping that I would stumble across the hostel myself - I had asked the agency for its name as they hadn't proffered it! Luckily, I happened to walk in the right direction and found it after a few minutes. Fair enough, AC is pretty small, but I could have taken a right first instead of a left and it would have been a very different tale!
The hostel were expecting me, but didn't apologise for not meeting me at the station. I asked what time my Machu Picchu guide would be there to brief me for the following day and I was told between 7 and 7.30pm. That gave me some time to wander around looking for some cheap food, but the best I could find was some overpriced, stale hamburger buns! Of course, by 7.30, there was no sign of the guide, so the girl at the hostel had to phone him again but luckily, he eventually came and explained how to get to the ruins and what time the tour would begin, etc. I then asked him for my ticket into Machu Picchu: "I don't have it. Don't you have it?" "NO" I replied!
So then he had to call the tour agency to check that they had sent the money through for it! He then said he would go and get the ticket and drop it off in the morning - unacceptable as I would have to set out at stupid o'clock in order to be at the gates nice and early (I'll explain why in a moment!) so I insisted he come back that night by 9pm with it. I then got the feeling that maybe the money hadn't gone through after all, and that there was a chance I wouldn't be getting my ticket! Anyway, I had a while to wait and to stress out, but he did return just after 9pm with a valid Machu Picchu ticket and only then at that point did I believe I would ever get there!
That night, I didn't sleep very well at all as my mind was racing about getting up to MP on Monday morning. Now, I had been told by fellow travellers that it is worth climbing Wayna Picchu, the large triangular peak that you always see in the background of Machu Picchu photographs. However, only 400 people per day are allowed to climb it, so you need to be in the park nice and early to reserve a place. The guide has told me that if I wanted to walk up to the ruins, I would need to set out at 4.30am in order to be at the gates when they opened at 6am. I had immediately disregarded this option as I had no working torch and it would be impossible to take the path in the dark. That left me with the alternative of taking the first bus at 5.30am. No problem. Unfortunately, I was worried that even if I got up really early and tried to be first in the queue for the bus, that everyone else would be doing the same and I'd miss out on being in the first 400!
At 3.30am, I could hear stirrings in the hostel and I asked some other people who were up and about if they were going to walk up. They said yes, but were going as part of a group and didn't seem particularly forthcoming in inviting me along so! I was up and dressed anyway, so at 4am like a pillock, I started to walk out of the town in the direction of the path in the dark! I had to walk past some dogs that were really barking at me, so I was concerned for my ankles, and then I found myself by the river in a valley with zero light! So, feeling like this wasn't the smartest idea that I had ever had, I turned back towards the dogs and could see an outline of one coming towards me... I was terrified, but to my relief, it was another couple and they had started the walk too!
Anyway, they assured me that I was on the right path and that the bridge I needed to cross was up ahead! We found the path and started up the steps - they had a torch, but I couldn't keep up with them, so I went up most of the way by myself using my mobile phone as a light source! I was then scared out of my wits by a dog that appeared in front of me like a ghost! It was a miracle that I didn't break my ankles as the steps were very steep and windy and it was very hard going. I had to stop very often to rest and drink water and was worried that despite my headstart, I would be overtaken by the other walkers setting out at 4.30. I finally made it to the gates by about 5.15, which was a good time, and there were only a handful of people there - success, I would definitely get a Wayna Picchu ticket!
Most people were just sitting around on the steps waiting for the gates to open, so I decided to stand right by the turnstiles. As as result, I was the first person into Machu Picchu at 6am! In I walked into the ruins at sunrise and there was no-one else in front of me, I could see the whole ruins just as I imagined, so as I made my way to the Wayna Picchu ticket area, I sobbed a bit as I took in the vision of Machu Picchu all to myself! After securing a spot on the 10am climb, I then had an hour to kill before my guided tour. I explored the ruins a bit, found the famous rock that is the same shape as the hills in the background (that I had seen on TV), played the Mysterious Cities of Gold theme tune on my iPod and sobbed my heart out a bit more!
Magical Machu Picchu
After taking the guided tour around the main sights for couple of hours, it was time to climb Wayna Picchu! Now, by this point, I did have a few reservations once I could see the mountain up close, especially after the guide said that 7 people died last year doing it! But I had got there early that morning, just to climb it, so I couldn't back out now, could I? The steps up were really steep, so it was hard going in the morning sun, plus I had no idea how I would make it back down them again, but no pain no gain! It took about an hour to get to the top, which was perfect timing! At the summit, there are Inca ruins, which took me over an hour to get around - they are perched on the top of this 2,500m high mountain, with a 360 degree panoramic view of the drop down to the river valley below! From the top, I could also see the point where I had crossed the river that morning and exactly where I had walked to the the MP gates. It was a phenomenal view and almost unbelievable that I had made it to that point on foot!
The only way around and down from the ruins is to take the Inca steps, which are steep, narrow and have no walls or obstructions at the sides to block at least the view of your impending death below! To my huge relief, four lovely people held my hand and carried my bag at various points, so I could get off the ruin and make it back down to safety! A lovely, lovely guy called Clint from New Zealand held my hand and walked behind me as I crawled down the steps, backwards like a ladder on my knees! He had to say "put you left foot down, now your right foot" and so on all the way, bless him, he saved my life! I was terrified, but extremely brave under the circumstances as I didn't cry, I just took my time and went easy. OK, I was trembling violently and breathing very loudly and rapidly, but there was no shouting at all, I was calm under the circumstances, although Clint did comment that he could feel my pulse beating through my palm! Once back on the hill path, it was tricky, but a doddle in comparison to the ruins and I made it back the the checkpoint after a 3 hour round trip to complete Wayna Picchu, a time I feel quite proud of as someone with a massive fear of heights!
Just in case you needed proof...
It was then time for lunch and although I had initially decided not to eat at Machu Picchu due to the obscene cost of food and drinks there, I deserved a sandwich and a drink even though it was a ripoff! I still had loads of time left that afternoon to continue exploring, so I decided to walk to the Sun Gate on the hills in the other direction to Wayna Picchu. This is the path where the commercial Inca Trail enters the park and only those people who book that trek far enough in advance (and pay through the nose for it) get the first amazing view of the ruins. Therefore, I figured that if I walked to the Sun Gate myself from inside and then back again, I never need to do the Inca Trail in the future, as I would have seen what they see after all! So that was another 3 hours of solid walking and climbing!
After exploring everything, I was back at the main gate by 4pm. I needed to be at the train station by 5.30pm, so I had absolutely loads of time to leisurely take the bus down again. However, by this point I had become superhuman and because it was supposed to take 1½ hours to walk up to the gates, I decided that I therefore had plenty of time to walk down again! Instead of being normal and taking the bus back to Aguas Calientes, I walked all the way down the valley again, just so I could say I did the whole thing on foot (and so I could see what the path actually looked like in daylight!) It only took an hour and so there was time to relax before the train left back to Ollantaytambo at 6pm! Once on the train, I felt great and caught up with some of the people I'd met at the top of Wayna Picchu who were pleased to see that I had made it down again. It later transpired that they had discussed the possibility of hearing about me again, but only in a television news report... read into that what you will!
Anyway, Machu Picchu was truly amazing and did not disappoint. Monday was a great day and for the first time in weeks, I had positive travelling feelings again. Let's hope it continues...
