Yesterday I was able to catch the sunrise over the Andes at Machu Picchu and it actually brought tears to my eyes. ¨Tears of awesomeness¨as Shauna called them. In the last two months, I have proclaimed to see the ¨most amazing thing ever¨ more times than I can count, but I think my experience at Machu Picchu takes first prize. What a beautiful journey the last couple of days have been.
We lefty Cusco early Wednesday morning and took the three hour train ride over to KM 106 to meet our guide. Let me tell you about trains in Peru...it's not Europe. Peru Rail runs a very lucrative business here getting hundreds of tourists daily between Cusco and Aguascalientes to take in the beauty of Machu Picchu. Do they spend it on new tracks or high speed trains? No. As we eased past the farmlands in tiny Peruvian villages and made our way through canyons into the Andes, the train jumped and swayed and at one point got on the wrong track, so we had to back up and try again. I'm not complaining as it was incredibly beautiful; I guess the comparison between Europe and South America should just never be made.
We hopped off the train somewhere along this river with the gorgeous green mountains towering above us and met our guide, Jorge. After being attacked by bugs in the first five minutes (I think I understand how bed bugs must feel...I am covered with bites and they itch!...sexy, I know) Jorge led us across a bridge and onto the Inca trail. He warned us that the hike would be tough before lunch, but a mile of jagged steps straight up was not what we envisioned....however, that's exactly what it was. As Shauna and I struggled up the steps in the jungle heat and humidity, Jorge told us about the Incas and why and how they built their cities. He gave us the low down on the people in the area and what the Inca trail was used for. It was great to have our own private tour guide to ask questions to and to get the inside track on everything that we were seeing.
We stopped for lunch a couple hours later and saw some ruins at the top of that particular mountain. We then hiked the next six kilometers and walked through the Sun Gate to see the gloriousness of Machu Picchu below us. Looking at this from above, you have to wonder how and why 400 people decided to make their home on the top of this mountain. Machu Picchu is just one ruin surrounded by these Andian peaks that soar high into the clouds. Apparently they wanted to be closer to the gods, but at what cost? The hardships of living on cliffs and farming terraces that step all the way down these mountains must have been incredible. The Inca civilization amazes me.
We wandered around and took hundreds of pictures. I truly believe we had one of the most beautiful days ever to walk through the Sun Gate. The sky was blue and the clouds surrounding the mountains almost made it look fake...nothing can be that perfect. To top it all off, just as we were about to head down to catch the bus to town, two rainbows came out on either side of the sky. I couldn't have asked for more.
Our tour company hooked us up with a ritzy hostal (everything in Machu Picchu is a hostal, but this was definitely more of a hotel) and we had an excellent dinner with Jorge in Aguascalientes. The avocados here are amazing!!! Both Shauna and I were so tired after a full day of hiking that we passed out early. Probably best, as we had to get up at 4:15 the next morning to get in line for the buses up to Machu Picchu.
All of the walking and waking up early was so worth it when we got into the ruins yesterday morning. We kind of missed the exact sunrise, but what we saw was good enough. Jorge took us on a tour of the ruins and we had some time to ourselves to explore. There is another mountain, higher than the ruins at Machu Picchu that has the remains of four Inca houses on it that was used for communication between other villages (think Lord of the Rings, fire on the mountain style), Waynapicchu. From what it sounds like, they only give out 400 passes each day to go up this particular trail, and being up so early, I got one and decided to make the trek. The trail is not what could be described as safe as it is an hour straight up a mountain with steep steps and sheer cliffs and no railing to stop your fall, but I did it. I got up to the top and sat on the rocks high above Machu Picchu and took it all in as butterflies buzzed around me. It was an adventure that I'm so glad I took advantage of.
After our wanderings in the ruins were done, Shauna and I made our way back into town, had some lunch and then got on the train to come back to Cusco. It was a long ride, and I felt the exact moment that the elevation was a little too much for me. Going from the lower altitude at Machu Picchu to the high, dry air of Cusco made it hard to sleep last night. That and the malaria medication I'm taking giving me crazy vivid dreams. Shauna ended up getting a place down the street last night and she should now be at the airport heading back to Lima for a couple of days. My ticket has been cancelled at this point. My friend, Kitty, should be getting back this evening and then her and I are heading down to Puno, on Lake Titicaca tomorrow. This will be my first experience with the Peruvian bus system. I've heard the stories from other travelers...this should be interesting.
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