We woke at 0300 at our tropical (and very Queensland like) campsite, Cola De Mono located at a warm temperature town called Santa Teresa. David whispered in my ear “happy birthday bubba”. Yes, it was my birthday and what a way to spend it. Visiting Machu Picchu… ????
Hitting the road at 0400 on a bumpy, dirt ride to Hydro Electica where we were going to park the bike up in the car park and start our 8 km walk up the train tracks to Machu Picchu Pubelo also known as Agnes Caliente, as this was the final access point for all vehicles and bikes. It was either walking up the train tracks or a train ride from here on out. We chose to walk. From Agnes Caliente we would catch the bus up to Machu Picchu as I didn’t really want to face walking up the million and one steep steps which was an option perhaps for a fitter person!!
The walk seemed to take for ever. I was so excited about seeing Machu Picchu I just wanted to get there. It has been on my bucket list for a very long time and to finally see it was going to be epic! It was sultry and slightly raining at 0430 when we started our hike. Our two-dollar ponchos came in handy even though we sweated like crazy underneath them. I thought we would have seen others doing the walk that morning but it was just David and I walking in darkness using our phones as light and then as the sun rose we could finally see all the beauty that was the mountains, running rivers and the birds making their morning calls. Not to mention the angry dogs who ran out to greet us as we walked past their homes… Thank god for dog face muzzles. ☹
When we arrived at Agnes Caliente it was just after 0700. The place was packed with people everywhere. What a busy and very tourist looking town it was. The line to board the bus to Machu Picchu was out of control long. I sighed as I looked at it, but thankfully we only waited in line for around thirty to forty minutes so it wasn’t too bad. The ride up to the entrance of Machu Picchu took thirty minutes and was a bumpy and all dirt journey. It amazed me to see two buses pass each other on this tiny thin dirt road high above the town we had just left. But they did it, with skill and with ease. And then we were there…… Hello Machu Picchu ????
The beauty and the history of Machu Picchu had me captivated from start to finish. I couldn’t believe I was standing there looking at the most historical ruins of all time, set high in the Andes Mountains, above the Urubamba River valley. Built in the 15th century and later abandoned, it’s renowned for its sophisticated dry-stone walls that fuse huge blocks without the use of mortar. The most intriguing buildings that play on astronomical alignments and panoramic views. Its exact former use remains a mystery.… It literally blew me away. We walked about 10 km up, down and around the whole of Machu Picchu taking in all its history and its enormity. After what seemed like most of the day we said our goodbyes to this Inca city and decided to catch the bus back to Agnes Caliente for some birthday lunch and a glass or two of vino tinto. ????
