Day 47 – Macchu Pichu

The day started at 2.30am. Probably one of the most difficult morning of this trip since I went to bed around midnight. So basically no sleep. It was raining outside and the bus came quite late to pick us up at the hotel. At approximately 3.15 am we were out and the driver was driving quite fast in the darkness of the Andean mountains to reach the town from where we would have caught the train to go to Aguas Calientes, the final gate to Macchu Pichu. The driver was late to pick us up and was trying to make up the time lost by driving faster and faster. It was very dangerous but at the same time it was the only way otherwise we would have not been able to go anywhere else. Fortunately and with a couple of kilos lost on the way for the speed we managed to jump few minutes before the train left. It was around 5am. The train was packed already, mostly Peruvian tourists on the way like us to Macchu Pichu. After 2 hours of train we arrived without managing to sleep even for 1 single minute unfortunately. We caught another bus from the station who brought us all the way up to the mountain. We finally reached around 8am the main entrance to the archaeological site. We started walking and after approximately 20 minutes, all of a sudden the scenery in front of us was simply as beautiful as you are used to see in postcards and pictures. The lost city of the Incas was standing there, right in front of me, with the green mountains and fat heavy clouds all around. I needed few minutes to really appreciate and understand that I was finally there. Little coloured Lamas where lazily walking all around while still few tourists where fast approaching the ruins. My guide was a smart Peruvian guide named Pedro; his knowledge of the site was great and he showed me and the rest of the little group I was part of, the amazing parts and chambers of the site. Around 11am the tour was over and William and I decided to take a rest. We fell asleep for a couple of hours between Lamas, on one of the many terraces facing the mountains. Needless to say what a magic atmosphere it was, especially when I opened my eyes again and having those kind of images as first thing to see. Obviously we were both conscious that it would have been a very long day since the train to go back was booked for 10pm. Except the wonders of Macchu Pichu, the area offers nothing if not in Aguas Calientes an incredible number of tacky hotels and restaurants. We decided to spend as much time as possible in Macchiu Pichu and so we did. We again crossed different paths, eating a small sandwich between rocks and old houses, trying to spot some condors and having small chats. Around 3pm we decide to leave this magical place. A place that after so many hours of wondering around, did become more easy to get around. A last glimpse and then back to pick up point to continue to the train station. The rest of the day was spent more on waiting the time to go back rather than everything else. The day has been already so fulfilling and rewarding, that the pain of the early morning and the trip to get there including the wait, was nothing compared to the beauty and the mystical atmosphere we enjoyed throughout all morning and early afternoon.

We returned back to the hotel at 2.30am, exactly 24 hours after we left. We were both exhausted but happy.

I have finally been in Macchu Pichu. One of those places that you often dream to visit but never know if you will ever manage to do it, at least for us Europeans. I made it and it was exactly as I expected it to be: awesome.

TWIMO!