Day 28 - 30 / Machu Picchu

We should be at the agreed meeting point for the van that was supposed to pick us up at 7:10 am. According to South American time, that means it comes at 8:00 am.

After a 7-hour drive and two meal breaks, we arrived at Hydroelectrica, the last place with road access before Machu Picchu. From there, we walked 10 km along the railroad tracks to Aguas Calientes.

This place solely relies on Machu Picchu tourism and you can definitely tell. There are hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and most importantly, a lot of tourists everywhere.

We initially stayed a night there and then started our journey to Machu Picchu on foot at 4:30 am. At 5:00 am, the first people of the daily 10,000 visitors were allowed in at the base of the mountain. The ascent to the mountain was very challenging. We climbed the stairs for 1 1/2 hours, through dense fog and clouds. Once we reached the top, we joined others to negotiate a cheaper tour with the guides. At the beginning of the tour, there was a fair amount of disappointment because the spot where you're supposed to have an overview of the entire Machu Picchu site was just a dense white fog wall. However, our guide and the others were very nice and the fog eventually cleared during the 2-hour tour. It's interesting to know that Machu Picchu continues to sink into the ground and collapse in some places due to the weight of the many visitors. The site itself was like many other Inca ruins we had seen before, but still special and beautiful, probably because of its unique and beautiful surroundings with the other mountains. At the end of the tour, we climbed back up to the same spot to have the proof picture of our 2-day expedition. A special view, and therefore the second (new) wonder of the world that Lenja and I have seen on this trip.

Tired and exhausted, we offered a man with a pickup truck some Soles to drive us back to Aguas Calientes. He was actually at work and was not supposed to leave, but money rules the world, especially in South America.

For the rest of the day, we just rested because we didn't want to immediately embark on the hike and return trip to Cusco. Instead, Lenja and I strolled through the town and explored the market.

The next day, we walked back along the railroad tracks and were picked up by the bus from Hydroelectrica at noon. In the evening, we arrived tired and satisfied in Cusco again.

~Viktor