Machu Picchu
(DAY258 : Cuzco - Aguas Calientes : 155 miles + 30 min. collectivo ride + 1 hr. train ride)
(DAY259 : Aguas Calientes & Machu Picchu)
Even today, the Inca marvel of Machu Picchu is remote and hard to reach. The ancient city is perched on top of a mountain, only connected to the village of Aguas Calientes settled below it. As this tourist trap / stop-over point is only reachable by railroad, all visitors must take Peru Rail's incredibly overpriced train to get there. Most tourists get on this slow train from Cuzco, then take the shuttle service or hike from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu. Those who wish to catch the sunrise or sunset at the site need to stay over at Aguas Calientes.
Getting on the train at one of the few stops between Cuzco and Aguas Calientes is also possible, but if you are staying in Cuzco that hardly saves you any time or money. If you'd rather ride than get locked up in a train car however, you can do so all the way to the little village of Santa Teresa, and catch the train at its last reachable stop before Aguas Calientes.
We left the hotel at 8 am and once again headed towards Pisac. 1 hour and 40 miles later we were filling up in Urubamba, at one of the last big gas stations en route. Another 15 minutes got us to Ollantaytambo which also hosts a significant Inca site. Past the cobblestone and dirt through town, we found ourselves on a freshly paved road which soon started twisting and turning out of control. After I counted 40 hairpins in the first 15 miles, it loosened up so Katirga could stretch her legs, but at this altitude all she could do was huff and puff. We continued climbing and were greeted by beautiful views of a peak with a bright snow cap. How lucky it was to have such a clear sky! And how come I wasn't getting any altitude sickness here? Oh well, I paid (30 cents!) for them, so I might as well chew the darn coca leaves anyway!
How do 40 hairpins in 15 miles grab you? (Did you say tight?)
Hellooo beautiful! Now where did I put those coca leaves?
As you might expect all the way up here, it was very, very cold. Thankfully, and only literally, it was all downhill from here. As we wound down on the smooth tarmac, the weather warmed up and the scenery got even more dramatic. That sure couldn't last. At 11am and 100 miles into the ride, the drama faded and the road turned to dirt washboard.
As we approached Santa Teresa, the 20mph pneumatic drill ride took an even more interesting turn when the road decided to pull a "Bolivian death road" impersonation. Had we not been sharing it with Peruvian drivers, I would have said not to worry.
A pneumatic drill ride with a view.
Here we go...
Just don't look down!
Maybe shouldn't look back either.
Road much less traveled.
When we finally arrived Santa Teresa, we were completely covered in dust and it was around 1:30pm. A 140 mile ride in five and a half hours! Still, we had plenty of time to catch the (only) train at 4:40pm.
We all now know how costly "bad intel" can be. From a friend, that is what I got. The last part of the road was bad, but the following part to "hidroelectrica" (the hydroelectric plant), where the train departs from, was absolutely terrible and had a lot of suicidal collectivo traffic. It's incredible that those overloaded Toyota cars and vans can survive that track. Ultimately I found that parking there was not an option after all, unless you don't mind chaining your bike to a wire fence in the middle of nowhere and leaving her there for a couple of days. Good thing we had time. By the time we got back to the village it was close to 3pm.
Shortly after I started looking for a place that could host Katirga, Angel found me. He already had an F650 from Germany parked at his small home/hostal/mini-market and could fit another bike. Excellent. (cell: 984274444, alfreyaku@hotmail.com, ask for Angel)
With Katirga secured for $1.30 a day, I took one of the collectivos and headed back to hidroelectrica. While lined up to buy the $0.65 train ticket for the special tourist price of $8, I got attacked by some of the most vicious flies. Then, covered in itchy bites that will later bleed, I took my seat among the local folk and chicken for the one hour ride to Aguas Calientes.
Chao bella. Katirga will stay at Angel's for 2 days while I visit Machu Picchu.
Boarding at the hydroelectric plant, the last reachable stop before Aguas Calientes.
The train ride is nice, but not 5 hours and $50 nice. Mine took 1 hour and cost $8.
Aguas Calientes, aka Machu Picchu village.
Finding a nice place wasn't easy, and this in a town which exists for tourism, at a time when it's quite empty. Terrazas del Inca Hostel is located right by the river and was clean and comfortable. At $14 including breakfast, it was also one of the more affordable options. (Terrazas del Inca Hostel, Calle Wiracocha s/n. Tel: 084-984-951388, contactos@terrazasdelinca.com)
The idea was to get there before the crowds and catch the sunrise, so I bought my tickets before heading out for a beer. Interestingly, I needed my passport to buy the $40 Machu Picchu pass. The shuttle ticket was $7 one way.
At 4:45 am the next morning, I was in a long line in front of the shuttle office. Inconveniently, that is what it takes to get on the first buses departing at 5:30. And disappointingly, even being on the first bus does not help you avoid the crowds that flood the place in a flash, and long before the sun shows its face from behind the surrounding peaks. But disappointment is a very poorly chosen word for Machu Picchu, no matter how big the crowd or how bad the weather. It is the most beautiful and most spiritual city I have ever seen. Breathtaking might be the word to describe it even under unfavorable conditions.
After another night in Aguas Calientes, I took the 7am train to Santa Teresa and hit the road. After climbing and hiking around in an Inka city, visiting the little publicized, yet highly recommended thermal baths of Santa Teresa could've been a great idea, but I had missed you know who and our rides.
Almost as soon as we left the village, Katirga started sounding rather manly. I was relieved to see that the silencer was still in place, but it had broken. She sounded louder and meaner as we continued and the crack widened. Soon, we were being greeted by curious looks around every corner, as people seemed to be expecting a Lancia Delta Integrale steaming out of the curve sideways. Well, ok, maybe that was me visualizing. Pumped by her pretentious screams and mean compression burbles, we started flying over the washboard that we had before covered at only 15mph. We were now the Peruvians!
As we took the corner to the coffee shop in Ollantaytambo, another loaded bike appeared from the opposite corner. Side stands touched down, helmets came off. The (first) owner of the 19 year old BMW R100 with 200.000 miles on the clock was a gal from Switzerland traversing the globe on her own! We're talking Mongolia, Tibet, and all, on a machine that weighs 290 kgs unloaded. And here comes the punch line: Cecilia was out for a ride to test the new helicoil she had just put in. What the heck is a helicoil? Let me put it this way, for that to be "put in", the whole cylinder block comes out.
The road ahead of her, the one with 40 hairpins in 15 miles and a snowcap on top, was not only a great place to stress test an engine, but also a spectacular ride. So when I offered us to be her chase truck just in case, I wasn't really doing any favors. The helicoil held up fine, and we rode back to Cuzco together, this time over the Chinchero route.
Ultimately, the decision of how to get to Machu Picchu is not an easy one. Avoiding the crowds is only a dream and catching a sunrise rather than a gray sky takes a lot of luck. Spending a whole day up there also is a romantic idea, but possibly quite ambitious. The "train all the way" option can eliminate or minimize your Aguas Calientes time, and get you there well rested. The ride route is more adventurous and probably much more fun than sitting in a cabin, but again the "must ride" part of the trip is up to where the asphalt ends, and choosing the train would save you enough time to ride it for its own sake, or as an excuse to visit the Ollantaytambo site. As for the 3 day hike through the Inka trail option... Why, that's just crazy!
(DAY259 : Aguas Calientes & Machu Picchu)
Even today, the Inca marvel of Machu Picchu is remote and hard to reach. The ancient city is perched on top of a mountain, only connected to the village of Aguas Calientes settled below it. As this tourist trap / stop-over point is only reachable by railroad, all visitors must take Peru Rail's incredibly overpriced train to get there. Most tourists get on this slow train from Cuzco, then take the shuttle service or hike from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu. Those who wish to catch the sunrise or sunset at the site need to stay over at Aguas Calientes.
Getting on the train at one of the few stops between Cuzco and Aguas Calientes is also possible, but if you are staying in Cuzco that hardly saves you any time or money. If you'd rather ride than get locked up in a train car however, you can do so all the way to the little village of Santa Teresa, and catch the train at its last reachable stop before Aguas Calientes.
We left the hotel at 8 am and once again headed towards Pisac. 1 hour and 40 miles later we were filling up in Urubamba, at one of the last big gas stations en route. Another 15 minutes got us to Ollantaytambo which also hosts a significant Inca site. Past the cobblestone and dirt through town, we found ourselves on a freshly paved road which soon started twisting and turning out of control. After I counted 40 hairpins in the first 15 miles, it loosened up so Katirga could stretch her legs, but at this altitude all she could do was huff and puff. We continued climbing and were greeted by beautiful views of a peak with a bright snow cap. How lucky it was to have such a clear sky! And how come I wasn't getting any altitude sickness here? Oh well, I paid (30 cents!) for them, so I might as well chew the darn coca leaves anyway!
How do 40 hairpins in 15 miles grab you? (Did you say tight?)
Hellooo beautiful! Now where did I put those coca leaves?
As you might expect all the way up here, it was very, very cold. Thankfully, and only literally, it was all downhill from here. As we wound down on the smooth tarmac, the weather warmed up and the scenery got even more dramatic. That sure couldn't last. At 11am and 100 miles into the ride, the drama faded and the road turned to dirt washboard.
As we approached Santa Teresa, the 20mph pneumatic drill ride took an even more interesting turn when the road decided to pull a "Bolivian death road" impersonation. Had we not been sharing it with Peruvian drivers, I would have said not to worry.
A pneumatic drill ride with a view.
Here we go...
Just don't look down!
Maybe shouldn't look back either.
Road much less traveled.
When we finally arrived Santa Teresa, we were completely covered in dust and it was around 1:30pm. A 140 mile ride in five and a half hours! Still, we had plenty of time to catch the (only) train at 4:40pm.
We all now know how costly "bad intel" can be. From a friend, that is what I got. The last part of the road was bad, but the following part to "hidroelectrica" (the hydroelectric plant), where the train departs from, was absolutely terrible and had a lot of suicidal collectivo traffic. It's incredible that those overloaded Toyota cars and vans can survive that track. Ultimately I found that parking there was not an option after all, unless you don't mind chaining your bike to a wire fence in the middle of nowhere and leaving her there for a couple of days. Good thing we had time. By the time we got back to the village it was close to 3pm.
Shortly after I started looking for a place that could host Katirga, Angel found me. He already had an F650 from Germany parked at his small home/hostal/mini-market and could fit another bike. Excellent. (cell: 984274444, alfreyaku@hotmail.com, ask for Angel)
With Katirga secured for $1.30 a day, I took one of the collectivos and headed back to hidroelectrica. While lined up to buy the $0.65 train ticket for the special tourist price of $8, I got attacked by some of the most vicious flies. Then, covered in itchy bites that will later bleed, I took my seat among the local folk and chicken for the one hour ride to Aguas Calientes.
Chao bella. Katirga will stay at Angel's for 2 days while I visit Machu Picchu.
Boarding at the hydroelectric plant, the last reachable stop before Aguas Calientes.
The train ride is nice, but not 5 hours and $50 nice. Mine took 1 hour and cost $8.
Aguas Calientes, aka Machu Picchu village.
Finding a nice place wasn't easy, and this in a town which exists for tourism, at a time when it's quite empty. Terrazas del Inca Hostel is located right by the river and was clean and comfortable. At $14 including breakfast, it was also one of the more affordable options. (Terrazas del Inca Hostel, Calle Wiracocha s/n. Tel: 084-984-951388, contactos@terrazasdelinca.com)
The idea was to get there before the crowds and catch the sunrise, so I bought my tickets before heading out for a beer. Interestingly, I needed my passport to buy the $40 Machu Picchu pass. The shuttle ticket was $7 one way.
At 4:45 am the next morning, I was in a long line in front of the shuttle office. Inconveniently, that is what it takes to get on the first buses departing at 5:30. And disappointingly, even being on the first bus does not help you avoid the crowds that flood the place in a flash, and long before the sun shows its face from behind the surrounding peaks. But disappointment is a very poorly chosen word for Machu Picchu, no matter how big the crowd or how bad the weather. It is the most beautiful and most spiritual city I have ever seen. Breathtaking might be the word to describe it even under unfavorable conditions.
After another night in Aguas Calientes, I took the 7am train to Santa Teresa and hit the road. After climbing and hiking around in an Inka city, visiting the little publicized, yet highly recommended thermal baths of Santa Teresa could've been a great idea, but I had missed you know who and our rides.
Almost as soon as we left the village, Katirga started sounding rather manly. I was relieved to see that the silencer was still in place, but it had broken. She sounded louder and meaner as we continued and the crack widened. Soon, we were being greeted by curious looks around every corner, as people seemed to be expecting a Lancia Delta Integrale steaming out of the curve sideways. Well, ok, maybe that was me visualizing. Pumped by her pretentious screams and mean compression burbles, we started flying over the washboard that we had before covered at only 15mph. We were now the Peruvians!
As we took the corner to the coffee shop in Ollantaytambo, another loaded bike appeared from the opposite corner. Side stands touched down, helmets came off. The (first) owner of the 19 year old BMW R100 with 200.000 miles on the clock was a gal from Switzerland traversing the globe on her own! We're talking Mongolia, Tibet, and all, on a machine that weighs 290 kgs unloaded. And here comes the punch line: Cecilia was out for a ride to test the new helicoil she had just put in. What the heck is a helicoil? Let me put it this way, for that to be "put in", the whole cylinder block comes out.
The road ahead of her, the one with 40 hairpins in 15 miles and a snowcap on top, was not only a great place to stress test an engine, but also a spectacular ride. So when I offered us to be her chase truck just in case, I wasn't really doing any favors. The helicoil held up fine, and we rode back to Cuzco together, this time over the Chinchero route.
Ultimately, the decision of how to get to Machu Picchu is not an easy one. Avoiding the crowds is only a dream and catching a sunrise rather than a gray sky takes a lot of luck. Spending a whole day up there also is a romantic idea, but possibly quite ambitious. The "train all the way" option can eliminate or minimize your Aguas Calientes time, and get you there well rested. The ride route is more adventurous and probably much more fun than sitting in a cabin, but again the "must ride" part of the trip is up to where the asphalt ends, and choosing the train would save you enough time to ride it for its own sake, or as an excuse to visit the Ollantaytambo site. As for the 3 day hike through the Inka trail option... Why, that's just crazy!
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