July 17th, 2015
As is often the way with organized tours and minibuses they are late picking us up and we are waiting outside of Atawkama hostel for almost 45 minutes longer than were supposed to be. We’re put on the street, Machu Picchu tickets in hand (purchased the day before in the Cusco office) Funnily enough it turns out it’s our fault, there was a mix up of addresses and while we got the street right the number was a little off. Luckily the people of Machu Picchu Express (60 soles roundtrip from Cusco to Hidroelectrica) are dogged in their search for us and soon they’re bringing us up out of our narrow colonial streets which make Cusco feel quite European and to their waiting and son to be full minibus taking a bunch of excited tourists one step closer to Machu Picchu.
Before we go further I think it’s time you meet the group who I’ll be experiencing South America’s top billed tourist attraction with. There’s lots of familiar faces, plus one new welcome addition, and while she could never hope to replace Andreas from the salt flats, Louise is her own person and she’s totally awesome and gives our 90’s pop band an even split between boys and girls, so I guess well start with her.
Meet Louise The felonious one.
Then of course there’s Rob, formerly the sexy one, now known as the willing one.
His girlfriend Bethan once called the crazy one now referred to as the tasty one. (her baking)
Ceci, once was angry but now could only be called the amusing accent one (vegetables)
Her Italian Beau Benjamin who I once described as the sensitive one but must now be called the sultry one.
And then of course there’s me, who was once the bad boy one but has since found the healing embrace of our lord and saviour Jesus Christ and can only be called the reformed bad boy now Christian altar boy one. Wow that was a mouthful. (That’s what the priest said). [sorry that was in poor taste] [Also what the priest said]
Oh and don’t forget Llama, the llama one.
And of course this women the Constipated but Enlightened one.
Okay now you know us, back to the story. Boarding the bus in Cusco we drive up and out of the mountains city on winding roads through the stunning green mountains and I am once again blown away by the Andes. After a few hours our driver stops at the mandatory tourist rest stop selling knick knacks and food. He informs us that while Machu Picchu is at less altitude than Cusco, we are about to go up through a pass more than 4000 meters in elevation, leading many people to buy the overpriced coco teas. I stick to Reese Cups, something I’ve been craving for a year and the Cusco region is just touristy enough to import them.
After briefly making friends with a hungry dog we climb back onto the mini bus and start what becomes a dramatic and somewhat frightening ascent, the switchbacks leading to the bus seeming like it’s about to drive right off a cliff before turning at the last instant. I’ve been on scarier roads, but not all that often.
We go for several long hours of blind passes on curvy roads which only get more terrifying on the stretch between Santa Maria and Santa Theresa where we finally pull in to have some lunch. The pop band chooses to go to one of the less frequented restaurants away from the ever growing swarm of gringos and enjoy an average almuerzo for 7 soles before climbing back on the bus for the final stretch. A little over an hour to the hidroelectrica plant where our hike is set to begin. We also pass an impressive waterfall, which while man made, makes me wish we could stop.
As we go deeper into the valley we pull over to a check point where each tourist has to register his or her arrival with passport number and other details before continuing on a final few minutes to the crowded hidroelectrica parking lot where I realize this backpacker path to Machu Picchu is a secret no longer. There’s hundreds of us and it’s kind of too bad, though not enough to ruin our group’s jubilance as we pile out of our minivan and start our 2.5 hour trek along the famous railroad tracks towards the town of Aguas Calientes.
The walk is no longer isolated what with all the people making it to Machu Picchu on a budget combined with any one whose opted for the 4 day Salkantay trek, but it’s still not too crowded to be very pleasant. The first 5 or ten minutes is uphill from the first set of tracks up to the third through lush forest and banana trees, front here on it’s a simple matter of walking along the train tracks and, if you’re brave laying a coin or two on them when one of the passing trains zooms by. A few friendly Chileans met among the tracks gave us this idea.
The path winds along a rushing and beautiful river through lush green forest, the mountains always looming in the distance beyond us. As we cross a steel rail bridge across the river we get our first glimpses of the still distant ruins of Machu Picchu atop the impressive mountains above us.
We continue along until I find a few streams running down into the river and forming small cascades. I haven’t been to a waterfall since Pucon in May which is a long time for me, so I wander in and beat the heat by ducking my head under the rushing water while Bethan and Louise patiently wait for me, the others having continued on ahead at a quicker pace.
Feeling better from the water we continue the walk, past a few drink stands and riverside tourist attractions, racing against the fading light of the later afternoon and meeting Rob Ceci and Ben at the end of the path along the trucks at the turn off for the city to Aguas.
We walk the last 20 minutes or so together and pull up into town, eager to shed our heavy packs and sit on some riverside benches. I’m thankful to Rob, Ceci and Ben as they go off looking for cheap accommodation for us while the rest of us guard our bags. I pass the time offering congratulatory Pringles to trekkers arriving after us, some seem weirded out but lots more take them gratefully. I sit there and contemplate the looming mountain in the distance, making a decision. The walk up looks daunting and while I’m sure I could do the 2 hour or so trek I’m also sure that after doing that I won’t have much energy left to explore Machu Picchu so I decide to take the bus up and walk down. It proves wise for me personally and gets me there before any of the trekkers.
Before long Ceci and Rob are back while Ben holds our dorm beds in Hospedaje Veronica a small but cozy place just off the tiny Plaza de Armas with dorm beds for 20 soles. The bathroom isn’t adequately cleaned but otherwise the place is comfortable enough.
I go to buy my bus ticket (13 USD) from the nearby ticket office to avoid the morning rush and then we go out to enjoy some pizza and drinks on a balcony above the Plaza de Armas. Halfway through our meal a festival erupts below us, all the locals suddenly dancing and bouncing around the Plaza de Armas in revelry, some wearing masks, some carrying balloon swords. Their energy is enviable and quite entertaining to watch though the two rock bands that set up on opposite sides of the plaza and seem to play against each other leave me with a headache before heading to an early bedtime.
Tomorrow’s going to start early. And it’s going to be amazing.
