Aguas Calientes, Peru -- We woke up at 5:30 a.m. Thursday in Cusco and grabbed a taxi to the Cusco train station for our four-hour Peru Rail trip to Aguas Calientes (the little town in the valley above Machu Picchu). This is known as one of the greatest train journeys in the world and rightly so. Towering peaks, breathtaking country side and the small clay brick towns made the time run by. We took the Backpacker Express, which stopped a few times for hardened hikers to catch little known treks along the way, but eventually ends up at the rather ugly tourist town of Aguas Calientes. Once there, we caught a bus to Machu Picchu, a good 25 minute ride to the top. As we climbed astonishly fast along the narrow winding road only feet from empty space, it occurred to me that less than five months ago I had actually climbed the near vertical old stone stairway in the predawn with a flashlight from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu, a good two hour hike and probably the most strenous activity I had ever been apart of. As I climbed the same route in the comfort of the bus, I couldn´t help feel that the bus was much saner way to do this. Meghan and I entered Machu Picchu in the early afternoon, when the sun is high and conditions were extremely hot. Meghan took off on foot and before I knew it we were on the Inca Trail heading up above Machu Picchu, where after a 45 minute hike we ended up at the Sun Gate, a group of ruins that would have offered weary Incan travelers their first view of the ancient city. After hiking down, Meghan and I explored the main portion of Machu Picchu, including the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Condor, one of the most extraordinary man-made sites I have ever seen. I tried to act as a tour guide for Meghan, but I think I mixed up a few things along the way. Thankfully, Meghan was very forgiving of her guide´s many references that included ¨I think that´s a temple of some kind.¨ Back in Aguas Calientes, we drank Cusquena beer and agreed that Machu Picchu is awesome even in the hottest part of the day!
2 comments:
Hi Budd!!! Hi Meghan!!! Wow!!! You guys are having a real adventure!!! I love this blog! Your stories are so much fun - they make me laugh! I love the pictures! Meghan, if I was there I'd sing "Climb Every Mountain" for you, the way you sang for me on a much less steep hike. I am looking forward to hearing more adventures! I love you guys and be safe!!! Love, Bear
This is an awesome picture of you and Meghan at Machu Picchu. My youngest brother, Kjell, and his girlfriend, Lauren, visited Machu Picchu last year on a cloudy day, and wanted to stay longer than the few hours they had. I hope to go there myself someday. On a different topic, Will, I'm lovin the beard. Krister
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