Machu Pichu

With time running out I decided not to do one of the many possible treks to Machu Pichu but I was certainly wasn't going to sign up for a tour either. 

The train is extortionate but there is a another way so I set off early on Monday morning and a combination of collectivos and shared taxis got me to Hidroeléctrica around 5 hours later. Easier than I was expecting and from there it was a two hour amble down the train line to reach Aguas Calientes, the tacky tourist town servicing the thousands of people that pass through daily on their way to Machu Pichu - decked out like an alpine ski resort but with more neon lights.

I picked up 2 American guys on my journey up and managed to find a shared room easily enough despite many warnings it would be nigh on impossible or ridiculously expensive.

It was another early start the next day, up at 4.30 and into the slow sweaty procession of tourists climbing the thousand or so steps to make it up the mountain before sunrise.

It was well worth it; Machu Pichu did not disappoint. It truly is a magical place, the complexity and atmosphere of the site made by its astounding location, perched high on the ridge and surrounded by beautiful, towering peaks and steep valleys. For spiritual energy the Incas choose a great spot.

All this was accentuated by the early morning list and pale light of the breaking day; and the relative lack of people. It's a big site and in the first few hours there it was still possible to wander through the myriad of buildings and narrow streets alone.

 

   

 

 

I hiked up Machu Pichu mountain around 9 but it was a long, hot slog up steps all the way. The view was nice of course but I was feeling tired and hot and wasn't particularly blown away.

I had a little snooze and floated around in a sleepy haze for a few hours; then experienced the joy of exploring the site all over again, in the cooler air of the late afternoon and when the main surge of tourists had dissipated. It gets pretty crowded in the city around midday but everyone is kept out of the open areas so looking down on the site you don't really notice how busy it is.

Sacred rock

I had a nice finish to the day, tagging on to a spiritual ceremony; raising my hands to the sun to capture the last rays of energy as it set behind the mountain.

I walked out the next day, down the train line again but this time heading south, for a 30+km hike all the way to Ollantaytambo.

It was a long day, but flat and easy going and quite fun hopping off the tracks every half or so to let the trains past. It's a beautiful valley following the river and opens up after about 15 km to a snowy mountain backdrop. Looks like an awesome river to raft down with a few intense rapids to negotiate! 

The last section of the path also passes some small but impressive Inca ruins, including the only chamber I found where you can go inside. The Inca trail starts near here but strangely passes on the other side of the river and I couldn't see any Inca ruins over there! 

After about 9 hours of walking I was starting to get a little tired but still had some way to go to get onto the main road. Luckily I managed to hitch a ride for the last 8 km or so and made it back to Inkita guesthouse in time for some dinner.