When I told people I was going to Cusco, Peru, the very first thing most people asked me was whether I was going to visit Machu Picchu. (In case you aren't aware of what it is, Machu Picchu is a "lost" Incan city from the 1400s that was rediscovered to the outside world in 1911. A few years ago, it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.) My response was, "I guess so, since I'll be so close." So, as you tell, I was ecstatic about this opportunity.
Seriously though, I was excited about the chance to visit Machu Picchu, but it was never high on my travel priority list, partly because I had no desire to EVER do the five-day Inca Trail hike to get there. Thankfully, there are many other ways to get there, ranging from expensive to cheap, and easy to full-on ordeals. Of course, the way I ended up getting there was a full-on ordeal.
Since my closest friends here (my original roommates) are young college students, they have limited spending money. So, they went with a two-day tour option that was very cheap (270 soles, which is around $90 US dollars.) This included transportation, overnight lodging, some meals, entrance fee, and a guided tour of Machu Picchu. Sounds great!
As soon as our tour began, or rather didn't yet begin, I could start to see why it was so cheap. Our tour van was supposed to come to the Plaza de Armas to pick us up between 7:30am and 7:45am. Not wanting to risk being late, we arrived very early. It was a frigid morning, and sitting on the cathedral steps didn't help the matter as they were ice cold. After a few minutes, a stray (street) dog came over to us. I didn't really want him to be near us, but I was too cold and tired to do anything about it. And he was cute. Next thing we know, two more dogs came over. They sure knew a couple of dog lovers when they saw them. So, we let the dogs hang out with us while we waited...and waited.
The van was late, which is pretty typical in Peru. (They have a saying, "Peruvian time," which is the equivalent of "Mexican time.") My friends and I were able to get seats next to each other, so that was good. But the van itself looked very worn and kind of dirty inside. And there were no seat belts. (Also not uncommon here.) It took forever for the trip to actually begin because there were more people to pick up, paperwork to be sorted out, and a long, slow line at a gas station.
Once we officially got on the road, I saw parts of Cusco that were brand new to me. It became much more run-down, garbage-filled, and chaotic the father out we went. Eventually, the busyness of the city was behind us, and there were beautiful views of farmland and snow-capped mountains.
Our van.
We had our first pit stop about 2 hours into the ride, and I was feeling pretty good. (I was worried because I had been sick with a head cold the previous two days.) It was still freezing though, and I started to wonder if I packed warm enough clothes. (Everyone had told us it is warmer in Machu Picchu than in Cusco.) After we got back onto the road, the route became crazy. Smooth roads became bumpy dirt roads, and then we began to the climb up the mountains. These roads were the craziest of all - narrow, twisty, blind turns, and edging along mountain cliffs.
You can't really tell because they look like ants, but there are people biking down the mountain.
Traffic jam because of the bike race.
That meant we could get out and take pictures.
After a few hours of that, I was toast. I had thought about taking Dramamine in the morning, but figured I would be fine. LESSON LEARNED - JUST TAKE THE STUFF!!! I felt so nauseous and really wanted, and tried, to throw up at the second pit stop. I took a Dramamine then, but it wouldn't kick in for 30-60 minutes at least. By the time we got to the lunch stop, I was like a zombie. I barely touched my food and just wanted to lie down. I dreaded having to get back into the van. Miraculously (or merely the proper effect of Dramamine), I felt totally fine the rest of the ride and actually could enjoy the views again.)
In some places, the rivers and waterfalls flow right over the road.
Our destination for that day was "Hidroelectrica," which is the location of a hydroelectric power plant in the middle of nowhere. From here, it was an "easy" two and half hour hike to the town of Aguas Caliente. Now, I sort of paid attention when this part of the trip was originally described to us, but it certainly did not prepare me for what it actually was. First off, it ended up being around three hours. Second off, we arrived at Hidroelectrica rather late (surprise, surprise) at around 3:45pm, so this meant it would be getting dark in only a few hours (by 6pm.)
Tip: Wear bug spray! If you don't have any, buy some along the way. There are tons of mosquitoes from here to Machu Picchu.
Tip: Wear bug spray! If you don't have any, buy some along the way. There are tons of mosquitoes from here to Machu Picchu.
A hole in the mountain with water spilling out. I am guessing this has to do with the hydroelectric power plant.
He wanted to hike with us.
Off we go!
We had to show our passports to enter the area.
The hike started out fine enough, mainly just a flat road. But our group became separated for various reasons, and so we just followed the people in front of us. This led to a steep incline through the forest/jungle, which was more climbing than hiking, and it knocked the wind right out of me. Already suffering from a sore throat and cough, this just aggravated them even more.
After that, the remainder of the path ended up being flat again, but the entire rest of the way was along railroad tracks. (For the same train that can take you to Machu Picchu. Smart people.) We walked, and enjoyed it at first. But it just kept going, and going, and we did not know when or where the end would finally come. Plus, walking on rocks and railroad ties got annoying really fast when the side trail occasionally disappeared.
Oh, and then there were these "physical challenges" straight out of Wipeout - HAVING to cross over active waterways by stepping on railroad posts. No one told me about this!!! When we reached the first one, I was scared out of my friggin mind! The first few posts were so far away from each other, there was no way I trusted the posts or myself to cross without falling. (I have short legs and small feet and I'm a wimp.) Luckily, there was very little water below this one, so I took the "easy" way and climbed down to cross, while my friend gave me her hand to help me back up. I got a few scrapes and bruises, but at least I was still ALIVE.
After that, the remainder of the path ended up being flat again, but the entire rest of the way was along railroad tracks. (For the same train that can take you to Machu Picchu. Smart people.) We walked, and enjoyed it at first. But it just kept going, and going, and we did not know when or where the end would finally come. Plus, walking on rocks and railroad ties got annoying really fast when the side trail occasionally disappeared.
Still having fun at this point.
There were a few jungle restaurants scattered along the path.
Look out! Train!!!
(For perspective.)
Oh, and then there were these "physical challenges" straight out of Wipeout - HAVING to cross over active waterways by stepping on railroad posts. No one told me about this!!! When we reached the first one, I was scared out of my friggin mind! The first few posts were so far away from each other, there was no way I trusted the posts or myself to cross without falling. (I have short legs and small feet and I'm a wimp.) Luckily, there was very little water below this one, so I took the "easy" way and climbed down to cross, while my friend gave me her hand to help me back up. I got a few scrapes and bruises, but at least I was still ALIVE.
We ended up passing at least six more of these "physical challenges" that could ONLY be crossed by stepping on the railroad posts because the water was raging below them. The posts on all of these were a little closer, so after pepping myself up, I was able to do it, though I cursed just about every one.
*Sorry, I did not end up taking any photos of these "physical challenges." I guess I was too focused on not falling and dying.
It started to get dark, and my Canadian roommate and I still had not reached Aguas Caliente and could not even see it in the distance. We continued following the railroad tracks, which led to a tunnel. At this point, I was using the flashlight on my phone so we, and some other random girls, could see. I felt like I was in an episode of The Walking Dead, not knowing what was in or on the other side of the tunnel. Shortly after, there was another tunnel. Perhaps 20 minutes after that, we finally reached Aguas Caliente and we were soooooo exhausted. We met up with the rest of the group at the meeting point, which was in the main plaza of the town.
A few minutes later, we were shown where our hostel was. (Side note: I never stay in hostels, and shouldn't have expected anything more for the price we paid for our trip.) I was rather annoyed that towels weren't given to us, so I just decided heck with it, and scratched "take a shower" from my to-do list.
By now, I was aching, feeling sick, confused, and worried. Bright and early the following morning, we were supposed to hike all the way up to Machu Picchu, which is over 2000 stairs and takes about one hour. I could not fathom how I could possibly do that, then "hike" around Machu Picchu itself for 5 hours, hike back down the 2000 stairs, and then hike the 3 hours from Aguas Caliente to Hidroelectrica. I seriously considered not going up to Machu Picchu and just paying to take the train the following weekend. For the moment, a short nap before we all had to meet for dinner sounded like the best thing to do.
When meeting for dinner, we first had to provide our passports to the tour leader in order to receive our entrance tickets for Machu Pichhu. Ours had the wrong day written on them, May 18th instead of May 17th. One of us asked about this, and we were told not to worry about it. No problem.
Dinner was at one of the local restaurants with a set menu. I chose spaghetti, which was the vegetarian option. I ate some of it, but didn't have much of an appetite. I really just wanted to go back to my room to try to make sense of the entire situation. We were told that instead of hiking up and down to get to Machu Picchu in the morning, we could pay to take a bus instead. That sounded like the much better option, and gave me hope that I would actually have the energy to see Machu Picchu after all. (The price of the bus is $12 US dollars each way.)
I found out that the hostel had free WiFi (yay!), so I put that to good use before going to bed. We needed to be at the bus station by 5am to get in line for our tickets. We got there right on time, and were the first people in line for tickets, as a long line formed next to the buses with people who already had tickets. The ticket window was supposed to open at 5:30am. A few minutes beforehand, one of the street vendors pointed out that we were actually in line at the wrong place, as there was a second ticket window booth behind the buses. I couldn't believe our stupid bad luck. This meant we waited in line extra early for nothing. After finally getting our tickets in the right place, one of my friends said for us to get in line for the bus with another girl that she became friends with during the hike. I'm usually not one to cut lines, but in this case I felt we deserved it since we actually were there extremely early. So, we got in line with her, and no one caused a fit. Because of this, we ended up getting on the second bus.
I just slept the entire bus ride up, which was about 20-25 minutes. We got up to the entrance a little before 6am. The gates open at 6am, but we had to wait to enter until 6:30am to meet up with the tour guide. This was fine with me, as I used this opportunity to take advantage of the nice bathrooms outside the entrance. (After going in bathroom after bathroom without toilet paper, soap, or towels during my time in Cusco, this bathroom felt like The Ritz.) My stomach also had begun feeling "special" the night prior, so that's another reason I was so happy about the bathrooms. (Sorry, but "special" feelings in your stomach are just a fact of life when traveling to third-world countries. I'm not going to lie or try to pretend they're not.)
Side notes: There are no bathrooms past the entrance of Machu Picchu. It costs 1 sol to use the bathrooms at the entrance, but when I was there they were free up until about 6:15am. Also, there are many notices stating that food and beverages are not allowed within Machu Picchu. This is not enforced at all though. (Just don't litter.) Also, the wrong date on our ticket did not end up being a problem.
Our tour started pretty much on time, and we were separated in English and Spanish-speaking groups. (I chose English, of course, and was the only American in my group. Everyone else was from Canada, England, Israel, and Europe.) The tour itself was quite good, and our guide explained many interesting things and allowed time for photos along the way when possible. The tour itself was quite a workout, with lots of uneven stone steps to climb up and climb down.
The views from almost everywhere were gorgeous, so I can see why so many people rave about this place. I liked it a lot, but for some reason I wasn't in total awe of it all. (I think it was mostly because I was too concerned about whether my stomach was going to last the tour or not.)
The tour was around 2 hours, and after that we were free to explore as we wished in the open areas. I sat with my friend for a little while and took a few more pictures, but decided to not risk fate. I headed back out since I was sure if my stomach would be needing the facilities again soon. Plus I was feeling quite nauseous. (Side note: Machu Picchu is actually at a lower elevation than Cusco, but I'm pretty sure the altitude was affecting me.)
The rest of the trip was pretty much the same as the beginning, just in reverse, except we had daylight the entire hike this time. (And because of this, we noticed that a sign says no pedestrians in the railroad tunnels.)
Some of the unique plants and flowers along the way:
Since I took Dramamine again, the van ride home wasn't a problem, other than just being very long and very uncomfortable. I tried to sleep the entire way. We finally arrived back in Cusco around 9:30pm and we were so happy to be home!
*Mom, aren't you so glad to hear about my safe trip?!
*Sorry, I did not end up taking any photos of these "physical challenges." I guess I was too focused on not falling and dying.
It started to get dark, and my Canadian roommate and I still had not reached Aguas Caliente and could not even see it in the distance. We continued following the railroad tracks, which led to a tunnel. At this point, I was using the flashlight on my phone so we, and some other random girls, could see. I felt like I was in an episode of The Walking Dead, not knowing what was in or on the other side of the tunnel. Shortly after, there was another tunnel. Perhaps 20 minutes after that, we finally reached Aguas Caliente and we were soooooo exhausted. We met up with the rest of the group at the meeting point, which was in the main plaza of the town.
Welcome to Aguas Caliente!
A few minutes later, we were shown where our hostel was. (Side note: I never stay in hostels, and shouldn't have expected anything more for the price we paid for our trip.) I was rather annoyed that towels weren't given to us, so I just decided heck with it, and scratched "take a shower" from my to-do list.
By now, I was aching, feeling sick, confused, and worried. Bright and early the following morning, we were supposed to hike all the way up to Machu Picchu, which is over 2000 stairs and takes about one hour. I could not fathom how I could possibly do that, then "hike" around Machu Picchu itself for 5 hours, hike back down the 2000 stairs, and then hike the 3 hours from Aguas Caliente to Hidroelectrica. I seriously considered not going up to Machu Picchu and just paying to take the train the following weekend. For the moment, a short nap before we all had to meet for dinner sounded like the best thing to do.
When meeting for dinner, we first had to provide our passports to the tour leader in order to receive our entrance tickets for Machu Pichhu. Ours had the wrong day written on them, May 18th instead of May 17th. One of us asked about this, and we were told not to worry about it. No problem.
Dinner was at one of the local restaurants with a set menu. I chose spaghetti, which was the vegetarian option. I ate some of it, but didn't have much of an appetite. I really just wanted to go back to my room to try to make sense of the entire situation. We were told that instead of hiking up and down to get to Machu Picchu in the morning, we could pay to take a bus instead. That sounded like the much better option, and gave me hope that I would actually have the energy to see Machu Picchu after all. (The price of the bus is $12 US dollars each way.)
I found out that the hostel had free WiFi (yay!), so I put that to good use before going to bed. We needed to be at the bus station by 5am to get in line for our tickets. We got there right on time, and were the first people in line for tickets, as a long line formed next to the buses with people who already had tickets. The ticket window was supposed to open at 5:30am. A few minutes beforehand, one of the street vendors pointed out that we were actually in line at the wrong place, as there was a second ticket window booth behind the buses. I couldn't believe our stupid bad luck. This meant we waited in line extra early for nothing. After finally getting our tickets in the right place, one of my friends said for us to get in line for the bus with another girl that she became friends with during the hike. I'm usually not one to cut lines, but in this case I felt we deserved it since we actually were there extremely early. So, we got in line with her, and no one caused a fit. Because of this, we ended up getting on the second bus.
Standing in the correct line for tickets.
I just slept the entire bus ride up, which was about 20-25 minutes. We got up to the entrance a little before 6am. The gates open at 6am, but we had to wait to enter until 6:30am to meet up with the tour guide. This was fine with me, as I used this opportunity to take advantage of the nice bathrooms outside the entrance. (After going in bathroom after bathroom without toilet paper, soap, or towels during my time in Cusco, this bathroom felt like The Ritz.) My stomach also had begun feeling "special" the night prior, so that's another reason I was so happy about the bathrooms. (Sorry, but "special" feelings in your stomach are just a fact of life when traveling to third-world countries. I'm not going to lie or try to pretend they're not.)
Side notes: There are no bathrooms past the entrance of Machu Picchu. It costs 1 sol to use the bathrooms at the entrance, but when I was there they were free up until about 6:15am. Also, there are many notices stating that food and beverages are not allowed within Machu Picchu. This is not enforced at all though. (Just don't litter.) Also, the wrong date on our ticket did not end up being a problem.
Our tour started pretty much on time, and we were separated in English and Spanish-speaking groups. (I chose English, of course, and was the only American in my group. Everyone else was from Canada, England, Israel, and Europe.) The tour itself was quite good, and our guide explained many interesting things and allowed time for photos along the way when possible. The tour itself was quite a workout, with lots of uneven stone steps to climb up and climb down.
First glimpse. Yep, that looks like Machu Picchu.
Steps, steps, and more steps.
The views from almost everywhere were gorgeous, so I can see why so many people rave about this place. I liked it a lot, but for some reason I wasn't in total awe of it all. (I think it was mostly because I was too concerned about whether my stomach was going to last the tour or not.)
The Urubamba river valley is at the bottom.
Our guide (in blue.)
The end of the Inca Trail.
This is what the Inca Trail leads to.
The rocks that make up the steps and buildings were cut from boulders like these.
This rock was carved to be a replica of the nearby mountain ranges.
There are a few llamas that live here. Hola!
I was still freezing.
This was a two-story house. Our guide said the entire city had around 150 houses.
The tour was around 2 hours, and after that we were free to explore as we wished in the open areas. I sat with my friend for a little while and took a few more pictures, but decided to not risk fate. I headed back out since I was sure if my stomach would be needing the facilities again soon. Plus I was feeling quite nauseous. (Side note: Machu Picchu is actually at a lower elevation than Cusco, but I'm pretty sure the altitude was affecting me.)
The rest of the trip was pretty much the same as the beginning, just in reverse, except we had daylight the entire hike this time. (And because of this, we noticed that a sign says no pedestrians in the railroad tunnels.)
There were several different kinds of small butterflies. This is the only one I could get a picture of.
The sign we missed the previous day that would have saved us from having to do the steep incline.
Some of the unique plants and flowers along the way:
Bananas.
Since I took Dramamine again, the van ride home wasn't a problem, other than just being very long and very uncomfortable. I tried to sleep the entire way. We finally arrived back in Cusco around 9:30pm and we were so happy to be home!
*Mom, aren't you so glad to hear about my safe trip?!
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