Edson, a new guide from the Metropolitan tour company that Trailfinders have sub-contracted us to, is waiting for us this morning, along with our previous driver Cira. The twenty minute journey culminates with a boneshaking drive into Ollantaytambo along cobbled streets, at which point we leave our large luggage bags with Cira, who will be ferrying them ahead of us to Cusco, and board the train to Aguas Calientes, the entry point for Machu Picchu, with just our overnight bags, sun cream and cameras.
On our way to Machu Picchu
Our particular mode of locomotive is called the Vistadome and features huge windows and overhead panels, giving an enhanced view of the spectacular scenery we pass through. Luxurious seats and lovely wooden tables laid with Andean cloths add to the experience; a far more genteel way to travel than the packed regular train which we had waved off from the platform before us. We sit on the left hand side for the best views, drinking coffee and eating carrot cake as we sedately trundle along.
After a while we pass the village of Chuca, behind which sits an enormous peak, named Veronica, well over 5000 metres high. The Urubamba river beside us, despite being at its lowest level, has swirling rapids as water tumbles through its rocks, and the scenery is absolutely breath-taking. Soon we come to Piscacucho, the starting point for the Inca Trail and across the river bank see hardy souls setting off, although the majority of their luggage seems to be on the backs of their Peruvian guides, rather than weighing themselves down.
Jesus, our waiter, mixes us all pisco sours at our tables. It seems a little early for a cocktail as it’s only just gone 10am by this point, but hey… when in Peru! As we continue past Pampacahua, we move into a new ecological zone comprising cloud forest and high jungle with orchids, birds and mammals unlike the Sacred Valley. The vegetation becomes lusher, whilst the gorges and dramatic scenery continues with jaw-dropping splendour.
Mount Veronica
After nearly 90 minutes, we spot a helicopter pad marked with stones and a sign saying Machu Picchu, and we come to a halt at Aguas Calientes train station. Awaiting us are a new tour rep and also a bell boy from our hotel who takes our overnight bag from us. The rep leads us through the market, which sits literally on the station’s doorstep, and down the hill to the bus stop, which is right outside the Sumaq Hotel, our rather luxurious lodgings for the night, and plonks us straight onto a bus to the summit.
We’ve hardly had time to catch our breath before the 25 minute white-knuckle drive up the mountainside begins, a zig-zagging, hairpin-bend-turning ascent on bumpy roads through cloud forest to the entrance to Machu Picchu, outside which huge queues of people are waiting to descend, having already completed their morning visit.
Machu Picchu
We have 45 minutes to wait for our guide, Edy, so base ourselves in Tinkuy, the restaurant of the Sanctuary Lodge Belmond Hotel, and have an early lunch at their rather perfunctory buffet, fortifying ourselves for the afternoon ahead.
Machu Picchu means Old Mountain and was so-named by its early 20th century discoverer, the American adventurer and historian Hiram Bingham. Once through the gates at midday, Edy first shows us the bronze plaque in honour of Bingham, and while differing views of his approach exist - heroic pioneer vs cultural plunderer - there’s no doubt that he truly uncovered a lost city; one of the real wonders of the world.
Stunning Machu Picchu
Words and pictures can’t do the site justice, its vast and beautiful construction proving beyond all expectation, but Edy is a brilliant guide, bringing everything to life. The three of us hike around the site for over two hours, his information and excellent knowledge of where to take the best photos proving invaluable. He describes how all the various Inca sites we know of, and have seen so far, mirror both the constellations of Milky Way and also various sacred earthly animals - llama, panther, condor, snake - denoting the three stages of existence; heaven, earth and the underworld.
Despite the large amount of other visitors, we don’t feel too crowded and slowly circuit through all the main sites – the Sacred Plaza, Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Condor, the vast terraces and stone buildings. I climb up to the Intihuatana stone alone, which precisely announced the equinoxes, Coman opting for a less vertiginous route, and above everything looms Huanu Picchu, the famous mountain that sits beyond the ruins on all the shots. It’s genuinely thrilling to be in the middle of somewhere so legendary and exotic, which has captured my imagination since I was young.
Machu Picchu
Once our tour is complete, we get out passports inked with Machu Picchu’s very own stamp, and Edy accompanies us back down, giving us some tips for our solo visit tomorrow morning, and recommending that we don’t bother queuing to head back up the mountain before dawn with all the other visitors as it’s a pointless waste of time. We check into the Sumaq Hotel and immediately ask to change rooms, requesting something quieter than the ground floor room we’ve been allocated next to the bar and lifts. A few minutes later we’re in a fourth floor room, with balcony looking out on the river. Always worth the ask…
Aguas Calientes is essentially a tourist town. It only sprang up a few decades ago to service the needs of the ever-growing stream of back-packers and sightseers that pass through. It’s cute enough and pretty much comprises solely restaurants, bars, hotels and shops, all selling the same mind-numbing array of colourful souvenirs. We snap photos and buy a small painting and throw for the spare bed and head back to the hotel for cocktails, a bath and to dress for dinner.
Main square in Aguas Calientes
Despite there being scores of funky restaurants, our travel company have arranged a dinner at the Sumaq for us, but being knackered from all the travelling we don’t mind, so we dine very well on vegetable carpaccio and quinoa tabbouleh, fettuccine a la Mediteraneo and yet another vegetable risotto. The food isn’t quite up to the standards of Sol Y Luna, though far from a pale imitation. The dessert, however, is very different; lucuma ice cream with warm coffee sauce. A Native Andean fruit, the lucuma has a taste similar to butterscotch and is a pretty unique flavour, although not one we’d want to eat every day.
We wash it down with a half bottle of Intipalka Peruvian Malbec, keeping it firmly local, before getting an early night in preparation for another long day tomorrow. It’s hard work this holidaying lark!
