COOKING AND BRAAAAPING AROUND THE WORLD: MACHU PICCHU!!!!

DAY-181

5/1/2012

HEADED FOR MACHU PICCHU!!!

        I woke up around 6:30am and packed up my bags for storage, I don’t have a backpack so I made one out of a stuff sack. Checked out said goodbye to my bike and met up with Mathias. We took a quick taxi to the bus station, after bargaining we decided on a big bus for 15 Sols and headed for Santa Marie. On the bus we met Morgan a rad French guy who lives in the UK, it took us 6hrs. We arrived and tried to bargain with a taxi to take us to Santa Teresa, after bargaining and finding two other travelers to split it we talked him into taking us all the way to Hydroelectrica plant where we could hike from. The road was gnarly and I wished I was on my bike not in a sketchy taxi; there was a recent smashed truck at the bottom of a raven. We arrived around 4pm and grabbed our gear and started to walk down the train tracks. Within 10 minutes it was raining so we walked for another two hours or so in the rain getting completely soaked rain jackets didn’t help much. We arrived in Aguas Calientes just after six soaked to the bone, walked around, got Morgan a ticket for Machu Picchu and found a cheap hostel. One room with three beds for 15 Sols each, we got a horrible tourist rip off dinner and went to bed for an early morning.

DAY-182

5/2/2012

        We woke up around 4:10am and headed for the Machu Picchu Stairs gate. We arrived right as they opened the gate at 5am and started walking up, with about 20-30 other people. I met up with another traveler and we made great time up the stairs. The 1hr+ walk took about 45minutes huffing and puffing. After a few nice pictures of the sun rising up over the mountains at 6am the Machu Picchu Park opened its gates and we were within the first ten allowed in. The feeling was amazing to stand above the Ruins looking down on them watching the sun rise with barely anyone else in the park. The clouds were burning off and gave an eerie peaceful feeling. We took tons of pictures and once more people started to arrive we decided to head down into the Ruins. They were incredible the feeling I got walking around through and seeing everything that was created with just man power was indescribable. After about two hours we decided to hike the mountain of Machu Picchu, we made it to the entry gate. Although it was just Morgan and me, Matthias was nowhere in sight. I headed back down to find Mathias and he said to go without him he was not going to make it he was much too out of shape. (Later we found out it was that he was exhausted and had eaten something that didn’t agree and needed to find a bathroom) So Morgan and I huffed and puffed our way through the clouds, we couldn’t see anything it was socked in with clouds. The trail was all stairs, straight up with a few switch backs. It was so steep just straight up, we pushed ourselves to make it to the top and we were greeted with views of being inside of a cloud. We sat at the top with another 15 or so people waiting for the clouds to break to get a glimpse of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. After about an hour we were about to head back down, when the clouds started to break. Ten more minutes of waiting and we were rewarded by amazing views, I took tons of pictures all the way back down. By the time we made it back down the park was packed and so many people were walking around it was crazy like being at an amusement park.

        We were about to leave when we ran back into Matthias and we were all exhausted so we hiked back down all of the stairs. (If I never have to walk up or down stairs again I would be happy) Once we walked back down to the original gate we stopped and had a victory beer and it was awesome so pumped sharing pictures and so on. We headed back into town and got food and a well deserved nap. We headed out to get our train tickets, beer, and food. We played cards, ate dinner, and had a few beers. We got back to the hostel and Morgan was done he went to bed around 7pm. I happen to walk outside and saw tons of people in the square grabbed Matthias and walked down to the square. They were having a festival for the church. 3 hours we checked it out taking amazing photos; they were so excited to have their pictures taken. I took over a hundred pictures, and another 300 of Machu Picchu.

DAY-183

5/3/2012

I woke up very sore and walked around town looking for a cup of coffee before our train back to Cuzco. We jumped on the train and headed for Cuzco around 8:30am it was one tiny car section of the train and that’s it. It was a bumpy awesome train ride back; we checked out the views and played cards. We changed to another minivan for 4 bucks and headed the last 1.5hrs back to Cuzco. We arrived and I was ready for a hot shower and a nap. We decided to all meet up for a celebratory dinner consisting of Guinea Pig around 7 at the pub. We had a beer at the pub and headed to find our dinner. We found a place that served it but they wanted a lot, so one of the French guys we were with bargained them down and got us two free drinks; Pisco and Vino. We sat, drank, and ate Guinea Pig with two French, one German, and myself an American. We went back to the pub and had another pint then said our goodbyes and headed for bed.

This is the cheapest way I could figure out, although to make it cheaper you don’t take the train you take the same way back as you came with buses. Although I wanted to change it up and see different scenery on the way back.

Take a bus to Santa Mary ($6), got in a taxi with 3 others 4 bucks each, and made it to Hydroelectica. (Total of 8hrs of transportation) Walk 2+hrs down the train tracks to Aguas Calientes by 6:30pm, find a hostel with three beds in the room and shared it with another French guy Morgan for 6 bucks a night (2 nights). We got tickets for Machu Picchu and Mount Machu Picchu for 55 bucks or so. Woke up the next day and walked the stairs starting at 4:30 get to the gate by 5am when it opens and walk it takes 40-60min. Arrived at the Machu Picchu park right before 6am when they open being one of the first in to get great pictures and catch the sunrise before it turns into a zoo. We hiked the mountain and headed back to town but 1pm 7hrs in the park and by one the place is packed. We slept a second night (you can find cheapish food if you look hard in town). We decided we wanted a different way back so we decided on a train the cheapest train is at 8:30am for 36bucks so that is why we stayed two nights. (Night trains everyone takes is 60+ bucks) We woke up and took the train in the morning then bargained with a mini bus and got the 2hr ride back from the train station to Cuzco for 4 bucks. In total not counting cheap food we each spent: $115 give or take. You can do it cheaper if you go back the same with the buses for 8hrs instead of train and mini bus for a little under 4hrs and you get to see and experience new things. The bike would have been fun but paying for gas, parking, and leaving your bike in a random town was not to settling to me so I decided this path.