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Published: September 28th 2014
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Some would argue the only legitimate way of getting to Machu Picchu is to do the Inca Trail – hiking through the valleys and peaks of the Andes for four days until a dramatic sunset entrance reveals the legendary city before your tired eyes. I don’t have the luxury of four extra days, and I’m not much of a hiker anyway. I opt for the quicker – but not necessarily less complicated – option.
Most people targeting Machu Picchu are based in Cusco. This old Inca capital is worth a visit on its own, but for natural reasons had to take the backseat in terms of nearby tourist attractions. You don’t just happen to end up in Cusco and then spontaneously decide to do a daytrip to Machu Picchu. If you haven’t done your homework you’re bound to be disappointed. Planning usually starts before the trip, but in Cusco it’s starting to get real.
Step one: Unless you decide to hike to Machu Picchu – which when you’re starting to realize the hassle of getting there becomes and increasingly attractive option – you need a train ticket. The concept of making reservations or buying tickets
online is a known concept in South America, but the success rate of doing this is rather low. With the help of friends based in Peru and an Internet café in the Bolivian town of Uyuni – with a dial-up Internet connection that would rival regular mail in terms of sluggishness – I finally have my train tickets secured and printed.
Step two: Tickets to the legendary city must be bought in advance. The number of daily visitors is limited, and the authorities want to control the traffic to Machu Picchu. If you could not buy your train tickets online, it’s no more than fair that you have to work a bit for your entrance ticket as well. This means visiting the Cultural Office in Cusco and purchase a ticket over the counter. Easily done, but adds a step to the process on site.
Step three: Naturally you could take a taxi to the train station in Ollanta, but I choose the more adventurous budget option of taking the local bus from Cusco to Urubamba. Departing from a somewhat dodgy lot in the outskirts of the town center, I board the bus with a
mixture of locals and tourists. Not exactly a state of the art, but a fully functioning vehicle that does the job. After a rather uneventful first leg of the journey, the bus pulls into Urubamba.
Step four: The bus only takes you to Urubamba. The last stretch to the train station is done in a combi. A combi is kind of a shared taxi. Picture a driver and his car, picking up passengers and taking them in the general direction of where they want to go for a cheap fare. In Europe such a system would drown in a jungle of rules and regulations. In South America it provides an efficient logistics possibility between A and B, sometimes via C and D. I’m squeezed in the middle of the backseat between a couple of locals. They’re probably curious. Not about my business there – it’s a given – but maybe about why this handsome gringo isn’t taking the train all the way. Or they’re completely uninterested, having seen it a thousand times before. No one engages in any conversation, which seems to work for all. Twenty or so minutes later leg two of the trip is over when we enter Ollantaytambo.
Step five: Most people with a few hours to kill in Ollantaybambo visit the famous terraces, historically almost as important for researchers of the as Machu Picchu. From a distance they do indeed look impressive, but the steep entrance fee is not calculated in my budget. Instead, I decide to spend my time wisely and fuel up at one of the town pizzerias.
The system at the train station is surprisingly well organized, but maybe not a great feat considering the Machu Picchu Expedition train is the only one stopping here, and the train station consists of little more than a tiny house and a platform. Staff makes sure everyone in line has a ticket, and is lining people up for departure. The train journey markets itself as being incredibly scenic. Scenery is somewhat dependent on the viewer being able to see it though. The complete darkness outside effectively prevent any notions of admiring the view. Getting some rest is a good alternative considering a long day is to follow.
Step six: Agua Calientes got its name from hot springs nearby. If you have some time to spare, surely they are nice to visit. However, the town appears to be purpose-built as the last stop before Machu Picchu. Due to its location in the mountains, and limited infrastructure, there’s no traffic in town. Only hotels and restaurants, and the odd shop with basic supplies and souvenirs. When I was in contact with the hotel prior to the trip it sounded impressive that someone would meet up with my name on a sign at the train station. At arrival it turns out that this by far the best – and probably only – option to prevent a horde of tourists walking around the town late at night searching for their hotel in the steep labyrinth of buildings.
Step seven: Research suggests travelers getting an early start. I set my alarm for silly o’clock, hoping that most people will prefer a lay-in. After a quick breakfast I hit the street, only to find it’s packed with people waiting for the first buses to the final destination. As with most transport, getting a ride requires a ticket. The system is not quite clear. A sign saying “Machu Picchu Tickets Here” would obviously be too easy, but after a bit of asking around, guessing, and queuing, I manage to land a ticket.
The buses are numbered. A quick math exercise; the length of the queue versus the bus size ratio would put me in bus round about bus number 12. So much for beating the crowd. I will miss the magic sunrise at Machu Picchu, but finally I’m on my way. Excited.
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