photos to be added when wifi is better
Machu Picchu is the highlight for anyone visiting Peru. We have all heard of it but only when you visit do you truly appreciate what it is and how spectacular it is.
We have booked to go up Macchu Picchu on 2 separate days incase of bad weather, one morning the other afternoon and spend 3 day / 2 night in Agua Calientes, We took the easy option to get to Agua Calientes, the starting point for Macchu Picchu by train. The train leaves from Porroy which is the nearest station to Cusco at 7.35am. We ordered a taxi at 6.30am to get us to the station in time. The taxi took about 30 mins to get there which is a different story to the return journey. We chose the 360 train which gives a full panoramic view for the journey and includes breakfast. Our fellow passengers were mostly non South Americans our age or upwards. All the young people take the challenging 3 or 5 day hike to Macchu Picchu.
The train journey was fantastic going through great scenery and included a zig zag track where the train goes into reverse to go down a incline then returns to forward facing to continue descending. We were fortunate the annoying American was sat with the lovely Indian people and not us as she did not stop talking the whole 3 hours. e did learn she worked for Salesforce and trianed people by video even form our distant seat.
On arrival in Agua Calientes we headed for our hostel Mama Simone to leave our luggage before going to get the bus to Macchu Picchu. The hostel was pleasantly comfortable and we had a ensuite room with TV. The staff were extremely friendly and helped us to locate the bus ticket office and the bus.
The bus ride to Macchu Picchu was probably one of the worst I have ever experienced. We were seated near the back of a dilapidated bus with a recling seat that would not go up. I was sat by the window and to say the climb and outlook was scary as we climbed the steep zigzag precarious road is an under statement. When we met another bus coming the other way one bus often had to reverse to let the other pass. Seeing the wheels so close to the edge of the road was nerve racking to say the least.
Fortunately we arrived safely at the top and negotiated our way through the numerous guides offering services to the entrance. We had an afternoon ticket that meant we could enter at 12 and stay to 5 although we had heard they did not marshal strictly the morning and afternoon entry and exit times.
After passing the entry gate we came to a set of steps up and a set of steps down, logic told us we needed to go up to see the view first before going down so up we went. As always up at high altitude is not easy and I was glad I had my walking stick with me, we climbed the many stairs stopping to take a breath and let younger fitter people past us. Finally we reached the first look out place we could see the true scale of Macchu Picchu and it really was a wow moment that had literally taken my breath away. We had no idea of the size and scale of the place before we arrived and having enjoyed all the other Inca sites we had visited over the past few days we could see how this stood out. But honestly what were those Inca’s thinking when they decided to build a city on top of the highest mountain!!
After catching our breath we continued up to another level and the spot for the famous “We are at Macchu Picchi” photo, at this time the view was clear with just a few clouds in nearby mountains and we were able to get some great photos. We wandered around a bit at this level feeling a drop in temperature and seeing the clouds come over and feeling the rain start. We decided to follow the steps down as the rain was coming dow
n, as we descended the steep steps into the lower levels and the Quarry area the heavens opened and it down poured. We tried to find shelter by rocks but without any real success. What do you do when you are in a open archaeological and it is pouring with rain? Not only were we getting soaked it was also difficult to walk as the rocks were slippy. What little shelter there was was fully occupied with people. With no knowledge of how long the rain would continue we carried on and found ourselves with another couple at a place that was marked “Please pass quickly”. Here was a large rock that we later discovered was the Intihuatana rock, according to some this is the place where the energy is in the air, if you touch the stone and really feels the energy through your body, and recharged of full positive vibrations. The other couple, a spanish speaking couple were like us trying to find what shelter they could but the man was messing around with his back pack trying to get something out. In the pouring rain he asked the security man to take a photo of them by the rock and as he did this got down on one knee and presented a ring to his lady friend. Now the ladies face was even wetter with tears. We were the only witnesses so we applauded and wishes them congratulations.
With the rain still continuing but feeling like it was slowing down a bit we continued on the path round the different sites, gradually the rain subsided and we were able to see more and pay more attention to our surroundings. However we were absolutely soaked and having packed light for the trip Barrie was wearing his only trousers so had to suffer damp trousers the next day. A lot of people had left during the rain but we stayed on top another hours and same the most amazing cloud displays as the clouds passed by the nearby mountains in rapid movements. Feeling the temperature dropping again and a few more drops we hurriedly made our way out of the complex to the coffee area just before it started pouring again. The bus journey down Barrie sat by the window and was able to experience the fear I had felt on the way up as he looked out the window at the wet road and the step drop at the side of him.
Our second visit to Macchu Picchu was 2 days later in the morning. We hoped that the morning would be sunny and dry. It was dry but not sunny in fact besides a few moments the whole of Macchu Picchu was covered in cloud and it was impossible to see very far. The morning was busier than the last time we had visited and as we stopped to rest by some steps 100s of people passed us. As we had already seen the sight we decided to cut our loses and go back down. We felt sorry for people who this was their only visit to Macchu Picchu.
As well as visiting Macchu Picchu we spent a day in Agua Calientes, ironically this was the sunniest and driest day of all. We explored the town visiting the hot Springs which were unfortunately closed and then walked to the Macchu Picchu museum which is near the start of the climb up to Macchu Picchu. We discovered more about Hiram Bingham who was the American from Yale university who first discovered the existance of Macchu Picchu in 1911. The museum was small but interesting. At the side of the museum was a small botanical gardens that we took time to explore. After visiting the museum we followed a trail that said about 35 mins walk as we reached the top of the hill we were a bit confused a there was a railway track and lots of people were walking along it. We soon realised this was the direction we were meant to be headed and the trail was along the railway tracks. We followed everyone else confident in the fact it was safe and no trains were coming when suddenly we heard in the distance a train whistle and felt the rumble of a train on the tracks. We stood to one side to watch the tain go past. This was repeated a few times while we walked along the tracks with everyone else. The walk was tiring and much longer than 35 mins. We finally arrived at the gardens of Mandor that lead to the cataract of Mandor (waterfall) , by this time my feet were hurting and I was complaining but decided to go into the gardens. We were glad we did as they were beautiful and we saw lovely plants and a few bright coloured birds.
Agua Calientes is worth spending a day in if you have time when visiting Macchu Picchu. We asked in our hostel for recommendations to eat and were told of 2 restaurants, Full House and Tree House we ate at both and had great meals and service at both.