What you may not know is that there are multiple ways to get to Machu Picchu:
1) A comfy tourist train from Cuzco to a town just below Machu Piccu, where you take a bus up to the ruins.
2) A 4-day, nearly 40 kilometer hike over 12,000 ft mountain passes, past ruins, on the same stone paths taken by the Incas – arriving with a spectacular view of a sun-rise over Machu Picchu from the Sun-Gate (space fills up weeks or months in advance because limited numbers are allowed on the trail at one time)
3) Several alternative trails with beautiful scenery, all of which end near Machu Picchu, where you can take a bus up from town on your final morning.
When we read these options, #2 had adventure, Incan intrigue, and our names written all over it. We signed up right when we arrived in Peru – in early October – but the first available slot was November 14th!
History of Machu Picchu: First, a little background on Machu Picchu, in case you’re interested. It was built around 1462, but there is no conclusive story as to exactly what it was during the Incan times. It seems to have been abandoned even before the Spanish arrived in the mid 1500’s. It obviously had religious importance (stonework differs according to the type construction), and it may have been a sacred retreat for the elite of Incan society.
It sits atop the ridge of a mountain above the Urubamba river valley (approximately 8000 ft above sea level) and has more stairs spiraling up to a perch of a mountain peak above the complex. The entire Machu Picchu complex is a maze of residences, terraces, temples, and courtyards. It was a small city when in use, but it probably did not have enough farm land to support itself. Instead, some supplies where probably brought in from nearby villages and farms.
The city was not known to westerners (although local farmers nearby were aware of the ruins) until the early 1900’s. Although a few others claim earlier discovery dates, a Yale history professor named Hiram Bingham (a real life Indiana Jones!) brought the site international attention with an expedition there in 1911.
Our Journey on the Inca Trail:
Day 1: We began at a place name “Kilometer 82” – which refers to distances on the railroad track from Cusco to the town of Machu Picchu (also known as Aguas Calientes). Here is a picture of our group (about 26 people from all over world – including S. Africa, Argentina, Peru, U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, England, and Sweden.)
The first step of the journey was crossing the swinging bridge across the Urubamba river. Here’s Chad on the bridge:
Hiking the first day was pleasant and easy. I think they were getting us ready for the 2nd day, which would be a tough ascent of over 4000 feet to Dead Woman’s Pass (at 13,830 ft above sea level. It’s named not for actual deaths at the pass but because of its shape like the profile of a sleeping woman from a distance). Altitude sickness is always a big worry, so Kari and I had a plan to drink lots of water and to pace ourselves. (ok, this plan was for me *Chad*. Kari ran a marathon last year and understood how to take a long, tough trek slowly, step by step. I still have a race-horse instinct in me and need to be reigned in before burning out).In our group there was at least one porter for each tourist, and these local men carried extremely heavy bags (over 60 lbs) ahead of us to set up camp and prepare our dinner (yes, this was luxury camping). We felt a bit guilty at first, but man was it nice! Plus, they earned good wages by helping us. Here’s a picture of the porters running (yes, with sandals on) to our camp for the first night:
Here's a picture of our tents, which they set up for us each afternoon before we arrived to camp:
Day 2: The second day began early, about 5:30 AM. Anytime in the last year when we climbed stairs or hills together, we always jokingly chanted to ourselves, “Machu Picchu, Maccu Picchu”. Chad was gung-ho and ready to make the accent:
It was fascinating to us that the stairs were the same stones placed there by the Incas. Here’s Chad climbing on the rocky Inca stairs to “Dead Woman’s Pass”:
Once we reached the top of the pass, we reveled at the amazing scenery, took some photos together and looked back down at the busy highway of people coming up towards us:
That night we again enjoyed our camp and meals from our amazing porters. The meals were delicious for being out on the trail. We had a “happy hour” with pop-corn and kool-aid, then dinner with soup, either chicken or fish, plus vegetables, potatoes, and rice.
Our group was lots of fun, and before and after dinner we sang songs and told stories. The leader of the singing was a Mexican-American man named Geraldo. He got everything started singing Mexican ballads. The Argentineans followed in force with their own songs. There were only three Americans, and after lots of pressure and haggling we sang our own songs – beginning with “Take Me Out to The Ball Game”.
The friendships we made on the trail with our group were special. The Argentineans particularly were very friendly, and we left the trip with several email addresses of residents of Buenos Aires insisting that we contact them to visit when we reach Buenos Aires. Here’s a picture of our group in the dinner tent:
Day 3: Day 3’s hike didn’t climb as dramatically, but it was long with a couple of ups and lots of downs. The downs were actually tougher on us because they hurt our joints (Kari’s knee and Chad’s back).
We were rewarded with some spectacular scenery and Incan ruins during the day.
It was a lot of fun having 4 guides with us because they were able to describe the ruins and answer our questions. One temple had been a sanctuary for mummies of Inca rulers, important priests, and other key figures. They were a lot smaller than Chad, as he found out trying to squeeze into one:
The Incas created agricultural terraces out of necessity since the amount of farm land in the valleys was limited. Terraces allowed them to farm on hill sides without eroding away all of the dirt. The terraces were as impressive in terms of engineering as many of the buildings, because they also have withstood earthquakes and over 500 years of weather and wear. The terraces were everywhere in Inca territory, but these in particular where impressive.
Incan Terraces from Chad Carson on Vimeo.
After a long day's descent we finally caught view of our campsite:
Day before Machu Picchu from Chad Carson on Vimeo.
Day 4: Final Ascent to Machu Picchu
We got up extra early and hit the trail about 5:15. The walk from our campsite to the Sun Gate overlooking Machu Picchu was still an hour or two. Here’s a picture as we began our last day’s hike:
We finally arrived about 7:00 in the morning at the Sun Gate. Kari and I snapped a picture with Machu Picchu in the background (I of course insisted on the Clemson Tiger Paw flag to show my true colors!)
We walked another hour from the Sun Gate to the actual ruins of Machu Picchu. Here are the proud travelers above the city:
Our guides gave us a detailed tour of the entire complex. Carlos, in the photo below, was particularly passionate and interesting. I’m sure no tour guide is 100% accurate with all of his explanations, but the fact that each guide has their own stories, passions, and opinions about the complex makes the tour even more interesting. Carlos in particular got heated talking about the “damn” Spaniards and their arrogance during the conquest. He was particularly proud of the culture of the Incas.
It’s sad to say, but we were so exhausted by the end of the official tour that we didn’t do a lot of exploring on our own. When the group disbursed, we found a comfortable rock with a view, and we collapsed and soaked in the ambience for a couple of hours. What a magical journey!
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