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Published: December 22nd 2007
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So we were up at 03:50am (or was it 4:00am?), the first group to be up. Had a quick breakfast and headed to the gate that opens to Intipunku (Sun Gate). It was no surprise that we were the first ones there! My knees were still a bit sore so I popped some more painkiller. Other hikers slowly arrived. There was a group that started hiking at midnight from the camp site farther away with the promise that they'd be the first ones at the gate. I kind of felt sorry for them. When it got closer to 5:00am the caretaker arrived. Roberto and him chatted briefly and we were fine to proceed. We were told to hike at a steady pace and no passing was allowed. I think the gate opened at 5:00 am (or was it 5:30am?); with my flashlight in hand we were off! It must've been my adrenaline or that and the effects of ibuprofen, but I had no pain whatsoever and just kept going. The surrouding area was misty and very tranquil, but I didn't have the time to stop and enjoy the view. We got to Intipunku well under an hour. It was very foggy
so no sunrise at the Sun Gate for us. Once the rest of the group caught up we kept going. Instead of the estimated 2 hours I think we got to Machu Picchu just a bit over one hour! We thought we would be the first ones there but some people from Aquas Calientes had taken the early bus and were already walking around.
We got to a vantage point well above the caretaker's hut to get a view of Machu Picchu. The mist would come and go, and only give us a glimpse of its fully glory. After about 30 min we finally got the postcard view of Machu Picchu! Needless to say I took quite a few photos.
We then met up with the rest of group coming up from Aquas Calientes and Roberto gave us a guided tour of the place. Again, I can't remember much here: Temple of the Condor, America's most beautiful wall, quarry, the crying room, Temple of the Sun with the hourglass shaped stonework next to the Royal Tomb and the Intihuatana, used to predict solstices. Apparently some company paid a large sum of $ to shoot a commericial here and
a clumsy cameraman dropped his equipment on the Intihuatana, thus the crack on the side. It also supposedly has a magnetic field but I couldn't feel it :-(. Some of us went up Wayna Picchu, aka Young Peak, that's in the much taken photograph of Machu Picchu. It was about 45 minutes of uphill climb and scrambling, but the view at the top was rewarding. Coming back down was a bit scary as it was super steep. Many people have fallen to their deaths hiking it in wet weather.
I convinced the group to go vist an Inca drawbridge on the other side of the ruins. It was about 20 minute walk for a view of the bridge from far away because it had been cordoned off due to someone tragically falling to his/her death trying to cross the bridge. We sat around some more admring the incredible Machu Picchu. I tried to imagine what it was like when this was a bustling place. We said goodbye to Machu Picchu in the early afternoon to go to Aquas Calientes to catch the train back to Ollaytaytambo then by bus back to Cusco. About 1/2 way down we saw this
kid running beside the bus shouting various greetings. Instead of zigzagging he took the foot path all the way down and was keeping pace with us most of the way. He eventually climbed on board at the bottom to collect his monetary reward.
Aquas Calientes wasn't that appealing to me. We sat down to have something to eat. I finally decied to try Inca Cola. It has a bright yellow colour to it and tastes like cream soda. Apparently Coca Cola couldn't beat them in sales in Peru so they bought a piece of the company. I guess that's the American motto: if you can't beat them, buy them!
The train ride back to Ollaytaytambo was quiet, except the diseal fume that got sucked into the cabin. A few much smaller scale ruins dotted the hills along the railroad. I overheard some guy saying that he brought a couple of stones from Machu Picchu to give to his relatives. Whatever happen to take nothing and leave nothing?
As much as I enjoyed the hike, it was good to be back in civilization and a comfortable bed! My first business was to take a shower and shave. Did
that ever feel good! I then organized my tour of the Sacred Valley tomorrow. You really need to know the going rate of these things so that you don't get ripped off. I was offered the tour for 50 soles initially and eventually got it down to 32. I then met up with the Swedish couple to have some sushi. Didn't think you can get sushi in Cusco but I guess the only difference is that they substitute trout for salmon. They were going on to Coca Canyon, Nasca Lines, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. I wish I had more time to do the same!
Needless to say I slept very well that night.
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