View Larger Map
(For more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu)
Not sure how, but Woody finally got a chance to tell us a good long story...sit back and read this one out loud around the dinner table...there's no need for my editorializing. i don't want to ruin the moment for anyone.
"well deahl, i made it to machu picchu. it all started yesterday, as i had spent the night in the pueblo of santa teresa (where there are perhaps the greatest thermal pools in the entire world, save perhaps, iceland from what i heard today) and drove to the hydroelectric plant and the end of the road. from here it is a two or two and a half hour hike, following the train tracks up the river to the tourist oriented town of aguas calientes, in the valley below machu picchu. it was a beautiful walk. i kept on remembering that i was on my way to machu picchu! a world away. i got into aguas calientes with plenty of time to hunt down a $7 hotel, with hot water. it was a mistake. screaming children and loud-talking mothers, and a hallway light that i could read by, shining through the transom.
you see, there are only 400 people a day that are allowed to hike up waynapicchu, which is the northern peak above the ruins of machu picchu. i read that 1000 people visit each day, so there are many who do not get the chance to climb. i had heard varying reports on it--some say it is entirely worth it, and others say that it is too crowded and not to bother. i figured that i would give myself the option. the gates open at 6am, and from there you have to cross the ruins in the pre-dawn to the waynapicchu checkpoint in order to get a ticket to climb. buses start running up the mountain sometime around 5:30 a.m. perhaps, but to be first you have got to walk, which means climbing straight up the mountain, cutting directly through the swatch-back road. because there is so much traffic, i imagine, they have built stone steps the entire way up, making it a bit easier, but also a bit tough on the buttocks and quads. many people begin from aguas calientes at 4:30 a.m., as it is over an hour hike at a solid, long-striding clip. i decided to make a morning of it, getting up at 3:15 a.m. to brew some chai tea for the sunrise, and leaving at approximately 3:35 a.m. it was dark, of course, and cloudy, but with the half-moon there was enough light to walk without a lamp, which made it all the more fantastic. to reach the trailhead it is a 20 minute hike down the road, then begin the climb.
by 4:15 i was drenched in sweat with another half hour to go. ah yes, also i decided to bring my full pack up with me, with clothes, cook kit, etc., etc., and a rock for mom. my thought was that i would return to santa teresa at the end of the day, and by carrying my pack i would not have to return to aguas calientes just to retrieve it, turn around and walk in my footsteps....anyway it was all unnecessary in the end, but the 30 pounds on my back made the walk up extra special.
when i arrived at the gate it was all dark and there was a solitary figure sitting on the steps. i was number 2. i had thought that there would be throngs already squeezing and pinching and pushing. number one was quiet, listening to music with his eyes closed and hat pulled low--not a great conversationalist from the onset. shortly after me, arrived numbers 3, 4 and 5. unfortunately for all, number 4 was a rather loud and unpleasant man from israel, and number 3 was a nice guy from denmark who had been hiking for 5 days with number 4, and who, understandably, was rather tired of number 5´s company. more continued to arrive sporadically, and somewhere within the next 15 arrivals, came most of the rest of the same trekking group which number 3 and number 4 belonged to. for the next 35 minutes i listened, with little interest, to the dramas of the trek. above anything else it made me glad that i did not sign up to walk with strangers for 5 days.
it is unfortunate, this trekking business in peru, as much of the time you are required to go through an agency, have a guide, and pay outrageous amounts of money to walk in the mountains. as the lines grew and the guards prepared to open the gates, i realized, with much concern and uneasiness, that everyone around me had their tickets in hand. i had no ticket. a ticket into machu picchu costs $41, which is ridiculous. however it is worth it and i suspect that the prices will continue to skyrocket, as people will continue to pay, whatever the price. fortunately, my spanish has improved and i was able to talk my way through the gates and to the ticket booth and pack storage, all before they officially opened the gates, thus not losing my hard-earned number 2 spot. whew. relief. i had feared that they were going to tell me i had to return to the village to buy a ticket.....
once they opened the gate the rush was on. it was light enough to see, but the way to the second ticket booth for waynupicchu is not too well marked, perhaps as entertainment, as the path leads you through a maze of terraces and buildings, often unsuredly, to the north end of the ruins. walking through in the early light, i felt transported. i was walking in the picture which i had been seeing since i was a kid--and it was real. i was really there, truly walking through the ruins of machu picchu. we found our way to the waynupicchu gate, and i had retained my number 2 spot. from there it was a 45 minute wait until all the tickets were handed out, only then did the gate open. i liken it to the start of a dogsled race--each person must sign in, which takes maybe 45 seconds, and only one can sign in at a time, thus creating 45 second intervals between hikers. this hike is an hour hike, once again with steps, only these are really old and were built for little incans. they are steep like none other--more like a ladder in places--absolutely incredible engineering.
drenched in sweat for the second time of the day, i was close to the top and the trail split in two. i went straight and arrived at the top just as number 1 did, as he took the other route. we had made the climb in 35 minutes. each of us put claim upon a rock and got comfortable. the next 15 minutes had little traffic and may have been the most incredible of the whole day, i am not sure. the top of waynupicchu has limited space and only a few rocks on which sitting is comfortable and affording a view of it all. the top of the valley. machu picchu. did i tell you that i was at machu picchu today!? i sat on that rock for 3 hours. i will not try to explain what it was like--nor the rest of the day. i spent 10 hours wandering around, sitting, talking to the danish number 3. i even took a half hour nap on my own private terrace. all day i was in partial disbelief. all day i had a bit of a goofy grin on my face and a little extra enthusiasm in my voice as i greeted every single person i met going up or down. the whole day was, well, incredible. i am still smiling, even close to tears as i realize where i am and what i have blessed to experience."
Told you it was good...
you see, there are only 400 people a day that are allowed to hike up waynapicchu, which is the northern peak above the ruins of machu picchu. i read that 1000 people visit each day, so there are many who do not get the chance to climb. i had heard varying reports on it--some say it is entirely worth it, and others say that it is too crowded and not to bother. i figured that i would give myself the option. the gates open at 6am, and from there you have to cross the ruins in the pre-dawn to the waynapicchu checkpoint in order to get a ticket to climb. buses start running up the mountain sometime around 5:30 a.m. perhaps, but to be first you have got to walk, which means climbing straight up the mountain, cutting directly through the swatch-back road. because there is so much traffic, i imagine, they have built stone steps the entire way up, making it a bit easier, but also a bit tough on the buttocks and quads. many people begin from aguas calientes at 4:30 a.m., as it is over an hour hike at a solid, long-striding clip. i decided to make a morning of it, getting up at 3:15 a.m. to brew some chai tea for the sunrise, and leaving at approximately 3:35 a.m. it was dark, of course, and cloudy, but with the half-moon there was enough light to walk without a lamp, which made it all the more fantastic. to reach the trailhead it is a 20 minute hike down the road, then begin the climb.
by 4:15 i was drenched in sweat with another half hour to go. ah yes, also i decided to bring my full pack up with me, with clothes, cook kit, etc., etc., and a rock for mom. my thought was that i would return to santa teresa at the end of the day, and by carrying my pack i would not have to return to aguas calientes just to retrieve it, turn around and walk in my footsteps....anyway it was all unnecessary in the end, but the 30 pounds on my back made the walk up extra special.
when i arrived at the gate it was all dark and there was a solitary figure sitting on the steps. i was number 2. i had thought that there would be throngs already squeezing and pinching and pushing. number one was quiet, listening to music with his eyes closed and hat pulled low--not a great conversationalist from the onset. shortly after me, arrived numbers 3, 4 and 5. unfortunately for all, number 4 was a rather loud and unpleasant man from israel, and number 3 was a nice guy from denmark who had been hiking for 5 days with number 4, and who, understandably, was rather tired of number 5´s company. more continued to arrive sporadically, and somewhere within the next 15 arrivals, came most of the rest of the same trekking group which number 3 and number 4 belonged to. for the next 35 minutes i listened, with little interest, to the dramas of the trek. above anything else it made me glad that i did not sign up to walk with strangers for 5 days.
it is unfortunate, this trekking business in peru, as much of the time you are required to go through an agency, have a guide, and pay outrageous amounts of money to walk in the mountains. as the lines grew and the guards prepared to open the gates, i realized, with much concern and uneasiness, that everyone around me had their tickets in hand. i had no ticket. a ticket into machu picchu costs $41, which is ridiculous. however it is worth it and i suspect that the prices will continue to skyrocket, as people will continue to pay, whatever the price. fortunately, my spanish has improved and i was able to talk my way through the gates and to the ticket booth and pack storage, all before they officially opened the gates, thus not losing my hard-earned number 2 spot. whew. relief. i had feared that they were going to tell me i had to return to the village to buy a ticket.....
once they opened the gate the rush was on. it was light enough to see, but the way to the second ticket booth for waynupicchu is not too well marked, perhaps as entertainment, as the path leads you through a maze of terraces and buildings, often unsuredly, to the north end of the ruins. walking through in the early light, i felt transported. i was walking in the picture which i had been seeing since i was a kid--and it was real. i was really there, truly walking through the ruins of machu picchu. we found our way to the waynupicchu gate, and i had retained my number 2 spot. from there it was a 45 minute wait until all the tickets were handed out, only then did the gate open. i liken it to the start of a dogsled race--each person must sign in, which takes maybe 45 seconds, and only one can sign in at a time, thus creating 45 second intervals between hikers. this hike is an hour hike, once again with steps, only these are really old and were built for little incans. they are steep like none other--more like a ladder in places--absolutely incredible engineering.
drenched in sweat for the second time of the day, i was close to the top and the trail split in two. i went straight and arrived at the top just as number 1 did, as he took the other route. we had made the climb in 35 minutes. each of us put claim upon a rock and got comfortable. the next 15 minutes had little traffic and may have been the most incredible of the whole day, i am not sure. the top of waynupicchu has limited space and only a few rocks on which sitting is comfortable and affording a view of it all. the top of the valley. machu picchu. did i tell you that i was at machu picchu today!? i sat on that rock for 3 hours. i will not try to explain what it was like--nor the rest of the day. i spent 10 hours wandering around, sitting, talking to the danish number 3. i even took a half hour nap on my own private terrace. all day i was in partial disbelief. all day i had a bit of a goofy grin on my face and a little extra enthusiasm in my voice as i greeted every single person i met going up or down. the whole day was, well, incredible. i am still smiling, even close to tears as i realize where i am and what i have blessed to experience."
Told you it was good...
No comments:
Post a Comment