Our wakeup call came shortly after 4:30 a.m., but we were excited and getting up was no hardship. There are only two ways to get into Machu Picchu, namely hiking on the old Inca Trail (anywhere from 1 to 5 days, depending on where you join) or a 2 hour train trip from Ollantaytambo. Before we reached out destination the train stopped at one drop off point for the Inca Trail, which, after a 2000 foot climb, led along the high mountain ridge which paralleled the river. Needless to say were were taking the train. After a delicious breakfast, we met Vidal, our guide in the lobby of our hotel, and we walked to the train station which was about a 4 minute walk. Vidal is Hubert's older brother, and the owner of Adios Adventure Tours. We cannot say enough about how great he was as a guide, and all the arrangements he made were carried out perfectly. His family are Quechua, which are the original natives of Peru. He told us that the first time he hiked the Inca Trail as a porter, he had such a terrible experience that he decided he had to go to University, as he didn't want hiking that trail to be his fate in life. After graduating in law, he decided he didn't want to be a lawyer, so strangely he has ended up back on the trail, but this time not as a porter.
The train had windows in the ceiling and gave a great view for our trip through the valley. At this point in the landscape, the valley had narrowed to the river, and the mountains rose steeply on both sides, with the train following the river. With erosion, it is likely that they will in the future have to build a new track, which will not be easy.
We had been told prior to our arrival to dress in layers, from long underwear, to rain ponchos, and to be prepared for any kind of weather, from cold to very hot throughout the day. It is the rainy season here, but the Inca gods must have been shining on us, as our day was spectacular in all respects. We arrived in the small village at the base of the mountain, peeled off our unnecessary layers, storing them at a restaurant, and hopped on a bus that would wind up the switch-backed roads to the sacred city. Machu Picchu is the name of a mountain, and the city itself is entirely hidden until you are upon it. as it is surrounded on all sides by mountains. We were at the site by 8 a.m. and virtually by ourselves as the larger crowds didn't arrive till later in the morning. Peru limits the number of visitors to 2500 per day.
I am afraid that my descriptions of Machu Picchu will not do it justice, such is the magnificence of this place. Some of the old buildings which were used as warehouses, have been restored completely, with their thatched roofs so that one can picture how the city looked when it was inhabited. It was built sometime in the early 1400s and abandoned in about 1500, for reasons still not understood, but likely because of disease brought by the invading Spaniards. About 1300 people lived here. The site is quite intimate in size, most of the rooms being rather small. The stone work is probably the finest one will see, so expertly carved and laid. and still in perfect condition. In fact this stonework is visible all over this valley, and is still used as the foundation for modern buildings. The city was complete with the ability to harvest water, which was carried in aqueducts, even gathering the dew from small plants which was captured into the water drains. There was a wide gap between two staircases (see photo below) that initially no one could figure out why it had been left. Eventually, they have come to understand that there is a major earthquake fault that runs through the mountain, and this gap is over that fault, so that if there was an earthquake, the ground could shift without doing significant damage to the other foundations.
The terraced gardens are located in the middle of the city, spilling down the entire site. On the one side are the practical working buildings, and on the other side the temples to the sun god which was crafted from stones fit together so closely that not even a piece of paper could ft between them. There is even a room with an adjoining toilet, obviously the home of the most important person in residence.
Looking down on one area, Vidal pointed out that the urban planners had designed it in the shape of a lizard, and animal the Inca's admired. We spent about 5 hours hiking up and down the site, to the place that overlooked the valley on the other side of the mountain. I managed the altitude with no problem, although the climbing was not easy, but Barry had to take a few stops to catch his breath.
When we were finished we took the bus down, and spent a few pleasant hours having lunch at an outside restaurant, with the train running right in front of us, talking to Vidal and Juan, one of his guides. Juan is descended from the Incan king who ruled Cusco, and we thoroughly enjoyed his company, as we sat in the afternoon sun watching the people, and listening to the band that had set itself up on the sidewalk.
The train ride back to Ollantaytambo, featured a fashion show of Alpaca and Vicuna clothing, which was quite charming. Once back we picked up our luggage, and Eduardo was there to transport us all back to Cusco. We arrived about 8 pm. and we were so exhausted we decided to skip dinner. Our luxury hotel, the Liberador, had a gorgeous big bed and feather pillows that were just the answer to a long, amazing day. We had to be up for 4:30 again to catch our plane.
I hope you will enjoy these pictures of this very special place. We feel so privileged to have the opportunity to visit and to have had such great guides to tell us the stories of the Incas.
We are having trouble posting, so I will post the pictures in 2 separate posts following this description.
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