Finally saw Machu Picchu

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And I suppose it's worth it...
Got to Machu Picchu about 6am on the outrageously overpriced bus which takes about 20mins from Aguas Calientes and costs a whopping $6US! Got there all excited about the sunrise and found the surly wagon at the ticket desk annoyed with me as I'd not bought my entrance ticket in advance- what a pile of excrement. Anyway so I had to impatiently wait for about 15mins while she sorted out how to do her job and sell me a ticket. But all was not in vain for I'd about 40mins to wait after I'd entered for the sun to rise over the mountains. It was very nice but not as spectacular as everyone'd been gushing about.

I'd met another Brasilian guy, Leandro, on the bus and he said he was waiting for his tour guide and so I invited myself along too for a free guide. That was good, as otherwise I'd've been in complete ignorance as there are no maps or anything they give you with your entrance ticket (again ludicrously expensive- $25US). So I wandered about with the tour group for about 3 hours, trying to decipher the good-natured Miguel's incredible English. The poor tourists for whom English wasn't their first language! Miguel totally confused me though- he said that the Incas were a peace-loving people and that they never made any human sacrifices. When I questioned him about Juanita and all the other 12-14 year old female virgen mummies found on mountains, he poo paahed me and talked fast in incomprehensible English until I gave up and went away.

After leaving Miguel, Leandro and I decided (actually I was the one who insisted) to go up Huayna Picchu (a mountain next to the site of Machu Picchu which means young peak). Machu Picchu isn't actually the name of the site, it's the name given to the "old peak" mountain on the other side. According to Miguel there is no name for the site and so it's just known as Machu Picchu... Interesting details which I hope are facts and not fictions of Miguel's overactive imagination. Aliens put the mummies there... Anyhooo off we set, having signed our names dubiously in the record book at the base of Huayna Picchu. We'd to sign our name, age, time we left at and passport number. I didn't ask but having completed the wee hill, it seems to me that there might be quite a number of fatalities from it every year. It's really steep and a lot of the steps are quite difficult to manouever around so if it had been raining my ankle would've been in hospital (again!). There's a section where you have to crawl through a cave and go up steps at the same time. Beats me how anyone managed to carve steps into the rock whilst kneeling with another rock coming down squashing them. Had lunch up there and enjoyed the spectacular view until too many loud-mouthed Americans arrived and spoiled it. Getting down wasn't as bad as I'd expected. I was talking to a Dutch guy with really long legs for most of the descent so that prevented me from thinking too much about breaking my ankle.

Once I was down, however, my knees started shaking like mad. Quite a few other people had the same issue. It felt quite strange but I enjoyed it. Had been ages since I'd done anything at all energetic- prob last time was in La Paz, walking up the hills to my hostel. We sat on some llama poo on the grass for a while and then I went to find a loo. Had to pay to go to the loo on top of allthe other silly costs. "Outrageous" as betrothed Philippa would say.

Made my way back up to some rocks afterwards and read my book for about 2 hours sitting in the sun and occasionally admiring the view of the ruins (so people wouldn't think I was totally uncultured). I was reading a book by Elizabeth George called A Hiding Place (or something along those lines). Very good actually. Murder on Guernsey Island. But the ending didn't do it complete justice. I suppose like I didn't do Machu Picchu complete justice... Sorry I mean the ruins were and are amazing and I love them.

After my rest, I met up again with Leandro and we wandered a bit more about the ruins. We were planning on walking back to Aguas Calientes (which is supposed to be called Machu Picchu village!) but then it started raining and I shelved out another $6US for the ride back, being a wuss (and having forgotten my groovy poncho).

Went to bed early and wrecked and then got up again this morning before 5am. Uncle Dick would be so proud of me. Train left this morning at 5.45am and I got back to Cusco about um ah 10am I think.
That's all for now (folks), am trying to decide where to go now. It shouldn't be so difficult. Pin the tail on the donkey/Peru/Bolivia/Ecuador/Columbia...

30th June 2006-am now back in La Paz!
4th July- going to Coroico tomorrow...

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