Machu Picchu

Monday May 12th

We got up early for Machu Picchu. A 4.30 wake up call in fact. The hostel actually provided breakfast for us at that ungodly hour. Then we set of to get the first bus up to Machu Picchu. Jose, our guide had said we needed to be at the bus stop just before 5.15 to get the first bus. So at 5.14 we arrived, and got in the queue. We were only 10 from the front and so we were going to get on the first bus. Jose really was right though, by 5.17 if we had arrived we would have been on the third bus.

Anyway the ascent up to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientas is prtetty cool, another trademark South American switchback road. But it was pre-dawn and raining so the view was not as good. We were there before 6 and pretty high up in the queue (the people staying in the actual Machu Picchu hotel did get in the queue before the first bus arrived). Still thanks to Jose we actually got to a really good place for first light photos. Still it was quite cloudy when we arrived and we didn't think we would get many good photos, but then just before dawn the clouds parted and we were treated with the sight of Machu Picchu in all its glory. It was amazing.

After a while taking our postcard pictures, we headed off on a tour and had Jose explain everything to us. Like all our guides in Peru he knew his stuff. The only pity was that the weather began to close in on us again. The rest of the group wanted to climb Huayna Picchu, a hill overlooking the town that gives a great view normally, but I didn't think there would be much of a view with the weather, and so I just took a few photos of other bits and got Sara lost while looking for the exit. We eventually found our way back out, and got the bus back to town. We could have walked like most others, but it was too wet.

When we got back to the town we had the best bowl of soup I have had in a loing time. Probably because I was so wet. Got to say it wasn't the best day for seeing Machu Picchu but it was still great.

As we had got to Machu POicchu early we were heading back to Cusco early as well, on a train at 1.37. As we waited for it we began seeing our Inca Trail colleagues who had got there after we did and had now come down off the mountain. So we got a few stories swapped before we got away.

The train and bus journey home was intersting only for the fashion show that they gave us on the train. the steward and stewardess after giving out the snacks started dressing in all these llama or alpaca clothes and parading them up and down the train in order to get us to buy them. All the stewardess managed to get though was her photo taken 100s of time by a few dodgy looking Russians on the carriage. They were also the same guys who bumped into my back as I was taking a drink from my water bottle causing me to get the tiniest chip in one of my teeth.

When we got back to Cusco it was shower and shave time, followed b y a quick sleep. That evening the 6 of us from the Lares group arranged to have a group meal, and they kindly allowed me to bring along Clare and Paul who were also in town that night before they departed for the Sacred Valley. It was great seeing them and comparing notes since we last met in Santiago.

The night actually turned into quite a session. We met Jose in the Irish pub, and he dragged us off to a number of local clubs. Clare and Paul sensibly didn't get dragged beyond the Irish bar, they did have to get up early after all, and in the end the others from Lares did leave early as well. So in the end it was just the 3 from Kamuka Lares, Jason, the one person from the Kamuka Inca Trail who made it out when they got back (at about 10 to be fair) and Jose.

In the end we did do the 24 hour challenge, we got up at 4.30 am and we stayed out until 4.30 am.