DAY 5 SALKANTAY - MACHU PICCHU IN ALL IT´S GLORY

Okay so after a few hours sleep we are up and about again at 4.30am. Javier our guide was waiting in the lobby of our hotel and we set off the short walk to the bus station to get the first bus up to Machu Picchu. We are both shattered but really excited about finally seeing the inca ruins in all their glory. After a 30 minute wait (it was worth getting there early because it got very busy at around 5am) the first bus pulled along the road. After some jostling and a few arse head queue jumpers we managed to get on the bus with only a few seats to go. The ride up was pitch black so there was little to see apart from walkers heading for the ruins. All of our group had chosen to walk which meant a 4am start for them, breakfast at 3.30am. I was pretty pleased to be on the bus as my ankles and knee are quite swollen now.

We arrive in about 20 minutes and pile off the bus, the queue at the entrance is only about 30 people long and we spot our group about 10 people in front. It really had not been a problem to get the bus and we were soon heading through the gates of the entrance. Ruben led us through the main walkway and out into the ruins. The sky is light but the sun has yet to rise which is both bizarre and magical. The mist drifts across the area like a thin blanket and adds to the mystical feel of the place. Climbing up the steps to the vantage point across the mountain it is hard not to stop and stand in awe at the sheer size and craftmanship of this 14th century inca town. In it´s heyday the town occupied over 1000 people perched high on this cliff top and kept secret from all until the early 19th century. It is just unbelievbale that a place this big could stay a secret for so long.

Finally we reach the top and get our first chance to look out across the whole mountain top and the view is stunning. Few people have yet to enter and the ruins are empty and earily peaceful. There is nothing to say, words will never do justice to such an amazing feat of both engineering and workmanship. It is without doubt both inspiring and dumbfounding at the same time. The mist continues to sweep across from the valley below and a clear view soon becomes masked again. It adds to the secretive nature of the place and we stand and watch and stand and watch. It is well worth the previous 4 days hard slog even though we did not have to take that route and could have got a train here for the day the hard work makes it more worth while.

Ruben takes his time and gives us space to take pictures and enjoy the view. The sun is beginning to break and as it does the grassed areas look surreal. Capturing the light they dazzle in colour and the whole place takes on another feel. We begin our climb down from the view point and start the tour of the ruins. Rubens english is not great so we choose to stick with Javier who tells his tales and facts with such enthusiasm that you cannot help but get swept along with him. Last nights fiasco is all but forgiven as we follow him step by step through the everyday life of the inca´s that lived in this region.

The stonework is to be marvelled at, Javier shows us one piece that had 27 angles. Each brick is strategically placed against another leaving no gaps or overhangs. The only thing holding all of the pieces together is sheer craftsmanship. 95% of the ruins are still untouched and stand proud, the other 5% have been carefully restored to their former glory. We look out across the valley to the mountain we had stood on the day before looking back over to Machu Picchu. It is then that we realise how far we have come the mountain seems so far away and so high. I am proud when I think we have climbed up the mountain as we continue to follow Javier through the ruins. The mist continues to sway in and out of the ruins until the sun begins to heat up. Javier shows us the agricultural areas cut in large sections in the side of the mountain beneath the village. The whole area was self sufficient, the river below provided water the mountainside cultivated the crops. Places are dedicated to sacrificial ceremonies where they would sacrificed a Llama to the sun gods and so on and so forth. The stories are endless and captivating.

We begin to make our way over to the smaller mountain Wanha Picchu. We are informed that we can climb up to the top if we wish but that it takes 2 hours in all. Thats pretty much all the time we have left and with the state of my aching limbs we opt to stay in the ruins and agree to meet later. A few others make the same choice and we wonder off into the areas we have not seen yet.

The ruins are a labrinth of walls and open spaces, the residential areas are only missing the thatched roofs and the views from the bottom of the houses spans out over the valley. The river looks like a trickle from this far up and we take sometime to consider what life would have been like. The place must have been a hive of activity and if you allow yourself to you can imagine the children running through the small walkways. The men farming the land so high up and on the edge of sheer drops and the woman cooking and providing.

The major tours are still yet to arrive and the place is relatively peaceful we sit and ponder as the sun starts to beat down. In the end we walked all the way back through the ruins to the entrance where we could use the toilet facilites. It was a long way with continuous twists and turns up and down. By this time the tours are arriving and I feel sorry for the people on the them. In groups of about 20-30 they are being ferried about like hopeless children. We feel privledged to have enjoyed the first couple of hours without the heavy amount of people that are now starting to stream though the entrance.

Taking a slow walk back we find ourselves back at the base of Wanhu Picchu. Michael has taken our spare camera to get some snaps for us and the group are due back anytime now so we sit in the sunshine and wait. You dont have to run round like an idiot to appreciate where you are. Everywhere you look the views are quite something and while Tim went off with Ruben and a few others to do a quick tour of the lower half we had seen earlier I sat with Jade and we just enjoyed the moment.

When the group was back together Javier and Ruben lead us through the ruins again pointing out the condor room. The rocks had been shaped like wings and the condors face and beak carved into the floor. Held in high asteam along with the puma and the snake there are many representations in the workmanship around the ruins. This room was used for offerings to the condor. The incas would pour water around the head of the beak which flowed in both directions collecting at the entrance of the beak. Therefore providing life to the condor.

All too soon we were back at the entrance but the visit had been enough for us to feel we had not missed out too much. With extra time we would have liked to have walked Wanhu Picchu and also the sun gate where we had seen trekkers earlier completing the original inca trail. To be honest I´m not sure I would have made either climbs but the time we had we spent wisely we think and we have no regrets. Machu Picchu is an unforgettable experience and one that leaves you giddy with wonder.

So we´re back on the bus heading back to Agues Calientes. Our train leaves at 12.30 midday and time is of the essence as we pick up our luggage and wait on the platform. We share a beer with Luke and Louise finishing it on the way to the train station!! We are given our tickets and surprisingly I find myself feeeling a sense of loss as we say goodbye to Javier and Ruben. Both have been very supportive to me in the past few days looking after my ailing feet and generally showing concern. We board our train and settle into the rather large and plush seats. The sun is beating down and we are all exhausted. In 4 days we have walked 75km, almost 50 miles and that does not include the walk up to Machu Picchu or the climb up wanhu Picchu. It is pretty amazing really, the Salkantay trek is almost double that of the original inca trail. We are all amazed at how far we have come but that amazement does not manage to keep most of us awake on the train.

About 20 minutes into the journey after being served a drink and sanwich music starts to balre in the cabin. It is through bleary eyes that see a very strange dressed man dancing through the aisle. After watching this man parade and dance for about 5 minutes the tanoy explains that it is a traditional festival dance in peru. The music stops and we settle back down. A few minutes later it is announced that their is to be a fashion show dedicated to alpaca clothing. This is the most bizarre thing either of us have ever experinced on a train. The two attendants who served our drinks are now swinging their hips up the aisle in a show of various alpaca jumpers and wraps. The lady is truly beautiful and is taking her part very seriously, Tim is enjoying this way too much!!! The guy however does not share her confidence and we find ourselves in fits of giggles at his poses. Just another memory to add to the very strange experiences bank!!!

After our train journey we get off to catch a mini bus in Ollyantambo. There is a guy there waiting with all our names on a placard. We then have another couple of hours back to Cusco. We reach there by 4pm and we are all seriously tired. Having arranged with everyone to meet up for dinner and drinks the next night Tim and I head back to our hostel. After a quick refresh we head out to get something to eat settling for a western bar with western food. The last thing either of us could face was more rice and soup!!! I had a great meat pie with chips and gravy and Tim had fish and chips, coupled with another extra portion of chips and a cold beer. We were both starving and cleared every last scrap. Having scoffed to our hearts content the only other thing on our minds was sleep.

As we sit on our bed and ponder the previous days we both feel a real sense of achievement. 75kms in 4 days in the Andes. It is for me personally the single hardest physical thing I have ever done and to my surprise I pushed myself further than I could ever have imagined. Looking at my feet, ankles and knee and wonder if it was all worth it. I am looking a mess, Tim kindly comments that my ankles are so swollen along with my feet that I look like a hobbitt. I look down and realise that I really could pass for an extra in lord of the rings with no makeup required!! We laugh. It has been well worth it and the people in our group made it an even more memorable experience. Would we do it again mmmmm maybe not!!

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