ALLIE: DAY 80: Friday, 4th of
May
A day climbing around the ruins of the forgotten city ‘Machu Picchu’
the train to Machu Picchu |
We are up at 6, but like
yesterday there is nobody around to open the doors for us, left alone preparing
some coffee (as we had discussed). At least our taxi was in time and by 7.05 am
we board the ‘Vistadome Valley train’ to Aguas Caliente, the last station
before Machu Picchu.
The train is full of tourists (we didn’t expect anything
else for that prize) but at least it leaves on time and smart looking staff
serves us a sandwich and hot coffee.
The ride is spectacular: the railway
tracks wind along the steep ‘Sacred valley of the Inkas’ with cliffs rising as
tall as 6000 ft. We pass through thick jungle and follow a wild river downhill.
After 1 hr and 20 min we reach the ugly looking little town of Aguas Calients.
a truly spectacular sight! |
The train line used to run another further 20miles through this valley but it
was destroyed by El Nino in 1998 and since never rebuilt. So this is the end,
and from here we have to catch one of the many minibuses to take us up the
mountain to Machu Picchu.
Again paying money (12 US p/p),
then searching for the entry tickets which have to be bought in the town square
at the tourist office.
Another 40 US Dollars per person – that’s just
outrageous! If it wasn’t for the fact that one ought to see the place at least
once in a lifetime, I would have given it a miss by now!
The minibus ride takes 25minutes
and is a steep drive up the mountain (from 2050 up to 2432 m). And there they
are: the ruins of Machu Picchu in a gorgeous morning light. Fantastic! Nobody
has yet solved the mystery of this incredible dwelling even though many
archaeologists have worked here and it is now a UNESCO heritage site.
This ‘Shangri-la’ of an Inca city
was lost to the world for nearly 400 years until 1911 the 25year old Hiram
Bingham (1875-1956) came to discover the overgrown site with the help of an
8year old boy and some old documents. Hiram was a young dynamic American who
was fascinated by Inca culture and managed to raise funds from the University
of Yale.
how on earth did people build this? |
He led three expeditions to the jungle, initiated the idea of the
railway and collected archaeological findings in order to preserve and analyse
them. He died in 1956 after fighting as a pilot in WWI, being governor of
Connecticut and writing one of the most comprehensive books on Machu Picchu
called ‘The lost city of the Incas’.
But at the end of the 15th century around 2000 people
lived at this remote mountain and cultivated potatoes, barley, maize and
various vegetables. We discover a sign pointing to the ‘Inca bridge’ and decide
to do the side trip.
A very narrow path (part of the ancient Inca trail) winds
around the cliffs until it passes along a huge 2000meter steep and 1km wide
cliff.
Phil has done well to climb up here despite his vertigo |
That’s where the little wooden bridge is located, maybe as a form of
defence from intruders, but nobody really knows. Tourists are not allowed to
cross it – and you would be suicidal trying to! Poor Phil is already shaking
from Vertigo and we quickly return to the ruins.
A lot more tourists now, but
surprisingly no Germans! Lots of Italians, Americans and even Brits. We pass the
ceremonial and sacrificial sites, the living quarters and the garden site where
a few lama now function as environmental friendly lawn mowers.
endless terraces and walls |
By now I have
the crazy idea to climb up the 200meter steep mountain of Huayna Picchu, the
sacred mountain that protrudes in the background of the ruins and stands out on
every picture of the Machu Picchu.
This was called the ‘observatory of the
mountains and shrine of the stars’ and you wonder why anybody in the world
would voluntarily climb up such a steep and difficult hill if not for a most
religious or supernatural reason.
the railway chart leading to Machu Picchu |
Whoever these days wants to climb
up this hill has to sign in with name and passport number and only a 400 people
are allowed in per day (a strange rule that would only make sense if you limit
the number per hour). We start the climb and do not only have to battle the
steep steps and the heat but also the incredible number of other hikers
fighting their way back down.
Nature is beautiful here: we pass lots of orchids
and other colourful flowers on the way up and hear the chirping of exotic
birds. Still nothing can really distract you from the fact that this is a dam
steep path!
PHIL: Day 80/4 May
Back to Ollyantetambo for the early train to Machu Picchu . The only way
(other than a four-day hike) for tourists to reach the famous ruins is on the
‘Vistaliner’ observation coaches at prices clearly devised to reflect this
monopoly.
Machu Picchu in the early morning hours |
A ‘free’ snack and refreshment hardly makes up for this as we rattle
along the narrow tracks along the precipitous and serpentine valleys of the Urubamba River .
For some reason which is not
clear the train now stops at Agua Calientes, the station before Machu Picchu
itself, so a further sum is charged for the half-hour shuttle bus ride to the
entrance.
There are forms everywhere asking bfor visitors to vote for the
archaeological wonder in the ‘New Wonders of the World competition. We are
tempted to give Peru
top marks for fleecing tourists.
incredibly huge rocks. how did people ever move them? |
The quality of light on these elevated peaks (up to nearly 3000m)
gives stark contrast to the ancient walls and greensward between them.
Our first
foray is along the track towards the Inka (a spelling which seems to be
supplanting the former Inca as more ‘indigenous’) bridge, a perilously narrow
set of planks between two equally slim ledges set halfway up a 500m vertical
cliff face.We meet nobody except a lone Englishman who seems to be a former RAF
pilot from the Falklands (Malvinas) War era.
sacrificial stone |
She tries to
dissuade me form attempting the climb but I insist and we set off up an
increasingly vertiginous track.Right at the very top young backpackers (mainly
English and Irish) balance precariously on one foot with arms outstretched
whilst their friends take photos.
on our way back by train |
By this stage my vertigo has taken control
and I cling helplessly to the rock face, unable to look towards the sheer drop
to the river below where the railway train looks like a Hornby model. Allie
helps me to gradually descend and after two hours we are back amongst the ruins
having a cold Cuzquena beer.I feel very satisfied, however, to have conquered
this pile of rock despite its true inconsequence.
Back in Ollyantetambo later we pick one of many cafes around the square offering almost identical ‘carta touristica’. The girls running our chosen establishment promptly rush out to adjacent shops to buy ingredients for our orders. They don’t have a full bottle of the Chilean wine we order but make do by pouring one incomplete bottle into another and presenting it with streaks of spilt wine staining the label. There is a cold mountain wind blowing as we watch coach-loads of backpackers pass on their way from the train station to their hostelrias, weaving amongst the traditionally-dressed guides following the Inka Trail.
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