Machu Picchu

After another incredible breakfast (at 3 am), we all discussed how this was our last meal of the hike and we were seriously unsure if our future travels (or our homes, for that matter) were going to have food anywhere close to the same quality.

We needed to get moving early for 2 important reasons, the chaskis needed to break down the camp and get to the closest train station on an alternative route with the company equipment and we needed to get as close to the front of the line as possible for the checkpoint. It was really unclear why being at the front of the line was so necessary, other then trying to be one of the first groups to the Sun Gate. We were not allowed to clear the checkpoint until dawn because a couple hikers got hurt walking in the dark a while back. The unfortunate outcome of this situation is that people that stay in nice hotels and take a bus to the site get to experience Machu Picchu in the early light, before the trekkers. We felt a little cheated, but that is life. 

We had spent so much time on the trail in smaller groups because of the way the companies staged the progress that it was strange to realize that there were 200 other hikers that would be going with us on this 2-hour tourist parade to the Sun Gate (the first point where Machu Picchu would be completely visible). It was a perfect morning, stars were setting and the first glimpses of the morning light were breaking through. We were all totally excited, while one of our guides slept against a support post. This wasn’t his first rodeo. 

Once we cleared the checkpoint, the reason to be at the front of the line became obvious. It seemed like people were in a race to get front row seats at a big concert.  Some were racing along the narrow path and others were trying to actually block people from passing them. All this stupidity on the edge of a cliff. Part way through the walk we came to a place where in the early morning there had been a rock slide that had washed out part of the trail. It took some time to traverse and I think the majority of people realized then that there was a slim margin of error during this walk between getting to the site and being the reason why hikers in the future couldn’t walk after a rain shower. In fact, falling debris almost killed a guide and a hiker after we passed.

This section of the trail had beautiful Inca steps and was a joy to walk. As we passed the rockslide we turned the corner and of all things, we saw a beautiful Quetzal (sexy bird). I starting freaking out like a geeky birder and telling everyone how rare it was to see one and I figured it was a good sign for the rest of the day.

The last climb to the Sun Gate was a steep flight of stairs and just as we crested the top ready to scream in joy “I am a golden god”, we saw thick clouds rolling over the site so quickly that we didn’t even have time to get a camera out. The site was gone. It started raining. I couldn’t breathe and I wondered what was going happen next.  One by one people came over the pass and gasped as they saw only the edges of the ancient city and then really nothing at all. There were lots of pictures taken of people in front of a fog. Our ever positive guides told us that the weather changes like the mood of a Peruvian woman and not to worry, it would be great in a couple of hours.

We had to do another check-in at the main gate. We walked down to the site in the rain and we could immediately tell that this site was different from all of the amazing sites we have visited so far and somehow the rain, mist, and cloud made it even more splendid. After 4 days of hiking, we looked like drowned rats as we walked passed hundreds of people that were ready to model for their Facebook profile pictures. People even smelled really nice and I am positive that we didn’t. It was really funny and a little scary at the same time. After walking one of the most beautiful trails in the world, we ended up in a line that resembled Black Friday sales or a Disneyland ticket booth. The whole thing was a little deflating. We checked our kit at storage and decided to hide under an awning for an hour and let some the crowds go through and in hope that the rain would stop. I guess we should have sacrificed some small animal or a virgin before we arrived to ensure better weather.

We walked back into the main site and found a sheltered spot where our guide started the tour and provided background on the site. One of the most important things to understand about Machu Picchu, as well as most other Inca sites, is that no one really knows how the complexes were exactly organized and used. There are dozens of theories about the potential use of Machu Picchu, but one of the only common threads is that it was a very important place and it has amazing energy. During the rest of the day, it was quite funny to hear other guides give completely different (and contradictory) explanations within earshot of each other.

We started to walk from area to area, getting information on architecture, engineering, and potential usages. The level of sophistication of some of their systems was impressive. It was also amazing to see how rude people were to others.  We actually watched three 70-year-old ladies push through the middle of our group while our tour guide was in the middle of an inspirational speech and start arguing with us about their rights to be in the exact spot. It was absolutely appalling.

Our tour lasted a couple of hours and it was incredible to see most of the site on an area by area basis. Once our tour finished, it happened! The clouds parted and it got really hot and we could see the whole site opening up out of the retreating mist and the uniquely shaped lush green mountains. Everyone went quiet as we sat on top of an east facing view. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life and I could completely understand why any group of people would have chosen the site simply based on the view. The view seemed like it was impossibly real, as though a special effects team could have constructed it. You actually felt dizzy trying to distinguish between the overwhelming number of contours, colors, and the sensory overload.

We spent the rest of the day walking through the site and simply sitting on rocks being mesmerized by it all. Sparrows glided through the air and butterflies that were brown on bottom and metallic blue on top showed off as they fluttered past us. 

Mid afternoon, we took a bus down to Aguas Calientes where we had a final lunch with the group and said good-bye as most of our group was taking the train back to Cuzco. We then attempted to dry out our smelly kit by hanging it all over our hotel room and headed for the local hot springs. The pools were absolutely amazing and we even got served drinks while floating around. Very posh! It was an incredible way to top off the day. We also knew that we were not finished. 

Tomorrow we were planning to return to do the anticipated hike up the adjacent mountain of Huayna Picchu and to go back into the full site and revisit some of our favorite places. It had been simply one of the best days of our lives. The adventure of the Inca trail and Machu Picchu was only increased by the great people we got to experience it all with over our 4-day journey.