Waking up today at 4:00am was really tough, but we made sure to get up so we would be one of the first groups at Macchu Picchu. We left the hostel at 4:30am to start our ascent up to Macchu Picchu. It was still really dark outside, so we had to use our flashlights extensively. We walked from Aguas Calientes to the first checkpoint for Macchu Picchu, which took about 20 minutes. Next, we stated our ascent up the long flight of stairs on the way up. Looking back, I probably wouldn’t do this again if I had the option to go back. Don’t get me wrong, I thought that it was really rewarding. The only thing was that the climb up was 1869 stairs, which was extremely exhausting. Adding to the exhaustion was the fact that we completed the stairs in only 47 minutes. In fact, by the time I got to Macchu Picchu at 5:45am, I was already exhausted. We rested for a bit before starting our tour of Maacchu Picchu at 6:30am. Our tour guide was another guy from Lorenzo Expeditions, Wilbur.
Our tour of Macchu Picchu was really cool, especially since it was really cloudy, contributing to a mystical feeling. Watching the clouds float by and obscure Macchu Picchu before leaving Macchu Picchu clear later was something I will never be able to explain sufficiently in words. Our tour lasted about two hours and covered most of the major sites at Macchu Picchu. After the tour, we relaxed for a bit before starting our trek up Macchu Picchu Mountain.
The Macchu Picchu Mountain is one of the tougher climbs in the area. Most people who climb a mountain at Macchu Picchu climb Huayna Picchu, which is the easier climb. However, the Macchu Picchu Mountain gives a better view, and also is higher than Huayna Picchu. It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to climb to the summit, and there were a great deal of stairs once again. Along the way, there were multiple viewpoints, each offering a different angle of Macchu Picchu. At the beginning, I didn’t think that the view was going to get any better, but each viewpoint was more impressive than the one before. The consequence of all this climbing was that we were extremely tired once we reached the top. However, it was completely worth it. I felt like I was literally in the clouds, and the aerial view of Macchu Picchu and Huayna Picchu was absolutely amazing. The was a flag on the top of the mountain and a small hut, and we relaxed up there for about 40 minutes before starting our trek down the mountain.
The girls in our group had told us that they were leaving to go back to the United States tomorrow, so they left Macchu Picchu right after we descended down Macchu Picchu Mountain. I’m not sure if I will ever see any of the people in our tour group again, but I can at least keep in touch over Facebook. I said goodbye to the girls and then walked around Macchu Picchu a bit longer with Corey. We had already seen everything through the tour and our climb up the mountain, so we made one last pass through the area before leaving to go back to Aguas Calientes. I was pretty exhausted from all the physical exertion today, so I decided to take the bus back to Aguas Calintes rather than descending the more than 1800 stairs.
When I arrived at the hostel, Corey and I went out to grab a bite to eat. Something I found to be really interesting was the practice of being able to bargain at restaurants in Aguas Calientes. For example, our meal we wanted was going to cost 45 soles per person. However, through a little bit of bargaining, I was able to get the price down to 25 soles. We both ended up getting a mixed grill plate, which had trout, chicken, steak, French fries, and salad.
After dinner, Corey had to catch his train back to Cuzco, so I said bye to him for the last time. Hopefully we will see each other again, but if not, Facebook should be helpful. I relaxed and took a quick shower in the hostel and even took a little nap before going out to eat again later with John and Derek. This time, I had an Alpaca steak. Although this sounds kind of strange, I assure you that it wasn’t bad. Alpaca tastes very much like beef, except it is much leaner. You can think of it kind of like lamb in a way. Afterwards, we grabbed some food for the train ride back home. Since we have a train tomorrow at 5:30am, we promptly went to sleep when we returned to the hostel.
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