So Far South: To Machu Picchu

Day 1

After uncountable switch backs thourough the high mountain passes the bus arrived at a peak of 4300 meters. Snowcapped mountains filled the background while green verticle walls fell into the valley below. Here clouds rose up from below untill they blended into a one big cloud blocking the sun. It was here that the bus dropped the eleven of us off with bikes and a helmets. At the first sharp turn a river crossed over the road and water splashed all over our feet. It was the first of many such occurances. For fifty five kilometers we zigzagged down the high slopes of the Andes. Waterfalls and rivers cut throught the lush vegetation that covered the terrain.

We arrived to our hostle and I shared a room with a Brazilian guy. After a cold shower in the cool mountain evening we all had a big dinner. In the group we had representatives from Israel, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Holland, The United States and our giude who was Peruvian. The rest of them ate guinea pig. Sorry Bunny if you read this. If it makes you feel better I ate an omlet.

Day Two

At five thirty it was downpouring. Luckily after an early breakfast it stopped and we continued out travels.We hiked along a dirt road, going upstream next to a muddy river. After we used a local plant to warpaint our faces we took a trail into the dense vegetation up the mountain side. Soon we arrived at a house where we bought drinks and played with the pet monkey and capico, a relative of the anteater. I was eating a chocolate bar when a woman placed the capico on my shoulder. Here he reached our with his long nose and stole the remaing part of my chocolate. We continued the tour throught banana, coffee, coca and mango fields.

We soon arrived on a section of the famed inca trail, a meter wide dirt and stone trail that clung to the face of the mountain cliffs. To one side a wall rose what seemed thousands of feet verticle into the skyand dissapeared into the clouds. On the other side it fell thousands more into valley below. You will never watch every step you make more carefully in your life.

We got off the cliff side after an hour or so and back into the fields and jungles. The heavy rains had created landslides and we had to have the local farmers give us detours because the usual paths were washed out. In parts we had to cross newly formed waterways where gray mud surrounded the narrow water channel. We arrived at a walking bridge like you might see in the movies. Two cables streatched over a river and held up a small wooden walkway. Through holes in the wood, class six rapids could be seen rushing below. After more trails through the jungle we arrived at a zip line with a two person basket attatched to a cable. Two at a time we crossed back over the river. In the middle gravity held us suspended over the water and people on the other side had to pull us across with ropes.

Just when we didnt think we could walk any more we walked out of the jungle. We had arrived at the hot water springs. Three large man made pools trapped water from flowing mountain side springs. In the middle of them a waterfall fell from the cliff above. we sat in the pools for an hour and were all wrinkly when we got out. It was a much needed stop after walking eighteen kilometers on cliffsides, over landslides and throught jungle mountainsides.

Day Three

Not much happened on the third day on our way to Machu Picchu. We mostly walked along we train tracks under rainy skys. The wet rails were uncomfprtable to walk on and after the two previous days we were beginning to get tired and sore. The uneven wet rail ties made the walk more difficult. There was no path on either side so this was the best way to go.

After lunch we walked for three hours this way and noone seemed to be having a great time. However it paid off when we arrived at the town below Machu Picchu. Nestled on the river between two giant green mountain sides the town came into view. Streatching between the two mountains was a rainbow directly over the town. While there was no pot of gold, hot showers and the best hotel room of the trip were under the rainbow. At that point it was worth more than the pot of gold. We had a big dinner and Peruvian flute bands played in the plaza outside the restuarant. Our spirts were lifted high after the miserable walk.

Day Four

Moonlight and fire flies illuminated the path up the mountain side to the lost city of the Inca Empire. The little bit of light refleted off the stone staircase. It cut straight throught the dirt road that had about a dozen switchbacks. Think of ten dollar signs stacked on top of each other. We went up the lind than cuts though the S. Every hundred steps or so we crossed back over the road.

At Six the sun was starting to light the sky. After waiting for a half hour the park was opened and we were allowed inside. We went straight across to another gate and lined up to get into Wayna Picchu. Only four hundred people a day are allowed to go up this mountain which rises over Machu Picchu. The trail to get to the top of Wayna Picchu is almost verticle. We arrived at the top when thr sun was rising over the mountain tops in the distance. From here we looked down at the Incan Ciy which was minaturized by the elevation. After five minutes or so the clouds rose up from the valley below and we no longer could see the city below. We had been in the first ten people to get to the top and were the only few to get to see the view.

After the trip to Wayna Picchu we decended back to Machu Picchu and took the tour. There were carving of Condors which is a symbolic bird of the Incas. It is said that they can fly to the coast and back in a single day to catch fish. It takes twenty one hours on a bus to go one way. There were also rooms where the sun would illuminate on the winter and summer solstices. In the newer part of the city they had perfected the stonework and the stones fit perfectly together without using morter. In the older part it was more rustic and the stone work was held together with mud.