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Published: March 8th 2013
Yesterday was a day of travel. I met my tour organizer at 6:45 to head to the train station. Due to rains and landslides, the trains are unable to run for a good portion of the trip, so we were bussed over an hour to our train. Kind of makes me glad I didn't pop for the uber expensive Hiram Bingham train. Ok, so I am actually really glad I did not. On my tour yesterday someone who had just visited Machu Picchu told me that the best scenery was on the side of the train furthest from the station. Was my assigned seat there? As if! But, I was ready to sit and enjoy the ride when someone asked to switch to the same seat on the good side of the train. Why yes, I think I would be able to do that for you. He was able to sit with his family and I enjoyed the better view without having to do anything. Don't you love it when life hands you a chocolate covered treat like that?
The train ride was nice with some great scenery along the way. We stopped to let some people off at the
Inka Trail, or at least slowed down I wasn't really paying attention. As I looked out the window I saw 2 people waving at me. They were on my tour yesterday. I couldn't believe that we saw each other. It was darn neat in my book. At the train station I was to be met by someone to take me to my hotel. No one was there with my name. I looked and looked and finally just gave up and started walking in the downpour. It was relatively easy to find the hotel; however, I can honestly say it was a dump. Dang I was surprised at how crappy it was. Well, such is life. It is a bed for one night, so I am sure I can hang with it.
When the guide came to my hotel in Cusco to explain where I was to go, when I was to go, where I was to meet the tour group, I had that horrible headache. All I really got was blah blah blah and noise. My mind was on going upstairs to lay down. Well, today I looked at the time I thought I was to meet the guide
Rushing Water
The Train followed the river virtually the entire way.and realized it was the same time I would have to catch the bus down to Aguas Calientes so I could catch the train. I walked to where I thought I would find the tour group's office, but it was simply a cafe meeting point. Because I thought I would have a guide, I left my travel guide book with my luggage in Cusco. I am going to have to wing this. I did purchase a small book about Machu Picchu at a bookstore, so feel comfortable in making something happen. I went to an internet cafe to check email but I couldn't log onto anything. Of course I was sure my computer had been hacked. I left the place imagining all the horrible things that were happening and how I could do nothing to stop them. Heck, I couldn't even access my own account. Later, I realized I had used the wrong email address for some reason. No wonder. I went back and bippity boppity boo, here I am. This is such a common theme on my trips. Something happens. I get all flustered, nervous, sweat, imagine all the horrible things that are happening and start to spin out
of control. After allowing
Freak Out Brendan a good 15 to 30 minutes, the real Brendan steps in and takes control. Seriously, there are few things I have not been able to overcome on my trips once I calmed down and put some thought into it. Do I enjoy the drama? I guess I must, because it happens several times a trip. Looking back, I have to laugh at myself. This town really doesn't have much to do other than buy tourist crap, so I sat outside drinking a coffee and writing postcards. Someone started talking to me and of course I ignored her thinking she was going to try to hustle me, sell me a massage or what not. It turned out that she and her husband were on my tour yesterday as well. Oops. We arranged to meet tonight for dinner. As I said, I met some incredible people yesterday.
I have to admit that I decided to skip the thermal hot springs and instead sit and read my Kindle. What a treat that was. No phone, no internet, no distractions. My room is directly above the river, so I could hear an actual roar as the
water raced over the rocks. This is the rainy season after all, so the river is up and alive. Being warm and dry in my room, it was a nice white noise. Walking outside in the pouring rain, well not so much. Just as I was to leave to meet my new friends for dinner there was a knock on the door. The tour guide was downstairs to explain everything about tomorrow. What a relief that was.
Dinner was very nice. We sat and talked about travel, work and anything that we could think of. I carbo loaded with a very nice Pasta Bolognese. After dinner I went and organized things to take on my trek tomorrow. Who knows what the weather will do, but rain seems likely.
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Ted
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What, no pictures?
What the heck. With no pictures I have to read the whole blog. No, just kidding I always read them. Sounds like things are working themselves out on your trip. Have fun and enjoy! T