The Real Machi Picchu

There are a few places in South America that Brad and I have planned on going to no matter what 1) Amazon 2) Pantanal and 3) Machu Picchu...and though it took a while to finally get there, Brad and I left Cusco on Sunday to start our trip to The Machu Picchu.

After hanging out in Cusco for 2 weeks, where every restaurant caters to tourists and every store advertises trips to Machu Picchu, I began to get it in my head that Machu Picchu is one big tourist trap--everyone goes--everyone pays a lot--and everyone gets to talk about it a week later when they get home to their family and friends. In fact, it was beginning to not even sound appealing to follow the masses to see it. Once we finally began the trip, I realized that it can be very easy to get to Machu Picchu, if you want to pay alot, but, as usual, Brad and I took the cheap route, and 6 hours and 3 mini buses over winding gravel roads later, we were following the train tracks on foot up to Aguas Calientes.

On this side of the Andes the air is warm and heavy with humidity. Everything is green and htere are waterfalls, parrots and orchids in our path. It is a really enjoyable 2 hours walk...

And then IT happened...

When I think back over what could have caused it, it could be any number of things...the bologne sandwich for lunch, the empanadas the day before, bad water...who knows...but after walking for an hour Brad could hardly stand up...some women at a little stop by the road gave him some local herbs for the stomach, and he stumbled through the rest of the hike feeling miserable and out of it.

Aguas Calientes:

This town was built to serve the thouasand of tourists arriving every week to visit Machu Picchu. It is picturesque, tucked away in the green canyon next to a beautiful river. The town itself is just hotels and resturants of every kind. There are rich tourists and poor alike...everyone comes for the same reason...Machu Picchu.

I left Brad to wallow in misery at the entrance to Aguas Calientes, and went in search of a hostal, where he stayed for a day and a half straight!

So, that´s how it goes when you are travelling, plans change. We were origanlly going to walk from Aguas Calientes at 3:30am to watch the sun rise on Machu Pichu and beat the toursit busses, but since we also had to walk the train tracks back to the road, it would have been too much. So we found ourselves at the bus stop at 4am..in a line of 75 people waiting in the dark tropical rain for the 5:30am bus.

Going to Machu Picchu:

The buses come one after the other, they are big and comfy, and once they are full they pull out of Aguas Calientes and begin winding up the mountain to Machu Picchu. I saw a few people hiking the road...and honestly..I didn´t envy them at all. This was awesome--sit in a bus for 20 minutes and voila!--The Machu Picchu--the same one that people hike between 1 and 3 weeks to see--the same one that people get up at 3:30am to hike up to to beat the crowds. And when we arrived, I realized how lucky we were to have hiked Ausangate instead of this. To spend 5 days with no shower, and crappy food, only to arrive at Machu Picchu with a crowd of clean tourists and a boutique hotel at the entrance...would have been sort of a let down if you ask me..

Since we got one of the first busses, there were not as many people as i expected on the mountain, and i was able to climb a little path up to the top to get an amazing (and quiet) view of the ruins with the fog sifting in and out of the canyon. All that said...I´m pretty sure Brad and I saw some guys building new ruins up the hill...Is Machu Picchu really a plot by hte Peruvian governemnt to get tourists to come?? The homes were so neatly constructed, the terraces still perfectly intact, water still runs though the town from a mountain spring. The mountains are shrouded in green and the mist moves in and around them like ocean waves.div>

One thing that was blaringly absent was any kind of museum or cultural reference. Once M.P. was discovered in 1911, the artifacts were carted out, and sold or kept behind glass. Archeologists really don´t know what the town was for, who lived there, or why....This is sadly the fate of many of the Incan ruins found in recent history. Pots and other artifacts are sold, or tunred over to archeaologists and sold by them. Rarely is the money or history given back to the descedents of the Incas.But the goverment did a pretty good job of reconstructing an ancient Incan city hidden on top of a giant mountain...and despite the throngs of tourists, it was worth the trip.

The ride home was similar to the ride back, though B was feeling better, and no one sitting next to me was barfing (did i mention that before? it was a rough road...tmi)

It was hard to leave Cusco once we got back. Our hostal was run by the cutest older woman (even cuter after she said I looked like a movie star-or Mary--how I miss you)

Next stop Puno--Lago Titticaca--Copacabana-BOLIVIA!!!