Peru Part II: Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu

Sweaty, from the top of Montana. 

From Cusco, we took a cab to the Inca Rail train station in Ollantaytambo that would take us into Aguas Calientes. Sunday might as well have been designated Transport Day, as we made our way towards Machu Picchu via plane(s), taxi cab and train.

Our chariot awaits.

After a somewhat bumpy train ride, we arrived at Aguas Calientes.  I enjoyed my first shower in at least two days before we headed out to look for food.  If you've ever been to Little Italy on a slow day, you'll understand our frustration at being hard sold time after time into empty restaurant after empty restaurant.  Finally, one lucky lad wore us down and we settled in for some mediocre tourist food.  At least we had our first piscos of the trip though.

First piscos in Peru.  Not the last appearance
of the giant camera.

Sopa a la minute.  I've had worse.
But not on purpose.

At the crack of dawn the next day, we set off for Machu Picchu.  In addition to viewing the ruins, we planned to hike up Machu Picchu Montana, a hike that would take us over 10,000 feet above sea level, and provide us with wonderful views of the Machu Picchu citadel.   There are actually two main hikes at MP, Montana and Huayna Picchu.  Huayna Picchu is the more popular hike, and probably more technical, but Montana is the longer hike and takes hikers higher above the ruins. Only a few hundred are allowed to hike either trail each day, so we booked our tickets well in advance of the trip.

5 am breakfast.  I would
later regret not eating more.

In order to avoid crowds and the strong Andean sun, we booked tickets for the first bus to MP.  Although Aguas Calientes is only a short bus ride from MP, we still needed to be up by 5 am for breakfast.

Aguas Calientes.  Reminded me a lot of
a town in Norway along the Flam railway.  And Andorra.

Once we got to Machu Picchu, bypassed the crowds meandering through the ruins and found our way to the trailhead.  The first 20 feet of 'bypassing the crowds' nearly had me throwing in the towel.  The altitude, combined with my complete lack of fitness and the nearly 2 feet rise of each stone step knocked me on my out-of-shape behind.  But, I'd prepaid my hike entry fee and I wasn't about to waste it.

There's MORE of this?

J and I hiked together for about two minutes before he booked it on ahead of me.  The steps were unrelenting: sometimes cobblestones, and other times uneven blocks, but seemingly endless.  As I huffed and puffed and contemplated my life as I labored solo, I wondered if I'd ever see the top of this mountain.  While I stopped at least 10 times to drink water, snack, and curse my lack of preparation, I found my way to the top 85 minutes after my start time.

85 minutes after my start.

Who says clip-on aviators aren't cool?

After we summited, we began the descent, which took me almost as long as the ascent.  My back and knees were not happy, and the sun was now beating down on us with no mercy.  Also merciless were the tour groups milling around the ruins. J managed to get in a few shots, and I free-vesdropped on a few tour guides, but I was ready to be out of the sun and out of my hiking boots.

Machu Picchu ruins with Huayna Picchu in the background.