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The train system to Machu Picchu was still running differently due to the mudslides in February the day we left. We had to take a bus for about an hour and a half to the part of the railroad that was completely repaired. We got to go through a lot of different little towns so it wasn´t too bad. Though there were some parts of the road that were unpaved or paved with stones so it got to be a pretty bumpy ride. We rode the ¨New Backpacker¨ train which was the old vistadome which means it was way nicer than it should have been. There were windows on the ceiling of the train so you could see the mountains as you passed. We were able to see some of the damage caused by the mudslides while we were on the train.
We arrived in Aguas Calientes which is the little town in the valley of Machu Picchu where the hotels and restaurants are. It is such a cute town. We didn´t expect it to be very much since it´s an in between town for people wanting to climb Machu Picchu but it had a lot of charm. However everything there was so expensive! We ate Mexican food for lunch which was really good after too many bland meals but it cost us way more than we´re used to spending!
We decided that we wanted to climb Wayna Picchu which is the big mountain in the back of all of the Machu Picchu pictures. Only 400 people can climb a day, 200 at 7am and 200 people at 10am. In order to get tickets if you´re taking the bus up you need to get up way earlier than the first bus which leaves at 530am to get in line. So we decided to get up at 4am. We made it to the line for the bus by 430am. We estimated there were about 150 people in front of us so we were excited that we would be able to choose our time. It had rained the night before and was actually still raining when we got in line so we wanted the later time to allow the mountain to dry out a bit. When we got to Machu Picchu though the line for the entrance was HUGE. We got really scared because it easily looked like there were 400 people in front of us. A lot of people had treked up the hour walk early in the morning instead of waiting for the bus to get there earlier and there´s also a very expensive lodge up there that´s 5 feet from the entrance (the lodge costs $800 USD a night!) We decided if we didn´t get the Wayna Picchu tickets we were going back to the hostel and going to sleep and we´d see Machu Picchu later. But fortunately we got tickets! An official came up to us in line and said there were only 20 spots left for Wayna Picchu all at the 7am time. And we took it as fast as we could! (The tickets are free, it´s just first come first serve).
At this point it was about 6am so we decided to make our way to Wayna Picchu and wait for the gate to open to let us up. Machu Picchu was completely covered in fog so it was a little difficult to make our way to Wayna Picchu, we had to follow signs because we couldn´t see 10 feet in front of us. When I say covered in fog, I mean it was completely white. You couldn´t see any of the ruins. When we got to Wayna Picchu we had to wait for a bit and then were allowed up. Well...we had no idea how hard it was going to be! The whole mountain was covered in fog so we couldnt´see off the edge but we were right on the edge. The view would have been amazing and a little scary had we been able to see how high we were going. At first it was a lot of stairs made out of rock but they were normal, not too high and it wasn´t too bad. But as we got further up the mountain it was more like big rocks we were stepping on. Of all different heights. The climb got really hard. The rocks were also super slippery from the night before and that morning. The higher we got the harder the climb got with the paths being more narrow and the way up being way more steep. There were a few areas that had rope built into the rock so you had something to hang onto to pull yourself up.
Towards the top we had to crawl through a cave and then wiggle on our bellies practically to get out of the exit. It was pretty hardcore! At the top were a bunch of rocks and everyone pulled themselves up on them to sit but the fog was still around and we couldn´t see anything. It was 805am at that point and we knew the fog wouldn´t clear for a while and we didn´t want to sit up there in the white for 2 hours so we decided to head down. Well down was wayyyy harder than up! There were these tinyyyy Inka stairs that we had to go down. There was no rope on the side to grab onto and they were so slick from the rain. Jose and I went down like a ladder, backwards, using our hands too to try to stay on the rocks. We learned later that a guy went down less carefully and fell 12 feet, hit into another guy and fell onto one of the terraces. He´s so lucky he didn´t fall off the mountain! He dislocated his thumb. Once we were done with the horrible Inca stairs we had to go down the same way we came up which meant that there were other people crossing our path. Going down was also way more slippery. I slipped at one point but only fell a stair on my butt so I was fine. Jose was up ahead and I´ve never seen him run so fast though to get back to me!
As we were going down the fog was beginning to clear down low and the view was amazing. I took a lot of pictures but unfortunately there was still fog in the way. Looking up though, the people at the top still had a long time to wait for it to clear. As we exited we could see the whole mountain and it was huge! It´s incredible that we were able to get up and down it in one piece! Wow!
We went to get some food right outside of Machu Picchu after that and of course overpayed but it was worth it. We were famished! After eating we found ourselves a tour guide for 40 USD. His English was pretty good and he said he´d give us a tour for 2 hours. Well 2 hours turned into 3 because I guess he was enjoying our company and questions. I´m really glad we hired someone to take us around, otherwise we never would have known what anything was. We could have easily wandered around taking pictures but we wouldn´t have gotten so much out of the experience. Machu Picchu is a really interesting site. There´s been so much restoration done that minus the Incan people it feels like you stepped back into time. Our guide´s grandfather was as shaman so he had really cool things to show us that Quechua priests used for ceremonies. He also knew a lot about the religious practices of the place.
Once the tour was finished we decided to head straight back to town and not explore anymore. We were exhaustedddd and I was so sore from climbing up Wayna Picchu. When we got back to town we found some food to make sandwiches that night to save money and headed back to the hostel. We decided to visit the hot springs that night to relieve our sore muscles. Well let me tell you, the hot springs were amazing. I understand why they´re so popular there! So many people are sore from treking there or from just doing Wayna Picchu that they all want to relax. There´s also so many people attacking you asking if you want a massage because I guess a lot of people need it. There was some kind of party or parade going on at the main square that night and we meant to go...but we never made it. We passed out around 8:30pm because we were so exhausted.
The next morning we were able to wake up and head to the train. We were so glad we spent another night there. A lot of people arrive the day before Machu Picchu, visit it, and leave that night. But you have to check out of your hotel at 9am so you´re hot and sweaty and tired and have to sleep on a bench waiting for your train. We were able to just go back to our hostel and shower and relax. The train started running its full route on July 1st and we were travelling back on July 2nd so we were able to go a bit further than we had before. However, the difference was we had to find our own way back to Cusco, the train company didn´t provide transportation any longer. We arrived in Ollantaytambo and found a ride back in a big van for only 7 USD for both of us so it wasn´t bad.
We arrived back in Cusco and headed back to our hostel still tired. We dropped off laundry (which turned out to be a huge fiasco - more update on that later) and ate dinner and passed out early.
Though Wayna Picchu was hard to climb, I would do it over again this minute. I can´t wait to come back to Peru one day and do it again. It´s such an awesome thing to know that you accomplished!
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Caitlyn
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So glad I got to talk to you earlier! I can't believe you climbed that mountain and could have fallen off of it! OH MY GOSH! SCAAARY! What happened to your laundry? Did they lose it?! Ahh! I would diiie! xoxox Caitlyn