Pachamama

First day we biked for most of the day 50km or something to a small town called Santa Maria. Got pretty soaked by the rain, wet roads, and crossing small streams going over the road rather than under? Apparently culverts are too difficult to install.

Next day, we woke up at 6 and had breakfast and embarked on a very long day.

We hiked from 7 am on an old inca trail finally ending at a hot springs (thankfully). It was quite a beautiful hike through the sub-tropical region of Peru. Humidity was up around 90%.

Near the end right before the hot springs we had to take a tram across the river, basically a basket connected to a rope that a guy pulled you across with..

The hot springs were a great way to finish the trek. Water was at around 32 degrees celsius. After spending an hour there we took a bus to our hostel.

The next day we woke up around 7 and had breakfast. Simple, omelette with bread, jam, butter.. Then loaded into a bus to cola de mono. We harnessed up and walked up to the top of this mountain and began the zip lining. There were 6 in total, 4 of those crossed the valley with a river below. Beautiful views and scenery as you are flying across the sky. It reminded me of the small zip line my dad had set up in our back yard in Santa Cruz. With tires at the end to stop you, but after it rained they would fill with water. We would always send the person who had never done it before first so they would get soaked by the tires full of water and empty them for the rest of us.

After zip lining we continued our journey towards machu picchu, only about 3 hours of hiking today.

We hiked along the train tracks until we arrived at machu picchu town, originally named aguas calientes. However, the government decided to change the name to machu picchu town. As we hiked along the train tracks you could see the edges of machu sitting nestled between two peaks.

The hostel that we stayed at that night was delightful compared to the others. A hot shower and wifi was the main attraction. Probably one of the best showers I've had in these last few months. Most of the other showers trickled warm water out and then was followed closely by the colder and colder water. Or my shower in Peru that was hot, but the electric shower head was broken so half of the water that came out was really hot, but the other half was freezing cold. Kinda nice once you got used to it. Anyways, took a nice long hot shower and relaxed in bed for most of the night aside for dinner.

The next day iain, me and one other guy hiked the final 1600 of the old incan steps up to the old ruins of machu picchu.

We woke up at 4 and were some of the first to queue up to begin the ascent.

It was a pretty dark climb since none of us had headlamps, but before long we had already arrived at the top waiting for the others to arrive in the bus. We were the only 3 out of 12 that decided to hike that day rather than bus it.

Our tour guide arrived a bit later and he began the explanations of this sacred place as he liked to call it.

I was definitely impressed by the amazing architecture, but also a bit sad at how many tourists were there. It almost seemed like Peru was over capitalizing on the achievements of their ancestors. The specialness was lost in the sea of people swarming all these sacred monuments. I'd hate to see the incas reaction to all these foreigners intruding on something they put so much time and effort in to.

But who am I to speak, I was there. Contributing to everything I'm bitching about right now. Taking pictures, being touristy... I guess it's a vicious cycle and a slippery slope. We are no better than the spaniards that came and physically destroyed everything the incas had accomplished. But rather we, tourists, are destroying it slowly..

There is a positive side i guess: the money that it brings in for the peruvian people. The small stands with water for twice or three times the price in regular supermarkets in the city. The entrance fee of $100.. The restaurants that serve the thousands of tourists. The tour guides, the bus drivers.. We are all helping stimulate there economy which is a good thing, in a country with so much poverty at least tourists can help in some way to aid in the improvement of that.

Anyways, I'm babbling.. Mostly kinda bored. On the bus back to Cuzco right now. 9:15 pm. We have 2 days to relax there and explore that area before nazca lines and sand-boarding in Ica. I'm hoping it's something like snowboarding?

 

So that's the story of my trek to machu picchu! The adventure continues my friends.

 

P.s. mom/dad: I could use some new socks when I get home? Early birthday/Christmas/hanukkah present? :)