JAN 16TH
- We expected the pick up to be at 7:30pm, but suprisingly the driver was early and picked us up at 7am. No matter... we didn't really care. But then we waited around for about 1.5hr looking for the other 2 people who were supposed to be coming with us. They never showed. So the driver, looking to make a few extra bucks, picked up some other travelers looking to head to MP.
- The road was very windy. And half way through, the paved part of the road stopped and we hit very bumpy dirt roads. I'm not one for getting car sick, but I definitely felt nauseous. Actually, one of the guys in the car had to get out a few times because he was sick. We finally arrived at the Hydro Electric plant, where we caught a train to Agua Calientes - a small touristy town on the edge of Machu Picchu. We were met by a tour rep named Christian who showed us to our very basic hostel at Hostel John (even the name sounds basic!). Then we met our guide Mike or Michelangelo to talk about our plans for the next day. MP opens at 6am. We could either take a bus at 5:30 or trek up there, leaving at 4:30am. We opted for trekking.
JAN 17TH
- Being the low rainy season, MP has been mostly cloudy and very rainy. But we woke up at 4am and there wasn't a cloud in the sky! We were so lucky, especially since it was pouring through the night. So we made our way in the dark, following other trekkers up a ridiculously steep hill. The trail was supposed to take 1.5hr... we did it in just one hour! Yea, baby! And we got there in time for the sunrise, which we couldn't really see unfortunately because a hazy cloud ended up showing it's head right over the sun. Argh.
- We waited in line for MP to open and then there was this mad rush to get inside and head straight towards the back of the ruins. We had heard that Waynapicchu, a small mountain next to MP, was an excellent place to view the ruins. But it's an even steeper hike, along narrow paths straight up, taking about 2 hours to do... and they only allow the first 400 visitors to go up. So hence, the mad rush. I followed, but knew I didn't want to... partly because I was tired and partly because hiking Waynepicchu also meant missing the guided tour with Michelangelo. Mark went though and said the view was absolutely magnificent... and he did the climb up in 40 minutes! Hi-5!
- I did the tour, which was well worth it. Loads of interesting factoids... one that is not Inca related... Peru, the 4th largest producer of cocaine, actually sells 140 tons of Coca (the plant that cocaine comes from) to Coca Cola annualy to this day. The company denies it, but apparently it still happens on the sly. Interesting... After Mark was finished with Waynepicchu, I gave him a mini version of Michelangelo's tour and then we just relaxed in the sun on a terrace over looking the main plaza of the ruins. Seriously breathtaking...
- But as all good things must come to an end, we made our way back down, caught the train back to the Hydro Electric plant, met our driver who again found other travelers for extra cash... and headed back to Cusco. The other travelers were actually quite interesting... 2 were an Austrian brother & sister duo and the brother serenaded us with a small South American guitar (forget the name of it). Another couple also on board was expecting a baby in 5 months time... and the girl was still trekking, doing some serious hikes. She was Malaysian and yes, she won the title of Best Asian that day. Wow.
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