Tuesday, 5 February 2019
Machu Pichu, Peru
The day begins as it ended yesterday. At Wanchaq railway station in Cusco. Due to it being the rainy season, the ‘Train to Machu Pichu’ is now the ‘Bi-Modal Bus and Train to Machu Pichu’. 2hr bus journey replaces the first section of railway between Cusco and Ollantaytambo because of the risk of landslides on the tracks. It’s a normal bus. So a tight fit for Mr Long Legs. Girl in front is told not to when she reclines her seat shortly after departing as knees are crushed.
Stop after an hour at a viewpoint for a short toilet stop and leg stretch. Toilets are disgusting and glad I’m a bloke. More souvenir sellers complete with llamas but no one is buying. Fantastic view down into the valley below. Low cloud hanging above the mountains in front make for an atmospheric vista.
Arrive Ollantaytambo. Very touristy now and not how I remember it from 2001. Far too many tourists here but this is nothing, as I am soon to discover shortly.
Train from Ollantaytambo station alongside the raging river. Rainy season is in full flow. Another marvellous feat of engineering to create a railway line that hugs the cliff face along the narrow canyon to Aguas Calientes, the village at the foot of Machu Pichu. Very steep mountains rise up from river level to tower over the tracks. Lush green jungle type landscape now as we approach the end of the line.
Disembark and have to walk through a large covered market, selling the usual tourist tat, to the bus stop to catch the shuttle bus up the mountain to Machu Pichu. It’s raining. Hard. And it’s hot. And humid. I know it’s 18 years since I last came here but staggering to see so much more tourism and development.
Local directs me to the bus stop down the hill. Walk in the warm pouring rain. In need of a bus ticket which will surely be sold at the bus stop. Won’t it?! Nope. Directed back up the steep hill for two blocks then a left to the ticket office. Why. Oh. Why put it there?
Needing a ticket going up today but down tomorrow confuses the bloke on the counter who doesn’t endear himself further when he snatches passport out of my hand. Everything you buy here needs ID which is then checked as you use tickets. Assume it’s to prevent touts?
Tickets purchased and back down the hill in the pouring rain to the bus stop, getting drenched. The shuttle bus is the only means of transport up the hill for tourists, who are primarily day trippers with small bags. However. This tourist is fortunate enough to be staying overnight at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, right next to the entrance to Machu Pichu. And so has a large rucksack. Which is being looked at quizzically by bus attendant. He’s tutting and puffing his cheeks in that, I don’t think that’ll fit mate, sort of way. There’s a bag storage office adjacent the bus stop for tourists to store heavy bags. Well mate, it’s like this…am staying at the hotel…so will not be relinquishing my bag. He relents and am allowed on with bulky bag. Another tight fit in a seat that’s too small. Half hour journey up no end of hair pin bends up the mountain side to the entrance. Single track dirt road all the way up makes for a very bumpy ride.
Still pouring with rain. Low clouds mean you can’t even see the mountains. Jump off the bus and enter the calm sanctuary of the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge (https://www.belmond.com/hotels/south-america/peru/machu-picchu/belmond-sanctuary-lodge/). Greeted at check in by a young girl with the words, “Welcome back!”. Blimey. It’s been 18 years. The other startling thing is that said young girl is the absolute spitting image of my youngest lighting fairy. It’s her Peruvian twin.
Upgraded to a room with a view. Wow. Can sit on my private terrace overlooking Machu Pichu’s Huayna mountain. So very lucky!
Still pouring down with rain after lunch but have a timed ticket so better use it. Fully waterproofed up with Gore-Tex coat and trousers and off I go. All wrapped up against the inclement weather. But. No sooner have I gone through the entrance and walked a few paces the rain suddenly stops. The clouds clear. Sun appears and blue sky rolls in. It’s now hot. And dry. Strip off soggy waterproofs which then have to be lugged about.
There’s now a one way system around Machu Pichu. To accommodate all the sodding tourists. There are thousands. It’s been spoilt. Back in 2001, you could wander about anywhere and as we were staying at the Sanctuary Lodge hotel adjacent the entrance, we could wait in Machu Pichu until all the tourists (and there weren’t that many from memory) had gone and I recall just being in Machu Pichu at the day’s end and how peaceful it was. Not now. There’s a procession of tourists following the one way route. Plenty of guards keep a watchful eye and blow their whistles to anyone doing anything, or going anywhere, they shouldn’t.
Incredibly lucky to be here again for the second time and incredibly lucky that the weather has improved. Stunning views over the 15th century citadel from above. It was later abandoned in the 16th century and, of course, re-discovered by Hiram Bingham in the early 20th century.
Like Antarctica, photographs don’t do it justice.
You have to see it for yourself.
