Machu Picchu — we finally got here!

By Glen Bruels
This is part of a series called Galápagos Islands and Macchu Picchu 2022
Show More Posts

The day finally arrived for our trip to Machu Picchu. The only way to get to Machu Picchu is by train — or one of the many Inca Trails that lead to, or leave from the complex. There are no roads of any kind in the area. So everything has to come by train, whose track bed has washed out a few times over the past 10 years. The trip from Ollantaytambo (near where we were staying) to Aguas Calientes (or Machu Picchu City) takes about 1.5 hours with stunning scenery along the way. When we arrived in Aguas Calientes, it seemed like a madhouse with people moving in all directions. The town today is pretty crowded and seems to be pretty young with lots of 20-somethings waiting their turn to go up to the complex. This increase in tourism over the past 5 years (except for the devastating impact on COVID for 2 years) has created a lot of tourist-oriented jobs and there are now families, schools, etc. that are all thriving there. We walked around town for a while before it time to take our bus up to the complex. These buses whip around hairpin turns with ease (and a lot of speed), leaving us staring over sheer cliffs with no guardrails. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride came to mind.

Heading down to catch the train to Aguas Calientes
One of the Inca Trail porters. They schlep this stuff for 4 days on some pretty amazing terrain.
Here are the porters starting up the trail.
They have windows in the top of the train cars, which makes sense given the steepness of the canyons.
Everyone was supposed to be wearing masks, although an Italian group behind us (including the guide) seemed to be having a hard time remembering that…
Since there are no roads here, everything (and everyone) has to come by train
It was a bit like arriving at an airport with all the pick-up signs.
We had some time to kill before our time to go up to the complex, so we checked out the town. Lots of kitschy tourist shops selling Incan souvenirs made in China.
What you don’t really see is the two dogs humping in the background. It seemed an appropriate photo bomb…
Inside the local church. This is a replica of Black Jesus (the original sits in Cusco). This was part of an effort to bring the Incas along after plundering their temples and building their churches on top of them. Hearts and minds; hearts and minds…
This is Pachacuti, the Incan emperor credited with building not only Machu Picchu, but also many other architectural wonders within the Incan empire. In fact, he is regarded as the designer of the modern Incan empire.
No problem with water in Aguas Calientes. Great supply from Andes runoff and local springs.
Yeah, another love lock wall here too. I swear that the lock companies are promoting this worldwide.
Looking down at the river during Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride up to the Machu Picchu complex. There were a lot of squeals and fabric grabbing going on with the passengers!

Machu Picchu is probably the best remaining site that shows the power of the Inca Empire in its heyday. Despite being on this high ridge, this complex of palaces and plazas, temples, and home provided nearly everything for its residents — fertile soil, spring fed water, visibility in all directions, and multiple trails leading in multiple directions. It is then we learned about the discovery controversy and the misnaming.  The explorer that “discovered” Machu Picchu was Hiram Bingham and he was actually looking for another site.  A guide brought him to the site which was already being farmed by a local indigenous family.  The other issue is that the mountain behind the complex is actually Huayna Picchu (Machu Picchu is the mountain behind the complex.  While this may seem like a trivial detail, it strongly defended by the Peruvians.  Anyway, the complex is surrounded on three sides by the Urubamba River, some 2000 feet below. Nearly all the structures here are from the original city, started in the late 14th century and abandoned before the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. There are a myriad of trails that lead through the complex and Deb and I agreed that she would take the lower section, and I would take the top. As we prepared to start our climb, the skies opened up and the first part of our hike was pretty miserable. When our group reached the top you couldn’t see the complex at all. Needless to say, this was pretty disheartening. But our guide said we would stay there for a while and, sure enough, the rain stopped and the clouds started breaking up. Within an hour, the skies were blue and we continued our journey. Ultimately, we toured through all of the areas were open to us (they close various areas except for certain times a day to reduce the wear and tear on the original trails, steps, etc. In addition to the beauty of the structures, we also saw a lot of wildlife including llamas and chinchillas. After nearly 4 hours of hiking we were ready for a libation and a ride back home. The bus ride down was no slower, but we felt more confident.

We waited for the crowds to go down before hiking into the complex. Unfortunately, it started to pour, reducing the visibility severely. This is where Deb and I split — I went up and she went down.
Working our way up the terraces; the Guanacos were at it again!
When we arrived at the terraces by the Guardian House (the location to take the iconic shot), this is what we saw. Needless to say, we were a bit despondent.
But our guide told us to wait and, in about 15 minutes, the clouds began to break up.
Team Guanacos made it!
It’s amazing to think how this place could be built 2000 feet above the river, but it was somewhat protected by the mountains around it, had natural springs feeding it, had fertile soil for farming, and even an on-site quarry to build the structures.
Ultimately, we made our way down to visit all the structures in the center of the complex…
… including the Temple of the Sun, the principal astronomical center in the complex.
Meanwhile, Deb was off with her guide and one other lady exploring on their own.
There were lots of opportunities for “frame shots.”
We had the opportunity to see lots of wildlife, from the big (like these llamas)…
… to the small, like this chilling chinchilla.
Looking back on the terraces gave us a whole different perspective on the steepness of this place.
And by late afternoon, we basically had the place to ourselves.
Like heights? Neither do I…
As we were leaving, the clouds were starting to drift back into the valley.

The real treat for the evening was riding back to Ollantaytambo on the Hiram Bingham  a Belmond luxury train with 1920s vintage carriages where we had drinks and dinner. Belmond does luxury train trips all over the globe.  As I noted before, the track bed on this line isn’t great and we were really rocking and rolling — and yet, the waiters were walking down the passageway carrying trays of drinks without spilling a drop! Anyway, we returned to the hotel late and immediately crashed. Tomorrow we are heading to Cusco!

Boarding the Hiram Bingham for our ride back.
Lovingly restored with very elegant interiors
Even the bathrooms were elegant.
Waiting for those well-deserved cocktails and then rabbit ravioli!
This entry was posted in Peru, South America, Travel
Glen Bruels

I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.

Related Posts