Wednesday, 6 February 2019
Cusco, Peru
Having bought a timed ticket a few weeks ago to climb the Huayna mountain that towers over Machu Pichu at 0700hrs, I’m in two minds whether to get up. Climbed it already, when I was at the tender age of 31, which about killed me then. It affords cracking views of Machu Pichu that few will see.
So.
The options are.
Wake up at 0600hrs, have a quick brekkie, scoot off to the start point for 0700hrs and then climb about 260m up a very steep, slippery and treacherous footpath that clings to the side of a vertiginous rock face with a few thousand feet drop immediately below, with the possibility of giving oneself a heart attack, now I’m at that delicate age of 49 (in a few weeks).
Or.
Have a lie in. Have a leisurely breakfast. Read the paper. Genteel start to the day.
Erm.
Tricky one.
Lie in. Much needed sleep required. This high altitude is playing havoc with my systems!
No rain and clear skies. Actually quite hot even though it’s mid morning. A lot, lot busier at this time with tourists. Every 5mins a bus pulls up and discards its contents at the entrance gates to Machu Pichu. Entrance tickets are scanned, passports checked to make sure ticket name correlates.
Complete another tourist circuit of Machu Pichu. There are hordes of tourists. See specks of human at the top of Huayna mountain. Part of me thinks I should have tried as I’ll probably never be coming back to Machu Pichu. Part of me thinks, I’m knackered just climbing up those few steps to the sundial.
At one point I look back over the ruins of Machu Pichu and just see a continuous snake of tourists zig zagging down the one way system. The serenity of Machu Pichu I experienced back in 2001 will never be captured again.
Only two ways down the mountain side to the river and Aguas Calientes, 400m below. Walk or bus. Surprised by how many people are walking up and down the mountainside. Goes without saying that I opt for the bus.
Return to Cusco the way we came. Train to Ollantaytambo then bus to Cusco. Just outside Cusco, a young lad comes to the front of the bus and asks the girl bus assistant to come to the back. Emergency toilet stop required for his little sister. Girl assistant pleads with driver to pull over, “Por favor, por favor.”, she says. Driver wants to get home and is on a timetable. He relents and pulls into a fuel station. Little girl with her Mum jump off and go to the toilet. Which starts other people wanting to go. What should be a quick stop turns into 10mins and driver is huffing and puffing and constantly looking at his watch.
Return to Belmond Hotel Monasterio. Account has been kept open so a swift check in. Order suckling pig off the menu. A translation.
Assume it’s pig.
As in pork.
Waiter brings a dish covered with a silver cloche. “Guinea pig, Sir?”
Er.
What?!?
Oh flip.
Have I misunderstood the menu?
I really don’t want guinea pig tonight. Though would be prepared to try.
Waiter has that twinkle in his eye. He can see a worried TT.
He’s chuckling.
And then it becomes clear.
It’s his little joke.
It really is porky pig.
He’s laughing.
Git!
