From Cusco we had an approximately 3-hour trip to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu. Due to intense rain storms earlier in the year that had wiped out roads and rail lines to Machu Picchu, the trip was broken up into a 90 or so minute "bus" ride and then a 90 or so minute train ride through the Andes. The "bus" we rode in was actually a 15-seat passenger van that Peru Rail crammed full of people at the Cusco train station. It was comfortable enough, but not as comfortable as a real bus or train would have been.
The train portion of the trip was quite nice. The train had windows on the roof to see the scenery better, and had a slow pace that allowed to you to enjoy the view as you cruise along the Urubamba River valley toward the town.
The town of Aguas Calientes didn't have too much to it itself; it's more of a place to hang out until Machu Pichu opens. There are a couple of main streets, a bunch of touristy restaurants, and some hot springs, but really, the only reason people go there is because Machu Picchu lays on the mountains right above.
We arrived in Aguas Calientes late in the morning, and due to having to get up at 5:00 AM, decided we'd take a nap. It was a little late to go to Machu Picchu and get the full experience for the day, so we decided to ge up first thing the next day and get there nice and early.
And nice and early we did go: After an uneventful day in Aguas Calientes, we went to bed early and set our alarms for 3:30 AM. This would give us enough time to make the 6 km trek from the town up to Machu Picchu in time for sunrise.
The hike took us about 1:45, and we arrived with plenty of time to spare before the gates opened at 6:00 AM. As an added bonus, we were something like 12th and 13th in line, which gave us the privilege of picking a time to hike of the peak of Huayna Picchu, which is restricted to only 400 people per day.
While waiting for the gates to open, we arranged for a tour guide to show us around the site. After getting jerked around for a little bit (apparently we didn't learn our lesson in Cusco: this guy first tried to include us in a tour group of like 50 people, and then wanted an insane amount for a private tour), we ended up having a tour for just the two of us, which turned out to be pretty good.
Just a few minutes into the tour, we looked to the east and the sun was rising over the Andes. It was quite the amazing sight. You're literally on top of the world, standing in ruins that are hundreds of years old, and it was really, really great.
Machu Picchu itself was better than expected. The pictures you see don't do it justice. First of all, it's huge. It's way bigger than you think. Thousands of people lived there at its peak, and it also had a ton of space for farmland, public spaces, and temples. Our tour guide taught us all about this as he showed us around, which made the experience more enjoyable.
After the tour, we were left to our own devices, and we used that time to tour the site some more, and then make the one-hour-up, one-hour-down hike to Huayna Picchu. It was moderately difficult, as it was narrow and steep (think Grouse Grind if you're from Vancouver), only up the side of a mountain. But it again was worth it: the view from the top was again amazing. One thing we enjoyed from up there was seeing the road up the side of the mountain to Machu Picchu, thinking that just a few short hours ago, we were at the bottom of that mountain.
After Huayna Picchu, we toured Machu Picchu some more, and this time took the easy way out and took the bus back down to Aguas Calientes. We had enough time for lunch and a drink before catching the train/bus combo back to Cusco, and then one last night in Cusco before heading back to Cleveland. It was a great trip, and seeing another part of the world was really cool. And having a place like Machu Picchu exceed our expectations was the icing on the cake.
The train portion of the trip was quite nice. The train had windows on the roof to see the scenery better, and had a slow pace that allowed to you to enjoy the view as you cruise along the Urubamba River valley toward the town.
The town of Aguas Calientes didn't have too much to it itself; it's more of a place to hang out until Machu Pichu opens. There are a couple of main streets, a bunch of touristy restaurants, and some hot springs, but really, the only reason people go there is because Machu Picchu lays on the mountains right above.
We arrived in Aguas Calientes late in the morning, and due to having to get up at 5:00 AM, decided we'd take a nap. It was a little late to go to Machu Picchu and get the full experience for the day, so we decided to ge up first thing the next day and get there nice and early.
And nice and early we did go: After an uneventful day in Aguas Calientes, we went to bed early and set our alarms for 3:30 AM. This would give us enough time to make the 6 km trek from the town up to Machu Picchu in time for sunrise.
The hike took us about 1:45, and we arrived with plenty of time to spare before the gates opened at 6:00 AM. As an added bonus, we were something like 12th and 13th in line, which gave us the privilege of picking a time to hike of the peak of Huayna Picchu, which is restricted to only 400 people per day.
While waiting for the gates to open, we arranged for a tour guide to show us around the site. After getting jerked around for a little bit (apparently we didn't learn our lesson in Cusco: this guy first tried to include us in a tour group of like 50 people, and then wanted an insane amount for a private tour), we ended up having a tour for just the two of us, which turned out to be pretty good.
Just a few minutes into the tour, we looked to the east and the sun was rising over the Andes. It was quite the amazing sight. You're literally on top of the world, standing in ruins that are hundreds of years old, and it was really, really great.
Machu Picchu itself was better than expected. The pictures you see don't do it justice. First of all, it's huge. It's way bigger than you think. Thousands of people lived there at its peak, and it also had a ton of space for farmland, public spaces, and temples. Our tour guide taught us all about this as he showed us around, which made the experience more enjoyable.
After the tour, we were left to our own devices, and we used that time to tour the site some more, and then make the one-hour-up, one-hour-down hike to Huayna Picchu. It was moderately difficult, as it was narrow and steep (think Grouse Grind if you're from Vancouver), only up the side of a mountain. But it again was worth it: the view from the top was again amazing. One thing we enjoyed from up there was seeing the road up the side of the mountain to Machu Picchu, thinking that just a few short hours ago, we were at the bottom of that mountain.
After Huayna Picchu, we toured Machu Picchu some more, and this time took the easy way out and took the bus back down to Aguas Calientes. We had enough time for lunch and a drink before catching the train/bus combo back to Cusco, and then one last night in Cusco before heading back to Cleveland. It was a great trip, and seeing another part of the world was really cool. And having a place like Machu Picchu exceed our expectations was the icing on the cake.
No comments:
Post a Comment