There are many ways to get to Machu Picchu. You can train or bus it. You can stay at a hostel, camp or luxury hotel. Then there is trekking; which offers quite a few options as well. My plan from the beginning was to trek the famous, Classic Inca Trail, which is a 4 day trek mostly along the original trail leading to the Lost City. Unfortunately due to a couple work-stoppage strikes, my best laid plans were put to rest, but I was able to arrange a trek along a little less popular route - Lares. Seeing the goal is to see Machu Picchu, I wasn’t too concerned in the means I need to take to get there.
Thankfully we (a small group of 8: a young couple from NYC, two retired Texans, two Chinese sisters, the guide, Neko, and myself), set out on Friday morning starting with a dip in the hot springs. Once we were nice & relaxed, not to mentioned fed, we started walking in the valley leading away from Lares, towards Condor Pass. Hiking over 12k feet (heading towards the peak of 13,500ft on this trek) was fairly simple for my lungs as they had been acclimatized by the months in Cusco. Equipped with my new walking stick bought at the market, I was able to enjoy the surreal beauty of the Andes.
The High Andes are striking; the mountains we walked on were remarkably soft & green, their peaks seemed to sky to the clouds but their peaks rolled gently to the next massive mound. The grass, where the abundant Alpacas & Llamas hadn’t buffeted, was long and swayed with the constant breezes from the east. There were plenty of waterfalls that carved through the countryside rushing the melted snow & fresh rains down to the creeks & rivers. Standing guard over the soft mountains like their disapproving big brothers were these jagged beasts, with razor edges, covered in white powder and sharpened by the harsh winds. Even the stout clouds that passed through could not serve as a screen to their authority; it was all I could do to not stare at them.
With that, we trekked for three days, up & down switchbacks, covering kilometer after kilometer of the softer, yet challenging, peaks while the big brothers glared down on us. The highlight point was the Condor Pass, as we broke camp at 12,250ft, and within 3hrs, cleared the summit of over 13,500ft. I was fortunate enough to lead the group on this excursion, and the joy I felt once I reached the top will be chronicled with any other of my “accomplishments.” Eventually we made our way to Aguas Caliente (the town just below Machu Picchu); this after two nights camping in the below zero temps, wonderful food (I even enjoyed the soup & hot chocolate), and me carrying my own equipment - the time was finally here - Machu Picchu.
We woke before 4am and were standing at the gates by 6am; the city guarded by a hybrid of the mountains we’d just crossed. All around the city this imposing bowl of peaks that stretched to the heavens but instead of white caps, these were adorned with thick vegetation; you could take a swatch of mountain and easily find two different dozens plants co-existing. Alas, once the gates opened and the sun started to cress over the peaks, its rays exposed those big brothers again, sitting not too far in the distance, letting the morning dawn strike off its white with great passion. The whole range awoke instantly.
The city itself is a wonderful tribute to the power of the Andes. We learned in our tour that the Incas believed in the power of the Andes, themselves Gods, and they need to be worshiped, showed respect & paid a high reverence to. The whole city of Machu Picchu is dedicated to the mountains; there are dozens of carvings in the likeness of the peaks, depending on the time of day & year, the sun will cast shadows all over the city paying homage. We kneeled at a couple of the altars in the temples dedicated to Water, Earth, Wind & Fire where llamas were sacrificed. We saw the advanced vegetation terraces, the experimental terraces where they tried to see what food & plants would grow under what circumstances. We walked through the housing that had indoor plumbing (a significant numbers of Peruvians now don’t have indoor plumbing), the lookout towers, and main square. Everything built to precision, large granite stones tucked neatly & tightly against each other. Where you thought you saw a mistake & notice a stone protruding from a wall, you quickly learned there was purpose - this was where they had tied down the straw roofing to the stone beams that used to hang overhead. The entire massive structure, step after step, worked in unison; it was breathtaking.
The city wasn’t completed when the Incas abandoned it the early 1500s, yet what was left stands as strong today as many structures around the world. I took on the challenge of climbing Waynu Picchu, the peak that sits to the southwest helping to protect the city. This is no easily climb, its straight up, but I reached the summit (35.49), and quickly remembered I like climbing mountains but hate heights. I nestled my way onto the edge for a photo-op, took in the stunning views for a few moments, and then retreated to where my heart would stop racing to continue the view.
I was there for nine hours in total, and saw most of the city; I even allowed myself a couple hours or R&R on a terrace as I soaked up my South American trip. It doesn’t really matter how you get to Machu Picchu or even why you are there, just get there. See a Wonder of the World while you can; just don’t let those big brothers intimidate you.
