Machu Picchu

After dinner the boys and I went out wearing shamrock stickers from my sisters, got back from the bar around 6am and decided to do some sight seeing. Good idea too cause when we got to Ollantatambo around 8am there were barely any other tourists and the sun was shining from the perfect spot. Jimmy napped with a dog on a terrace while the rest of us explored the ruins of the Quechua's last stand (aka Incas, but the Inca was actually just the king - the culture, language and people is Quechua).

Obviously we rested between then and starting our treck to Machu Picchu. Some well needed rest! The trip started in the middle of a cloud at 4100m above sea level as a bike ride, declining 2300m down a mountain for 6 hours. After only 20 minutes of cold biking down hairpin turns we encountered a traffic jam and a change of plans. What caused this traffic jam? Another landslide of course.

Apparently the landslide took out a truck along with the road. By the time we arrived some people had been waiting 15 hours (I found out today that it took 4 days to clean up). Our guide, Johan, and his father, Lorenzo, wouldn't let a mere landslide stop us, so they investigated the best route around. Some other groups actually climbed the slide, but Lorenzo deemed that too dangerous. Some government workers were busy cutting a trail over the landslide through the high jungle, which was to be our route of choice. It's important to note that my dad is scared of heights, which has brought quite a bit of entertainment to the family in the past, but the danger factor of the landslide brought in an element that made me hold back all teasing. Everyone seemed to have a little bit of fear in their eyes, everyone except Lorenzo and Johan. Let me tell you, it was not an easy hike through the jungle - the ground was soft and slippery, the slope was steep and we were carrying all of our gear with us. In all honesty, I was proud of myself to reach the road on the other side. As for Tony, I was impressed. And kudos to mom, she finished up ahead with all the young folk. Apparently while we were crossing above the landslide someone fell from the landslide to their death. A few days later the path we went on gave way adding to the slide.

On the other side we were left without bikes or a bus, we had to walk the rest of the way down the valley to our hostel with dusk quickly approaching. My mom asked Johan how long the walk would be. He told her it's not worth knowing. He's only 17, but is wise beyond his years.

Eventually a gas truck with a flat bed on top picked us up. The tailgate appropriately read "PELIGROS - COMBUSTIBLE". Eventually there was close to 30 of us winding down the road to Santa Maria for the night. We ended up driving more than 2 hours after dark. Thank god we didn't walk that!

A warm dinner was welcomed in Santa Maria, as a shower would have been if it worked. No biggie though, I couldn't get much dirtier. After dinner us boys went behind the hostel and played soccer with some local kids, not really knowing how much energy the next day would require.

Day 2 is Lorenzo's favourate day and it's understandable why. We hiked along a river before climbing up into the jungle and eventually meeting up with one of the old Inca trails (of which there was 25,000km in the height of the Quechua empire - 4 different ones connect with Machu Picchu).

Tony likes to say he's not afraid of heights, rather precipices. Well, the Inka Jungle Trail had more than your average person's fair share of precipices in Day 2. I can honestly say that I have never seen my dad more scared in my life. Lorenzo quickly became dad's best friend, whom dad kept asking, "Lorenzo, are you okay?" At times we were walking on stairs that were less than a half a meter wide, with the rock face on one side and an 800m cliff on the other to the Rio Urubamba. Johan would often casually stand right on the edge to proudly educate us on Quechua culture. I say it's absolutely nuts that the Quechua messangers would sprint over these paths to deliver messages at a ridiculously fast pace!

My words don't justly describe the insanity and serenity of the scenery throughout this trek and neither will my pictures. Even our lunch stop was a jungle oasis with hammocks and our pre-dinner cool down was lounging in a hot pool filled naturally with fresh mountain water. The day finished with us in Santa Teresa, where we found out that Day 3 was much easier. Naturally us boys decided to go out again. The club was so hot it looked like I just stepped out of the shower.

Day 3 was essentially us walking along train tracks to Aguas Calientes (the tourist town at the base of Machu Picchu). I got there and slept.

We were woken up at 4am on Day 4 to walk up the mountain that is Machu Picchu (Apparently Machu Picchu is the Quechua name for the mountain and the name for the ruin city is very difficult for Ryan to say, let alone type. Archeologists believe the city was a university for the Quechua elite to study close to the heavens). That was possibly the hardest leg of the whole trip and was accomplished entirely in the dark. Well worth it, as we saved on the expensive bus ride up. That's a valuable $10 you know! I've never been this cheap in my life, but I need to stretch my doe.

When we got there the clouds blocked all views during our guided tour. After which, the clouds parted and we climbed Huaynapicchu (the classic mountain you see in almost every picture of Machu Picchu). This intense, slippery climb took about an hour and offered an incredible ariel view of the site. Mom n' pops passed on this one, so the boys and I had a cliff side lunch at the top of Huaynapicchu by ourselves, which included tuna and avacado sandwiches.

For the remainder of the day we walked around the city trying to see as many of the sites as possible. After a solid 12 hours of climbing up and down stairs we almost saw all of the 5 major sites (the city, Temple of the Moon, Huaynapicchu, Inca Bridge), but were stopped by a guard half way to the last one, the Sun Gate. Amazing nevertheless.

Dinner's here, gotta run!!

written by  ryanmyers on March 18, 2009 from Cusco, Peru
from the travel blog: Ryan's First Sabbatical
tagged MachuPicchu
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