Machupicchu

It's cold and rainy today and we're feeling the after effects of a hard day on the Inca trail. We left our hostel three days ago in search of a glimpse of the lost Inca city. Arriving in Cusco was impressive. The city is planned in the shape of a puma, the animal most sacred to the Inca's. From Cusco we jumped on a small local bus to Urubamba about and hour or so up the mountain. We were the only foreign tourist on the bus but we were told going this route would be more rewarding. In Urubamba I noticed most of the houses had crosses with two bulls flanking the symbol. I had no idea what this meant but I knew we were getting closer to Machupicchu.

From Urubamba we climbed into a 10 seater colectivo where a number of passengers were already waiting. I have found that I enjoy the way people take public transportation in other countries. Our colectivo was packed but four people waiting on the side of the road in the middle of an agricultural district climbed right on in and with one man on Mateo's lap and another right in my face we found a way to slide the door closed and chug further up the mountain to Ollantaytambo. No one left behind.

Peru is beautiful! The colors across the land make it look like a patchwork quilt and the dialects and clothing are so vibrant. It's a culture I don't believe I have ever been privileged to. In Ollantaytambo we bought our way overpriced tickets to Agua Calientes (AC), the Machupicchu pueblo. With 3 hours to spare we sat in the town square ate choclo con queso (huge corn and cheese) and watched tourist try to sneak pictures of the Inca Trail porters who were wearing traditional Peruvian garments.

2 hours after leaving Ollantaytambo we made it to AC and settled in for the night. At 5 am the adventure began. In the dark on the previous night the shadow of the mountain was a bit intimidating and at 5 am the dark was still looming. We bought our tickets and began the 5km walk straight up. We met a large group of Semana Santa worshippers who were walking in a candle light vigil carrying a huge cross. With a few days until Easter there's a lot of re-enactments of the Passion in this area. We broke through the crowd and met a raging river and a stone staircase with a small sign reading " a Maccupicchu" to Macchupicchu.

The sounds, smells, temperature and feeling in my chest were all incredible. At over 11'000 ft elevation the clouds are just right on your shoulder. Some of it must have been in my chest too because I was sucking so much air I was finding it hard to believe I was once an athlete. Surprisingly we passed other mountain goers and one poor guy was really on the brink of giving up saying a very loud "NEVER AGAIN". Mateo was dripping with sweat but passing people no less and calling back for me every once in a while. I was there but, my goodness...

At the top sweet victory and when we walked passed the control tower into this unbelieveable pristine lost civilization I didn't want to leave. Can you believe the Spanish missed this huge community on their conquest. It's a good thing they did and it's a good thing the Inca knew how to keep a secret. Only in 1911 was it discovered, centuries later.

The morning sunrise is a great time to get there. Very few group tours are there and watching the clouds reveal and cover the city minute after minute is like opening a present and then closing it to open it again with the same pleasantly surprised look on your face. I could have stayed up there for days. Well we did stay for 12 hours and went even higher to a point that looks down on the ruin. That is a story in itself. Let's just say we came down on our hands and butts. What a site.

So that was Machupicchu for us. The rustic route. Now it's off to Ecuador. We probably won't have contact for a few days but stay tuned to see where we make it to. Our destination is a small village east of Otavalo, just outside of Quito. Talk to you soon.

Joronda