Day 4: Peru, Machu Picchu: traveling to and from

We are halfway through our adventures and have reached the main reason we planned this trip: Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu translates into "Old Mountain." As we learned at Huaca Pucllano in Lima, the Peruvian names may sound complicated, but they are quite simple. Machu Picchu is also known as the "lost village," as in the Spaniards did not know about it, the locals knew it still existed.

Our day started with the hotel's breakfast buffet, which is a good way to start the day. I was so worn out from travels and altitude sickness I slept for 12 hours the night before. I woke up feeling much better.

Other than the first day's orientation session, this was the only time the 13 of us were together. We were seven Americans, four Canadians, and a couple I did not figure out where they were from. I did hear the wife speaking Romanian to two of the Canadian women traveling together. 

I believe nine of us were only on the seven day tour. The husband and wife from Canada and the couple I did not get to know were on the end a 26 day South American tour with Exoticca that meshed with other tours, such as ours. Unlike our group, though the wife said the other groups were together more than our group.

We drove about an hour to catch the hourlong train ride to Machu Picchu. From there we were had a thirty minute bus ride to the top of the mountain for our 2 pm tour. We would do the reverse to return to the hotel. By the end of the day someone commented it was like the 1987 Steve Martin film "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" without the airplane ride. It did feel like a lot of traveling for a two-hour tour.

Before we booked the trip I asked Don if he was okay with not hiking Machu Picchu. Many of the people who come into REI before their trips are planning the four-day hike. That was never in the cards for me. We did go on several hikes in Cusco, but I like sleeping in a real bed at the end of the day. He said he was, and I have to believe him.

Our seats were assigned. I was lucky to score a window seat on the left side of
the train. Kim, who did more research than I did, said the left side is the better one on the ride up. Hardly mattered for the ride back since it would be dark. The views were stunning. The views the whole day felt surreal. Everywhere I looked I felt like it was a backdrop in a photo studio and not the real thing.

We arrived in the town of Machu Picchu. The place is full of souvenir shops selling alpaca wear and restaurants designed to feed tourists. The whole area exists for the day trippers doing exactly what we were doing. None of it felt uncomfortable or rushed. Everyone had a role whether tourist or worker. It is similar in most resorts towns. I suppose there are places to stay, but the vast majority seem to sweep in for the day. Check off that they saw a seventh wonder of the world and move on to their next adventure. 

No judgement. I was just as guilty.

During our orientation on our first day we were told we would have a limited time in town, only enough time to grab a sandwich to go before we had to board the bus. We didn't even have that much time as we were hustled from the train station, past the free bathrooms, to the line for the bus. I was glad we grabbed a sandwich at the train station. Even that we barely had time to eat. It was awkward using the time on the train to eat or write because we were in clusters of three others (Don and I were separated) who may or may not have had food with them. I didn't want them reading my notes.

As we rode the bus up the switchbacks, I could see people walking alongside the road. The bus ride was about $4. Money very well spent. The people walking the switchbacks did not look like hikers. I suspect the hikers had an even more difficult path. I closed my eyes every time two buses passed each other. I can't imagine what the pedestrians did as often the road dropped off.

I'm going to break this post into two parts. The tour of Machu Picchu will be in a separate post.

After our tour, we were on the 7 pm train. I could see the shops shutting down even before we were on board. It starts up again the next day with another set of tourists. Though we were told the hotel restaurant (with its overpriced and mediocre food) would stay open late for us, we each managed to buy food in the town before getting on the train. I appreciated that the hotel stayed open late. We stopped in for a slice of cake to thank them. Most everyone else went to their rooms. Some of them were being picked up early for the next leg of the trip. On the other hand, we had an 11 am pick up.