For a lady who thinks being adventurous is pairing a chunk of cheese with a new wine, the thought of waking up at 4am to walk up 2800 very steep steps sounds like bollocks. But I did it! And it was worth every aching minute to see Machu Picchu.
Getting to Machu Picchu isn’t cheap. We had heard reports of people doing it on their own with a mix of public buses and trekking with an average cost of US$105 for 2 days. While walking around Cusco we noticed 2 day trips advertised for US$120 and we thought why not as at least we would know that we’d get there. The package deal included transport, food, accommodation and the entry fee to MP (entry is about US$50).
The following day we set out from Cusco with a party of five to the hidroelectrica where the train tracks to Aguas Calientes begin. The drive took around four hours and past some spectacular scenery. The walk along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes was beautiful with glimpes of Machu Picchu on the cliffs high above us. Aguas Calientes reminds me of a ski town – overpriced with a lot of pizza restaurants – but it was a nice place to spend an evening. Our “basic” accommodation included in our package turned out to be a small hotel room with a balcony looking over a river, and considering it was our first private room since Ecuador we were very impressed!
The following day meant a 4am start to walk up to Machu Picchu. I managed to complete the trek in 65 minutes and for most of the way I thought I was going to die from a lack of fitness. But once we reached the top, Machu Picchu absolutely took our breath away. We entered the site in time to watch the sunrise and our tour guide spent several hours showing us the different aspects of Machu Picchu. By 8am the place was crawling with tourists and we left the tour to explore some of the surrounding areas, including the Inca Bridge. The return journey involved climbing down to Aguas Calientes, a short train ride back to the hidroelectrica and the seemingly long drive to Cusco.
I had wondered if the hype surrounding Machu Picchu would mean my expectations were too high and I would be disappointed by the experience. But this was not the case! If anything Machu Picchu exceeded my expectations. The views were stunning and the sheer scale of the city, as well as what it would have taken to build it in such a precarious location, kind of blows your mind.
Chasing the Cheese 