Finally! Machu Picchu!
**warning - this is a very long entry**
I think I had been asleep for only two hours when our alarm went off at 4:30. We were out the door by 5 and off to the train station. We waited in line a really long time to pick up our train tickets. I had no idea the train station would be so busy at 5 am on a Sunday morning. Where was everyone going?
We went to the luggage storage only to find out it isn’t really a luggage storage place. They pointed again, this time we saw a blue sign in the street beyond the train station that said luggage storage.
We hurried back to the bus stop because we didn’t want to miss the bus and we didn’t know how many buses they’d have. Turns out we didn’t need to worry. There was a long line of people but there was also a long line of buses. A very smart woman was selling sandwiches at the line so we didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg up at Machu Picchu for lunch, so we took her up on her offer. We got on a bus and began the windy road up the mountain. I was warned about how scary this ride was with all the switchbacks and drop offs.
We got dropped off at the end of a long line at the entrance. A few people ahead of us had hiked up and you could see the steam rising off their sweaty clothes. Yeah, glad we took the bus. We wandered through the gate and had an immediate decision to make: go straight ahead or take the longer, uphill route. Of course our over-achieving group took the flat, shorter route. We got our first glimpse of Machu Picchu and it was not the view I was expecting. Where is that postcard view? Since we worked so hard standing in line and riding the bus, our group felt it was necessary to sit on the bench for a while and read from the guidebook.
The guidebook informed us that the postcard view that I was expecting was up the longer route (of course!) so I insisted we go up there. And it was worth it. It was amazing to see. I got my photo taken (for my Christmas card) and decided that I was happy and content to do whatever anyone wanted to do. We opted not to get a guide (no surprise there, but really??). We wandered around the ruins eavesdropping on other guides. Why can’t we for once just get a guide?
We had met a woman in the café in Cusco that told us she was “amazed at number of ways you could plummet to your death” at Machu Picchu.
We saw some cool things that I need to do some post-trip research on. We found ourselves over by the guard shack for the Wayna Picchu hike. Only 400 people a day are allowed to do this hike and we wanted to make sure we were four of them. I tried to crane my neck up to see the top of Wayna Picchu. What are we thinking? That’s a mountain! The line moved a little slowly because we had to sign in and surrender our food products. Food wasn’t allowed at Machu Picchu in general, but most people brought some anyway.
Off we went. The trail started going downhill then uphill, then back downhill. Once we hit Wayna Picchu, it was all stone steps all uphill. These were some pretty good sized steps, too. I didn’t think I was going to make it. I was so out of breath and had to keep resting after so many steps. Fortunately, so did most people. We went up and up and up. Still more steps. Near the top we hit some terraces and ruins. We stopped to rest at a flat area and were amazed at the view of Machu Picchu from here.
I still wasn’t at the top yet, so I climbed up some more steps and then a wooden ladder and then I was at the top! Almost. I just had to climb up on one big rock and there I was! At the top of Wayna Picchu! So very cool! Great view, too. I somehow lost everyone in my group and no one around me was speaking English so I had to enjoy my moment of glory by myself. Wow, what a tough hike. But I think Long’s Peak in Colorado was harder, mainly because of the altitude. But still, this was pretty awesome. I began to feel some glares because I was taking up the “high point” so I got down off my rock and worked my way back down. There was no easy way down. I basically slid down a sloped rock and caught myself before tumbling off the edge of the mountain.
**still reading? need a bathroom break? here's the midpoint J**
It was so peaceful and quiet and amazing and then BEEP! (talk talk talk in Spanish) BEEP! Stupid Nextel phones. Why would you come to Machu Picchu, climb Wayna Picchu and then make a phone call from the top of it! I wanted to strangle the guy.
Finally Sara and Amanda appeared and we worked our way down. Or at least I did. I guess they decided to sit and rest again or do whatever it is they do all the time. I kept on going. I knew Steph was ahead of me and thought I’d try to find her. I went down a bunch of really narrow steps. I actually had to hold on to the terrace walls behind me so I wouldn’t fall down the steps. My foot was bigger than each step and I have really small feet. But that sure makes the hike more exciting, knowing you can fall to your death at any moment! Once I got off the terraces and ruins, it was back to those big blocky steps.
I found Steph at the trail break to the Great Cave. So we sat and waited for the other girls to catch up. I assume they knew we were ahead of them because I don’t know how you can possibly move that slowly when hiking and I certainly wasn’t going back UP to look for them. I guess they were taking in the sights but maybe they forgot they wanted to do the hike to the Great Cave and we didn’t have all day. Eventually they caught up to us and we continued on. We were getting a little low on water (and empty on food) but decided to keep hiking. The trail continued going down stone steps - yay! And then it went up stone steps… And then it went down many, many steps, maybe two hundred thousand of them.
We finally came to the Great Cave, also known as the Moon Temple. It was very cool - a bunch of Inca blocks set inside a cave to make little rooms. I parked myself on the couch (carved in a big rock) and reclined. It was quite comfy. I would come here to be alone and worship my astrology gods when the view from my window at my Machu Picchu home got old. Or at least I would have if I had lived here 500 years ago.
My legs were really tired and I had no idea how we were getting back.
We did it! When we signed out, we saw that we had been on our hikes for almost 5 hours! The sign said it was 2 and a half hours with the Great Cave hike, but as Amanda pointed out, we’re below average hikers ;) Wow! At least we got our food back.
We were so fortunate to have a musician play for us on our bus ride back down the mountain. Too bad I didn’t have any change to give him. We got back to town and collected our bags. We were pleased (and surprised) to find them untouched and safe. We took them to the train station, even though we were plenty early, and sat in the bar area. Whew, what a long and exhausting day and we still had a 4 hour train ride to Cusco!
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There is another, smaller cave slightly farther down. There is supposed to be a trail that comes off the back side of Huayna Picchu but we couldn’t find it. The trail we took that branched off the main trail is longer than this hidden trail.
Make sure you have enough water here because it is warmer and stickier in this lower elevation. It’s also a good idea to have eaten before you do this hike and the Huayna Picchu hike. This temple was really neat to see even though it was a lot of work hiking this trail immediately after Huayna Picchu without water or food.
From the main entrance, hike up the steps and switchbacks to see the main postcard view of the entire complex. Arrows guide you as you wander the ruins but guides are also available to give you more information. Its best to get there early in the morning before the Cusco crowd arrives. You can see agricultural terraces, the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Three Windows, fountains, sacred stones, and residences. If you have the time and money, a guide is recommended. If you prefer to spend more time hiking Huayna Picchu, the mountain behind Machu Picchu, you might not have enough time to do both.
The ruins are well preserved and the building stones fit together extremely well. The terraces have drainage built in so when they were discovered they were in remarkably good shape. Some of the ruins are undergoing reconstruction but you are free to wander around most of the complex – just don’t cross the roped off areas. Make sure to bring plenty of water because it is expensive to buy water on site.
You must buy your ticket to Machu Picchu in Cusco or Aguas Calientes before you go to Machu Picchu. The ticket is S/138 for adults, cheaper for students with ID, and they only accept cash in Soles.
The hike begins at a gate near the Sacred Rock. You sign in and out. They go through your daypacks and confiscate any food items you brought. However, they do number them and you can get them back after your hike. This is to reduce the amount of litter on the trail. Make sure to bring plenty of water – a half liter bottle is not enough.
Huayna Picchu also has some terraces and ruins of buildings on top of the mountain. It is quite amazing to see the ruins and to see Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu. The guidebook says the Huayna Picchu hike takes 1-2 hours but they don’t take into account the many rest breaks and time to wander the ruins once you get there. The trail to the Moon Temple is a side branch off the trail to Huayna Picchu. This adds another 1-2 hours.
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