We woke up at 3:45am to get an early start to Machu Picchu. Instead of taking the bus, we chose walked up to the ruins from the town, which was about an hour and a half of very steep Inkan staircases. So there, while we didn’t THE Inka Trail, we did AN Inka Trail. I had to fight really hard for it, but ended up getting the national student price, which was about a quarter of the price. We got there at 6am, just in time to see the raising of the Peruvian flag and hear the national anthem. From there, we waited in a line, got our stamps to climb Waynu Picchu and spent the morning exploring the ruins.
When we got there, it was super foggy and we couldn’t see anything. Then the fog cleared and we could the entire city below us. It really is an incredible place. Situated high in the Andes surrounded by peaks and clouds, it easy to see why it wasn’t found until 1911. The city was enormous and we found ourselves lost and turned around several times.
At 9:30, we climbed up Waynu Picchu with some travelers we met at the train station the night before. Waynu Picchu is the mountain that sits right behind the city of Machu Picchu. It was super steep and easily the scariest hike I’ve ever been on! The train was mostly stairs, but slippery, irregular stairs that skirted around the side of the mountain. The views at the top were spectacular though and made it absolutely worth the struggle. Being up there really made me feel like I was on top of the world. When we arrived, we again had to wait for the clouds to clear and no one even knew where Machu Picchu was. When it did finally clear up, everyone was scrambling for their cameras and it was pretty chaotic and hilarious. It started to get misty on the hike down, making the stairs even scarier. I have a very new respect for the Inka and their agility.
By the time we got back down to Machu Picchu, it was pouring and we were soaked, so we decided to take the bus back to Aguas Calientes because we just couldn’t imagine slipping around on those stairs in the rain. We took the train back to Cusco and spent the night in our hostal’s bar singing karaoke. It was definitely a good last day in Peru.
Today, we’re off to Chile. We’re at the airport now reading the Frommer’s Chile guide book that Susan accidentally stole from my host family in Lima. Way to go, Susan. We’re getting really pumped and it’s looking like we’re going to have a great week in Chile! I know I am super excited for some warm weather and sunshine!
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