Machu Picchu (Peru)

After the “World's Most Dangerous Road” in Bolivia, I found that mountain biking not only helps quench my need for speed but my constant desire for adrenaline too. So it only made sense so sign up for more of it. It would have been amazing to hike the original Inca trail to Machu Picchu, but it is very expensive and you have to book way in advance to to it. The alternative trek involves a day of mountain biking and two days of trekking so that was just perfect for me.

Sometimes the group you are with can make all the difference and we lucked out and got a great group for our trek. Our first day of mountain biking we descended from the freezing mountains above tree line down into the tropics of the valley. I hadn't expected it to be so tropical but all the lush vegetation was really beautiful. We stayed in a small hostel in the tiny village of Santa Maria. People stayed up late drinking and playing cards, just like I am sure the real Incas used to do.

The next day we hiked for about 9 hours. We mostly followed the river. It was very steep going at times but there was also a ridiculous amount of resting involved. Lets just say it tested my patience, which hiking in a group usually does. One other guy and I who also wanted to keep going ahead amused ourselves by actually being authentic Incas and making use of the coca leaves that you can get along the way.

Coca leaves are actually really awesome. I am almost positive they are the same thing as Mira which is chewed in Africa. A lot of the mine workers in Bolivia chew them and porters in Peru. If you chew them they help you with digestion, awareness, energy, has lots of vitamins and help you not get hungry or thirsty or tired.

The only problem is they taste awful. You take this black activator stuff and put it in a handful of leaves, ball it up and stuff it in your mouth as I would imagine people do with chewing tobacco. Then you just try to keep some saliva in there and chew every so often. It makes your cheek go numb but the nasty taste of grass persists. But it saved me, especially as water is expensive and hard to come by on the trek.

The second day did afford us some stunning views. At times were were walking along a very steep path with a huge cliff drop off just below us. After the long hike we ended the day at these natural hot springs and then a moonlight walk to the city of Santa Teresa. This time our crew entertained ourselves by playing this game, “Mafia” which is sort of a role-playing game that I think I played when I was 12. We played this for about 6 hours and had one of the most fun nights ever. Like I said, it is all about who you are with. We had sort of this cozy sleepover atmosphere as all our beds were jammed into the room so close that you had to crawl over them to get out of the room, there was no floorspace.

By the third day I was exhausted from such little sleep. The walking was a bit more ghetto as it was along a dirt road for the first half of the day then along the train tracks the next. Once again, my friend and I amused ourselves by walking along the train tracks the whole time practicing our balance which at least slowed us down. And finally we arrived in our launch point for Machu Picchu: Agua Calientas. Agua Calientas is a very strange city as it is basically only built for tourism. It is sort of a cross between a ski town and a river town.

But the anticipation was palpable. It was in a stunning location of this huge canyon surrounded by green mountains ripped through by a roaring river. And just behind the tallest mountain, Machu Picchu lay waiting. I felt like I used to feel on Christmas Eve when I was a kid, waiting for morning to come. I felt like how I felt this year waiting for election results. All my life I have dreamed of going to Machu Picchu and now to know that it was just behind that mountain was this dizzying feeling of expectation and excitement. We had a nice dinner and went to bed by 11.

A 4 am wake-up call had us tromping up the mountain in the dark. Luckily this time there was no group effort so my friend and I were free to go ahead. We hauled up the hill as quickly as possible, passing people along the way and not stopping once. It may have been the hardest hike I have ever done, it was nothing but stair after stair. At one point I thought I couldn't breathe. It is pretty disgusting how out of shape I get traveling! But it was spectacular to be climbing up with mountain as the stars were dying to the light, you could barely see, but you could tell there was mist intermingling with the high peaks, and as the sunshine won over the night, you could see clouds floating in swirls among the mountains. We were some of the first people up there which made all the difference.

Instead of going right to get my ticket for Wynapichu, the mountain everyone wants to climb but they only give out limited tickets every day, I ducked up some of the stairs and watched the ruins unfold. The mist shrouded the buildings in clouds, but I knew more was there and more mountains lay beneath. Llamas grazed on the terraces and there was quiet all around so that I could almost imagine when the Incas were there. I have never seen anything like it.

It reminded me of surfing. So, ok, I had been obsessed with surfing for years before I got to try it. I dreamed about it and lusted after it so much that I thought it could never possibly be as good as I had built it up in my head to be. But, it turned out that I loved it even more than I ever dreamed that I could. It was sort of like this with Machu Picchu. I hate crowds and touristy things, but this didn't even matter compared to the majesty of the ruins themselves. And it does look EXACTLY like it does in photos, which instead of making things a bit disappointing, it actually makes them better.

We had a little tour of the place, but were all so exhausted we had to resort back to our trusty coca leaves to keep from falling asleep. Then 2 friends and I decided to sprint up Wynapichu. We made it up in record time, which once again, made all the difference because we found the world's best picnic spot up at the top. Machu Picchu looked so small from above. We played around on the terraces before descending more and more stairs.

While the rest of the group decided to give up, my friend and I pressed on. I had 12 blisters at this point, but you are only at Machu Picchu once, so we hiked up to the Sun Gate which was nice because it was away from the crowds and had an amazing view of the ruins looking so impressive surrounded by these incredible mountains. Honestly it was one of the most beautiful things I have seen in my whole life. The landscape alone is absolutely stunning, add in this ancient Inca village and I don't think it could get any better. I felt so incredibly lucky.

It didn't feel right to take a bus down with everyone else, not after we have been so far, so despite the fact that I was hobbling on blisters and my legs shaking, I forced myself to walk back down to Agua Calientas. Anything else seemed like it would be cheating. And my friend came with me, go Americans for once!

After a very dodgy uncooked meal, we caught a train and then a bus back to Cuszco where there was a sad goodbye to our group as we parted ways. Most travelers get so good at goodbyes because they are such a constant part of our life on the road, but I am definitely not one of them. I always miss people, I think that is endemic in my personality. But what an incredible experience!