They wanted me to sign their guest book. After I did so, the cook was none too pleased that I wrote my comments in English. She wanted me to sign it in my mother tongue (Tamil). After racking my brains, for some simple phrase and spending some more time to conjugate the phrase letter-by-letter (it's been a long time since I actually wrote something in Tamil), I finally did it. The Cook is a Hare Krishna devotee and loves India. The cook's assistant loves Israel. The owner is a believer and practitioner of Inca religion and rituals. She is also a yoga practitioner. We had an enjoyable conversation on these things (religion / Yoga / Spirituality etc.) even though they hardly spoke English and my Spanish was poor.
On leaving the restaurant, I struck up a conversation with a pair of girls from California who were dining in the restaurant as well. We chatted for a while about our Itineraries and plans. We traded e-mail addresses and parted. They had completed the Inca Trail and were heading to Puno while I had come from Puno and was heading to Macchu Picchu. Returned to the hotel and requested a wake-up call at 5 AM, packed a small bag for the overnight stay at Macchu Picchu, wrote my diary and went to bed.
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The day dawned at 5 AM (for me, anyway). After depositing my large bag in the luggage room at the Hotel, I finished breakfast and was ready by 5:45 AM. I waited at the entrance to my Hotel for my Contact from Big Foot to show up. She finally arrived at 6:10 AM and we reached the Station at 6:20 AM. On reaching the Station, she gave me the Train Ticket (from Cusco to Aguas Calientes) and the Bus Ticket (from Aguas Calientes to Macchu Picchu) and escorted me to my Coach / Seat on the train. While the train ticket was for Today, the bus ticket was dated May 13, 1999. For some reason Margaret had presumed that I would be travelling to Macchu Picchu tomorrow, even though I would be reaching Aguas Calientes (30 Minutes from Macchu Picchu) by 10 AM today. When I informed her that I would be travelling to Macchu Picchu today, she went to consult with the main ticket agent. (Most of these tour operators buy the rail/bus tickets from the principal travel agent, who presumably buys it in bulk) Margaret came back and informed me that the Bus ticket would be valid either today or tomorrow. I'll find out when I get to Aguas Calientes.
The train departed at 6:30 AM. The one-way fare was US $ 17. Breakfast and coffee are included in the ticket price. Since I already had breakfast at the hotel, I skipped the one offered on the train. No vendors are allowed on the train. (Unlike the economy class train from Puno to Cusco) The seats (though cushioned) are NOT very comfortable.
The train climbs out of the city of Cusco in a double Z pattern (imagine two 'Z''s, one above the other). Since there is not enough space for the train to make a U-turn, the train does a pull / push method to climb through the double-Z pattern. To accomplish this, manual changing of the tracks is required and railway men are present to pull the levers to change the path of the train. This process takes about 45 minutes before the train leaves Cusco and descends in to the valley. It was the first time I had seen something like this being done. The ride is quite scenic along the way. The first stop for the train is Ollantaytambo, from where most Inca Trails start. The Natural beauty between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes is nothing short of spectacular. Mountains on either side of the tracks, blue skies and the Urubamba River running alongside can't be beat. We reached Ollantaytambo around 8:30 AM and after a 15-minute halt, continued on to Aguas Calientes. We reached Aguas Calientes around 10 AM.
Got out of the train and followed the line of tourists to the bus stop. (A 5-minute walk) A fleet of buses wait there to take us to Macchu Picchu. A conductor checks the tickets and ensures that the buses are filled to the exact capacity. I got in on the second bus and we set off to the top. (I had no problems with the ticket being dated tomorrow) This is a zigzag drive up a muddy road. Since it was raining lightly, the mud had turned to slush in some places. These Mini-Buses have a speed limit of 40 Mph and for the most part our bus was going at 15-20 Mph. For those of you familiar with the southern part of India, this is akin to travelling to Tirumala (from Tirupati), without the luxury of a well-paved road (or) a separate road for vehicles coming downhill. Vehicles going to and coming from Macchu Picchu use the same road. Make for interesting maneuvers at times. Took some pictures along the way. The scenery was too good to resist. We reached the top around 11 AM. My Hotel (Macchu Picchu Ruinas, Phone: 221-0826 / 440-8043) was a 2-minute walk. On reaching the reception, I presented my Accommodation Voucher (provided by GAP) only to be told that no reservation existed under my name! (This always happens to me) They graciously offered to give me a room anyway, while they tried to check with their Cusco / Lima offices for a reservation under my name. Finally they told me that they need my Credit Card to guarantee payment, until Barbara shows up tomorrow and pays them in cash. The tour companies should co-ordinate these things better. It would certainly not bankrupt them to send a fax (or two) to these folks, requesting a reservation for me.
Since Lunch was about to be served, I decided to have lunch before starting my exploration of Macchu Picchu. It was a buffet and the price was a whopping S/- 54 ! (US$ 17). I promptly charged it to my card and set about trying to get my money's worth. Being a vegetarian, I could hardly do justice. The Soup / Salad / Spaghetti and Garbanzo beans were splendid. After filling myself with fruit salad and coffee, I arose from my table a satisfied man.
The entrance to the ruins is located just outside the hotel dining area. The entry fee was either US$10 (or) S/- 34. I forked out the $10 and entered the ruins around 12:30 PM. The weather was lousy. It was raining lightly and there was a thick cloud cover. I was disappointed. Nevertheless, I continued on into the ruins and started shooting my pictures. After about 20 minutes, the rain stopped and the cloud cover started to lift. I visited the Royal sector first before moving onto the sacred area. The 'South American Handbook' simply sucks, when it comes to describing the ruins in detail. It provides no Maps of the ruins, which is lousy, especially for those interested in Archaeology.
I continued to the sacred area and the main square at my own pace. The rain had completely stopped by now. I was able to get some great views of the valley where I could see the Urubamba River and the train tracks next to it. I did see some 'Pullman' coaches waiting on an unused track. ('Pullman' is the semi-luxury coach that I rode on when I arrived at Aguas Calientes this morning.) I presume these would be used this evening to haul passengers from Aguas Calientes to Cusco. I went to the sacred rock and the gate to Huayna Picchu from where one can get great views of Macchu Picchu (especially during Sunrise). It looked to be an extremely steep hike and I dropped the Idea of going up Huayna Picchu. Continued to the living quarters and spent close to 45 minutes there. The time was around 2 PM and most of the crowd had departed. (Presumably to catch the train leaving for Cusco around 4 PM). I decided to walk all the way up the terraces. It took me around 25 minutest to do that.
On reaching the top, I was thrilled. This was the Image of Macchu Picchu, I had seen in countless pictures. It was an awesome sight. The Royal sector, Sacred area, Main square and living quarters were all visible with Huayna Picchu forming the backdrop. The Photo-Op I had waited for was here. Took multiple shots (as Insurance) and lingered on for a while appreciating the beauty of this place. Since there was nothing much to see, I left the place around 4 PM and made my way down. Just outside the entrance to the ruins, there is a small shop selling souvenirs and food / drinks. Had a soda to quench my thirst before heading back to my room.
The view from my Hotel room (Number 36) of the Hotel Garden, the surrounding Mountains and the clouds was too good to pass up. Took a couple of pictures before heading down to the lobby. The stragglers were coming out of the ruins (It closes at 5 PM) and the last buses of the day were getting ready to head down to Aguas Calientes. There is nothing to do here ! I should have bought a book to read. Wrote my diary till dinnertime (7 PM). If one can arrange accommodation in Aguas Calientes for a day or two and ensure that they can pick up the first bus (6 AM) to the ruins and the last bus out of here (5 PM), it would be a lot cheaper than staying here. At the very least one can walk around the town of Aguas Calientes. 2 days (in my Opinion) would be more than sufficient to explore every nook & cranny in Puentas Ruinas (Macchu Picchu).
Although the entry fee to Macchu Picchu is US$ 10 the first time, it is US$ 5 on the second day of your visit to the ruins, if you can produce your ticket stub from the prior day. I am planning to do that tomorrow. I outdid myself at dinner for a tab of S/- 57 (US$ 18). The food was good and I did not feel bad about the price. A word on the Climb at Macchu Picchu: Unlike the other sites I have visited thus far, Macchu Picchu is a lot easier to climb. Bear in mind, that I am not quite fond of strenuous hikes. Out here, the steps are quite broad and hence the climb is easier and less scary. Will try and spend a couple of hours (more) at the ruins tomorrow morning.
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Woke up at 5 AM with the intention of viewing the sunrise from the ruins. A peek out of the window put a damper on my plans, since it was too cloudy. Eventually got up at 6 AM and entered the ruins around 7 AM. On producing my entry stub for the previous day, I was required to pay US $5 towards the entrance fee. I immediately encountered Barbara & Pukhi (her dog). I explained the problem I encountered at the hotel yesterday and we walked back to the hotel to settle my bill. The room rent was a single night was US $ 225!!! (I would not have paid more than $70 for it). Barbara was equally surprised as I was at this price. She did not have the required cash. But she managed to charm the hotel folks and agreed to remit the amount to their Cusco Office the next day. The Hotel folks even returned the Blank Credit Card receipt that I had signed yesterday (before I checked in). I heaved a big sign of relief on getting it back.
We walked back towards the ruins. Met other members of the group and exchanged pleasantries. Mauro (the guide) gave us a guided tour of the ruins lasting around 2 hours. His explanations were good. Following this, I wandered around the ruins (on my own) for an hour and completed yet another roll of film. I walked back to the main gate and chatted with other members of the group who had gathered there. We were told that we had to shell out US $ 3 for the bus ride back to Aguas Calientes. Apparently GAP expects all members to get back to Aguas Calientes by WALK ! We reached Aguas Calientes around 1:15 PM. We had lunch at a Pizzeria. Went for some shopping on the streets of Aguas Calientes. Bought 3 T-shirts for S/- 25 (US $8). We made our way to the train station around 3:45 PM. We did not get Pullman tickets. We had to settle for economy class instead. |
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