My own Inka trail, part II
Yeah!!! finally Machu Picchu!!! It was hard to get here but WOW it´s so worth it! I understand why it is now a wonder of the world! It was one of the holiest and most secret temples for the Inkas where only 2 or 3 people from every villages were allowed to come in absolute secret to make offerings and pray. Machu Picchu, “Old Peak” in Quechua, it is a sancatuary for duality and a place to honor the Pacha Mama, mother earth.
It was never found by the Spanish, thank God, and it was abandoned around the 1500 A.D.. When it was rediscovered in 1911 it was covered and hidden in the jungle.
So back to the story, yes I walked all the way up. The road the bus takes is longer than the one you hike and it´s really funny to see little kids dressed in “traditional” clothes, like the one you see above, running all the way down to Aguas Calientes on the short way waving and screaming to the bus at every junction, so at the end of the road the tourist give them some money. Ancient ruins = Business.
I tried to talk my way in, using every charm I possess but it was impossible to even get a smile. I had to pay the student fee US$20 (non students US$40 and for what I have heard from next year on and because it´s now a wonder of the world US$ 100!!!)
Talking about the new wonders of the world, and I don´t mean to be an ass, my lovely Sombrero has been to 4 in the last 10 months isn´t that great!!
I won´t say much about the “ruins”, 75% is still originial, because I think no words are enough to describe what you feel when you see it for the first time and the feeling of peace and respect you feel for something so majestic.
I spent the whole afternoon exploring and living Machu Picchu, then when the sun set it was time to walk down.
Next day again early in the morning the journey started again. The train cost US$70 to Cuzco one way, and I wasn´t gonna pay that ridiculous rate.
Someone had told me you could walk on the tracks of the train to the kilometer 82. Now Aguas Calientes is on the kilometer 110, that meant 30 Km!! They said it´d take me 6 hours. Right then.
It took me 9 hours!!!! My legs were burning, my feet blistered. The first two hours I was doing 5 Km per hour but after that you are too tired to keep the pace up and apart from the tiredness you are walking on the track and there is no other path, so you either have to walk on the gravel (that kills the soles of your feet) or over the sleepers (palos de madera) that are never at an even distance, so you are either jumping from one to the next one or you are walking like a Geisha! Damn!!
Finally at the F@#$ing kilometer 82, I saw the most ironic sign I could ever see, especially after all the walking,
From there on a road was ready to be taken on a microbus that drove us to Ollantaytambo in 45 minutes and for US$ 0.80. From there another one to Urubamba (30 minutes and US$ 0.30) and from there a normal bus to Cuzco (2 hours US$ 1), where I arrived completely wrecked after 14 hours of continous traveling and very little food
Worth it? Absolutely! And I would do it again. Don´t do the tour save your money.
I like my way, Simon´s way! 🙂
Tags: Cuzco, Inka, Machu Picchu, Peru, Simon Uribe, Travel
simonuribe@yahoo.com
Wow, great story and photos! I just found your blog through BootsNall. We’re headed to South America next year, and will definitely keep your advice in mind – thanks for sharing. Hope your feet feel better!
So impressed!
Simon, I love your photos. And your blog. Such a great story. I hope you eat well and get some rest!
Calleeeeessseeeeee, que tal el sitio, noooooo.nrQue delicia sus fotos.nrjuicio, nrcoma mijo que se ve muy flaquito.nrnrNicolas
Hell yes…! I’m so proud you did it your way, even though it hurts sometimes. 🙂
ahora estoy en cuzco y alla voy padrino, gracias por los tips…
saludos.