Machu Picchu in Aguas Calientes, Peru
June 6th - June 7th 2008
Despite what the guidebooks say (they must get paid off by Peru Rail for marketing), it is possible to get to Aguas Calientes aka Machu Picchu Village later in the evening instead of taking the expensive 4.5 hour train (it is a little known fact that Lonely Planet (and other guidebooks) ar
e full of misinformation). I took cheap busses (total cost 6 soles = 2 USD) through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo where the cheaper train ticket to Machu Picchu exists ($31 USD one way instead of $156 USD return). This is still expensive but the be
st you can do when a foreign English (or Chilean!?) company monopolizes Peru Rail.
On my way to Machu Picchu I stopped in a place called Pisaq to see their ruins (1 hour outside Cusco). They were quite nice and I had a private time (very few tourists visit these) walking around the terraces, aqueducts, and old walls.
In the Sacred Valley that lies between Cusco and Machu Picchu there are at least 10 different sites that offer visits to interesting ruins (none are as spectacular as Machu Picchu). I went to about 6 different sites and truthfully you get tired of looking at the
old stones. I will say though that I was very impressed with the Inca craftsmanship. They mastered the interplay of naturally occurring rocks with carved rocks in their construction. Most notably, their wate
rways and irrigation systems demonstrate the calculations that went into their work.
After a 2 hour train I arrived in Machu Picchu village late at night with my two new friends Filip and Anne. We made a plan to wake up at 4:45 to get to the lineup for the first bus at 5:30 AM. We arrived to the gate of Machu Picchu before it opened and were among the first through the doors. I put an ex
tra bounce into my step and was among the first three people to walk into the upper terraces. Nobody was there and everyone was snapping the classic Postcard shot with nobody in site. The next task was to wait for the sunrise. At about 7AM the sun finally popped over the Andean peaks and slowly started to light up the ruins. It was quite remarkable. By this time, hundreds of people were about and pictures were starting to become impossible without including a random tourist.
Fil, Ann, and I decided to hike up to WaynuPicchu to look at Machu Picchu ruins from the other classic postcard vantage point. After 35 grueling minutes and a short duck under a cave we were rewarded with an intense view.
We decided to hike down the back to the Temple of the Moon caves. One hour later we arrived at the interesting caves with exposed Inca blocks and windows. Now the 45 minute ascent started to tire the body (we only had 4 hours of sleep).
The we
ather was blue skies and sunshine, so we visited the ruins up close for an hour dodging the thousands of tourists before heading back down to the village.
After reharging my battery and buying a train ticket for the following morning, I decided to go back up to Machu Picchu
ruins at 3:30 for the sunset (when all the tourists have disappeared). It was great! I managed to see a Chinchilla for the first time in my life and all the evening birds were flying around. Slowly the sun dropped behind the Andean peaks casting the opposite shadows to the mornings sunrise.
Lagging far behind and getting whistled at by guards left, right, and center, I managed to get a few final photos as the last person to leave the ruins for the day (not bad, first in and last out).
Feeling satisfied with my sped up version of
Machu Picchu, I have more time to explore the Sacred Valley and Cuzco.
When asked if I feel like a fool for not hiking the Inca trail, although it would have been nice, it is overpriced for what it is. Given the fact that the "Inca Trail" runs all the way from Quito, Ecuador down to Cuzco, Peru, there are many points of entry. I feel hiking around the sacred valley and discovering the other often overlooked ruins is a better alternative for me. However, it would have been nice to walk for a day or two along the trail to simulate
entering Machu Picchu like the Inca's once did.
After the Sacred Valley, I plan to go to Lake Titicaca and La Paz, Bolivia.
Despite what the guidebooks say (they must get paid off by Peru Rail for marketing), it is possible to get to Aguas Calientes aka Machu Picchu Village later in the evening instead of taking the expensive 4.5 hour train (it is a little known fact that Lonely Planet (and other guidebooks) ar
e full of misinformation). I took cheap busses (total cost 6 soles = 2 USD) through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo where the cheaper train ticket to Machu Picchu exists ($31 USD one way instead of $156 USD return). This is still expensive but the be
st you can do when a foreign English (or Chilean!?) company monopolizes Peru Rail.On my way to Machu Picchu I stopped in a place called Pisaq to see their ruins (1 hour outside Cusco). They were quite nice and I had a private time (very few tourists visit these) walking around the terraces, aqueducts, and old walls.
In the Sacred Valley that lies between Cusco and Machu Picchu there are at least 10 different sites that offer visits to interesting ruins (none are as spectacular as Machu Picchu). I went to about 6 different sites and truthfully you get tired of looking at the
old stones. I will say though that I was very impressed with the Inca craftsmanship. They mastered the interplay of naturally occurring rocks with carved rocks in their construction. Most notably, their wate
rways and irrigation systems demonstrate the calculations that went into their work.After a 2 hour train I arrived in Machu Picchu village late at night with my two new friends Filip and Anne. We made a plan to wake up at 4:45 to get to the lineup for the first bus at 5:30 AM. We arrived to the gate of Machu Picchu before it opened and were among the first through the doors. I put an ex
tra bounce into my step and was among the first three people to walk into the upper terraces. Nobody was there and everyone was snapping the classic Postcard shot with nobody in site. The next task was to wait for the sunrise. At about 7AM the sun finally popped over the Andean peaks and slowly started to light up the ruins. It was quite remarkable. By this time, hundreds of people were about and pictures were starting to become impossible without including a random tourist.Fil, Ann, and I decided to hike up to WaynuPicchu to look at Machu Picchu ruins from the other classic postcard vantage point. After 35 grueling minutes and a short duck under a cave we were rewarded with an intense view.
We decided to hike down the back to the Temple of the Moon caves. One hour later we arrived at the interesting caves with exposed Inca blocks and windows. Now the 45 minute ascent started to tire the body (we only had 4 hours of sleep).
The we
ather was blue skies and sunshine, so we visited the ruins up close for an hour dodging the thousands of tourists before heading back down to the village.After reharging my battery and buying a train ticket for the following morning, I decided to go back up to Machu Picchu
ruins at 3:30 for the sunset (when all the tourists have disappeared). It was great! I managed to see a Chinchilla for the first time in my life and all the evening birds were flying around. Slowly the sun dropped behind the Andean peaks casting the opposite shadows to the mornings sunrise.Lagging far behind and getting whistled at by guards left, right, and center, I managed to get a few final photos as the last person to leave the ruins for the day (not bad, first in and last out).
Feeling satisfied with my sped up version of
Machu Picchu, I have more time to explore the Sacred Valley and Cuzco.When asked if I feel like a fool for not hiking the Inca trail, although it would have been nice, it is overpriced for what it is. Given the fact that the "Inca Trail" runs all the way from Quito, Ecuador down to Cuzco, Peru, there are many points of entry. I feel hiking around the sacred valley and discovering the other often overlooked ruins is a better alternative for me. However, it would have been nice to walk for a day or two along the trail to simulate
entering Machu Picchu like the Inca's once did.After the Sacred Valley, I plan to go to Lake Titicaca and La Paz, Bolivia.
posted by Justino at
2:31 PM
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