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Published: December 23rd 2006
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We were all up yet again very early for the usual breakfast of fruit, bread, jam & coffee then Smith rounded us up & herded us to the train station about a hundred meters or so down the dusty road.
When we got to the station & saw the trains & all the information about the Inca trail & ther ruins we started to get very excited so took lots of daft photos.
The train itself was really sweet, only two carriages with little windows in the roof so we could admire the mountains towering over us as we wound our way through the valley. Andrea got very over excited & started to make "woo woo" train noises so I sent her to the front of the train to record a video (which I hope will up load properly on this dodgy Bolivian computer). In the mean time the staff who had finished handing out a breakfast of sandwiches (which as we´d had to get up before daybreak for breakfast at the hotel we squirrelled away for lunch later) were wheeling around the goods trolley selling load of disgusting utility jackets to over excited middle aged french tourists.
I was still feeling pretty weak & had to visit the train toilet more than I would have liked (thank god PeruRail have a better standard of cleanliness than what used to be British rail) but with the help of four imodium I finally managed to stop the toilet trips!
For the three days before (during the whole Inca trail fiasco) we had had beautiful weather so the last thing that occurred to us was that the clouds would come rolling in & the heaven´s would open. Sure enough (& this all goes to prove that my theory that Peru doesn´t like me), by the time we got off the train it was chucking it down and the clouds were so low we could almost touch them.
We threw on our water proofs and headed to the bus stop. And & I had a slight delay as I thought I had left our tickets on a market stall when I put my poncho on but after running around in a blind panic for a while I found them in my pocket doh! So anyway after that little delay we got to the bus to join the others only
ro find that Smith ad gone off looking for us. Unfortunatly the bus driver didn´t know that, so we headed off to Machu Picchu without our guide.... ooopsie!
The bus wound it´s way up the side of the mountain and into the clouds .... we were all hoping we would climb out of the clouds but Peru still hated us & when Smith caught up with us & we entered the site we were greeted with the amazing view of a big fat grey wall of cloud. We were all soooo dissapointed. After everything we´d been through over the last couple of days we weren´t even going to get a glimpse of Muchu Picchu.
As we stood there in the pouring rain Smith gave us some information on the history of the site & after some time the cloud lifted ever so slightly to give us a tantalising glimpse of the ruins ahead of us then they dissapeared again in the mist. As we watched the clouds performed a Peruvian version of the dance of the seven veils revealing different sections of the ruins only to cover them again moments later. thell all of a sudden the clouds
lifted enough & there infront of us was one of the most amazing sights in the world.
Smith took us on a tour around the site & by the time our tour was done the sun was beating down on us & it was hard to believe it was the same day.
And & I went off by ourselves & decided to have a picnic lunch on one of the inca terraces. So being the classy birds we are we filled our train breakfast sandwiches with crisps & started to munch away happily. Only to be told off by one of the curators. You´re not supposed to eat in the sared city. And had finished her sandwich anyway & I was pretty close so we brushed the crisp crumbs from our clothes & headed off to explore.
The famous mountain behind Machu Picchu in all the photos is called Huayna Picchu. It takes an hour to climb it´s steep sides to reach the top & we were both buzzing so much from the whole experience that we forgot about our dodgy tummies & wobbly legs & decided to give it a go. We managed about 4 or
5 of the steep steps before we changed our minds! Instead we opted to climb the smaller peak closer to the ruins (which is only about a third of the height of Huayna Picchu). Still it was enough of an effort for us to wheeze our way to the top & even involved pulling ourselves up with a rope over one section but the views at the top were worth it. We sat up there for a while with only a strange little man who liked to talk to himself in a very odd little sing song voice for company. Then as time was running out we headed back into the main site to climb the terraces & take photos from the famous viewpoint. Somehow we managed to get lost & ended up scrambling over the top of the ruins & had to be helped down by a group of Peruvian school girls who told us we should have "Mas Intelligence" .... how embarrassing!
We bumped into Becky, Sarah & Dave whilst wheezing up to the viewpoint & after our photo session it was time to go so we all caught the bus together back down the mountain &
went for a pizza while we were waiting for the train.
The train journey back proved to be much more amusing than the one in the morning. As we got comfortable and the train pulled away from the train station music began to be played throughout the train and then what can only be described as a scary dancing gimp appeared at the end of the
carriage and proceeded to dance down the aisle stroking a stuffed llama toy & trying to persuade us to stroke it too,
interesting! However that was not the only delight we were going to be treated to by PeruRail. Next the music was changed and the conductors donned some lovely alpaca jumpers and began a fashion show! For the next
twenty minutes we were kept amused as the male & female conductors/models paraded up and down the aisle in various different designs of gorgeous alpaca wear! We all got a bit rowdy as the show went on & soon every outfit was greeted with claps, ooohs, aaaahs & whistles. I may have got a tad carried away when on seeing a particularly stunning golfing jumper (green with gold diamonds ... nice) I shouted
"Papasistta" (which roughly translates as "sexy daddy") at the chief conductor I got a "Mamasitta" back though .. poor old And was so embarrassed she almost melted into her seat.I don´t think we will ever have as much fun on a train again.
We rolled into Ollantaytambo mid evening and then caught the bus back to Cusco, to be greeted by Martin who had brought us very cheap champagne and Doritos to toast our return! Martin then took us on a typical Martin night out ... an expensive club/restaurant which would be at home in Soho for dinner & an Irish pub for drinks afterwards. Well he is an Irish bloke who used to live in London.
There is a tradition in Cusco that after you have walked the Inca trail you should stay up for 24 hours to celebrate ... And & made it to about 2am before we flaked out. Vicky, Nessie & Martin went on clubbing with Smith. Vicky had a bit of a soft spot for him & so Nessie was going to be sleeping in our room that night (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more). We got a taxi back with Maggie,
Sarah & Becky. We were all dog tired but not too tired to get up to mischief so we got the key to Vicky's room from reception & wreaked havoc inside. Tee Hee.
Nessie staggered in to our room at abut 4am. Waking us up with tales of the night. She then took up camp in the bathroom being sick for the next couple of hours & as she proudly told us the next day at least that way she actually made the 24 hour challenge!
K x
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Mum & Dad A
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Truly Amazing Scenery
Hi Girls, well you are certainly having the trip of a life time, the photos are excellent and the ruins and views are quite spectacular. Dad particuarly loves the video and sound of the train - woo woo choo choo !!!!!! Happy Christmas to you both and we will miss you on Christmas Day whilst tucking into our turkey!!!! Happy New Year too xxxxxx