Machu Picchu

There are a few challenges involved in making a visit to Machu Picchu. The primary issue is access. And then there are the crowds that you have to deal with once you are there. The uncertainty of the weather is also factor. It rains a lot in Machu Picchu.

The only way for tourists to get to Machu Picchu is to first take the train to Aguas Calientes (also called Machupicchu Peublo), and then take the bus operated by the authorities up the mountain to the ruins of Macchu Picchu itself. You cannot drive to Machu Picchu, but you can hike the Inca Trail to the place if you have a few days to spare – and the determination, stamina, and physical fitness, to undertake the challenging walk.

We had to get to Machu Picchu early to try to avoid the crowds. Our train was to leave Ollanthaytambo at 6:40am. We were up early, to have breakfast at 4:30am, to prepare our bags to be picked up for checkout by 5:00am, and then checkout and depart from the hotel in Urubamba at 5:30am by bus. Early morning departures tend to play havoc with the internals of the human system, especially as you get older. There was a mad rush for the restrooms in the station at Ollantaytambo once we got there, before we boarded the train.A short while after the departure of our train from Ollantaytambo, the valley that it was traveling in began to narrow, and we entered a canyon with Urubamba river flowing next to the train tracks. We were getting into the park area. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The train ride was very comfortable and there were some nice views. It was difficult to take pictures of the scenery through the window. We were in the woods and among the trees. In a short while we were offered some complementary snacks and drinks. We were traveling on the Inca Rail. (The other train operator to Machu Picchu is Peru Rail.)Our tour manager was determined to get our group to our destination quickly, before the crowds. Based on his experience from trips past, he knew that most people were delayed because they had to stop at the restrooms in Aguas Calientes before boarding the bus. He devised a strategy that required all of us to use the restrooms on the train before we got to our destination. He was going to signal to the group when we should starting lining up in front of the restroom on the train in order to use it. And that was what we did! It was somewhat amusing to see folks queued up in the narrow corridor, blocking the way, concerned that this might be the last pit stop for a while. The other passengers in our carriage who were not part of our group must have been wondering what was going on.

The train stopped along the way at a station for the start of the famous Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu. It is called the Camino Inka-Inka trail. It covers 26 miles and takes 4 days to complete. It starts at KM 82 of the train tracks. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA You have to cross the river from the train stop to start your trek.The trail rises immediately on the other side of the river.It had started raining by the time the train arrived at Aguas Calientes. Members of our tour group quickly assembled and exited the train. We headed off in a line towards the bus stop on the other side of a bridge across the Rio Aguas Calientes. We managed to follow our leader who was carrying a sign above the crowd with the name of the group. We followed him through an enclosed space of small shops while trying to get ourselves organized with our ticket and the rain gear. I almost lost my raincoat in the process, but one of the other members of our group picked it up from the floor behind me. In the chaos of the situation, I could not even get myself organized to take pictures.

Very soon we were near the front of the line for the buses. We boarded a bus and headed towards the top of the mountain on the Hiram Bingham Highway. It was quite a steep climb of more than 1000 feet. There were 13 hairpin bends on this road.

We finally got to use the restrooms once again (for a small fee) before entering the park itself. These were the last restrooms we saw for next 3 to 4 hours!

Once past the entrance gates, you come upon this sign commemorating the civil engineering work involved in building the Machu Picchu complex. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA There was a good climb at the beginning of the walk. Machu Picchu is close to 8000 feet high. It is a challenge for some people.When we arrived at one of the well known viewpoints, we were greeted by a cover of fog in the valley.But the clouds were moving rapidly, and one had to be patient in order to be able to get a view of the ruins. The mountain to the right side in the above picture is called Huanya Picchu. You can hike to ruins at the top of that mountain. That sounded tempting, but that will probably only happen in my dreams!

Our patience was rewarded when I was able to take the picture below from the same location. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA We walked further up the hill, and on to the Inca trail.The picture below shows the Inca trail headed in the direction of a pass in the mountains. This place was full of temptations to do some real hiking!There were a lot of llamas around the area. This one looked particularly majestic with its long neck. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA It was munching on the grass on one of the terraces.

It rained for a short while we were walking in this area. Fortunately, the rain did not last too long, nor was it very heavy.

Here are two other views of Machu Picchu from up on the mountainside from which the Inca trail approaches the ruins. The pictures were taken before we descended into the area of the ruins itself. The actual peak of Machu Picchu was behind us. (Again, no time for a real hike!) OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA You can see the crowds that throng the place in the picture below. I had thought that the authorities managed the number of tourists visiting the site at any particular time, and that tourists had to be accompanied by guides, but this obviously was not the case. The place was packed! Navigating our way through the crowd while staying with our tour group proved to be a challenge. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The passing clouds and the fog gave us some amazing views of our surroundings. This is indeed an intimidating and otherworldly place to live in. The Urubamba river flows at the bottom of the valley surrounded by the towering mountain peaks. While descending to the ruins, we walked past the Temple of the Sun, or the Torreon. Two of the windows face the direction of the rising sun during the solstices. There is an altar in the middle. Observe the stone work in the construction of the walls. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The picture below once again shows the nature of the crowds visiting Machu Picchu. We ourselves had been up there in the higher sections of the mountain that you see in the picture during the initial part of our tour. (We did manage to cover a few miles during our visit to the place!) OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The picture below shows the temple in the main plaza. Unfortunately, a part of the wall is collapsing. Note the precise work with the rocks. Behind the temple is a hill with the Intihuatana, a rock structure whose function is not exactly understood today. We climbed to the top to see the rock. (Inti means sun in Quechua, the language of the Incas. The sun was a very important deity for the Incas.) The Intihuantana is the highest point within the complex of the ruins. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The four sides of the Intihuatana represent the 4 cardinal points (north, south, east, and west). There are mountains particular mountain peaks surrounding Machu Picchu in these directions.We left the ruins after walking through the central plaza area. I will not post any of those pictures. I took so many pictures during this visit that I had a hard time selecting the particular ones to show here. I did not wish this blog to be overwhelming.

The visit to Machu Picchu was supposed to take a couple of hours, but we ended up taking three to four hours. If I had been on my own, I might have ended up hiking the peaks surrounding the ruins, getting me away from the crowds, and also providing some even more fantastic views of the ruins. I would actually like to go back, but I have my sincerest doubts that this will happen.

After using the restrooms at the exit to the park, we made our way back by the bus to Aguas Calientes. We had a nice lunch in a restaurant there, and then caught the 2:30 train to Ollantaytambo. The picture below was taken from the train. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA People took time recover during the ride back.These were our tour managers. They looked exhausted.Arrival at Ollantaytambo.At Ollantaytambo, we boarded our bus to Cusco, our stop for the next two nights. The day had been busy and tiring so far.

On the way we stopped to stretch our legs. This place had a store for tourists, and also hostel rooms for the young and the adventurous. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The travelers were encouraged to take part in a game of Sapo at this stop. It is a Peruvian game. The general objective is to throw the coins into the open mouth of a frog seated on the box. You are looking at the winner in action below.The sun set while we were on our way to Cusco. We stopped along the way to look at the night sky. I tried to take some pictures but I have not yet mastered the use of my camera in the dark.

Back in Cusco, we checked into our rooms and walked across the road to a restaurant for dinner. We were advised to eat light because of the altitude. No red meats, we were told! I enjoyed a simple plate of spaghetti, something I had not done in a long time.

And then it was off to bed after a very long day. The next day was to be spent exploring Cusco.

Some Background on Machu Picchu

I suspect that the picture of Machu Picchu that many a person has in their mind’s-eye is one that evokes fantasy, a place that one suspects could only exist in the imagination. There is the iconic picture of Machu Picchu that one has perhaps seen in a book, or on the Internet, that evokes a sense of wonder, a sense of this being a place that is really not of this world. It is a place that exists in many people’s bucket lists, a place that some people wish to see at least once in their lifetime. In fact, many in our tour group were visiting Peru primarily to see Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu was about to become reality for us today. Could it even live up to the expectations? We were about to find out.

First of all, some background regarding the ruins at Machu Picchu. There have been many theories over the years regarding its significance, but it is now believed to have been a royal estate built by Emperor Pachachutec, the Incas greatest ruler. He was responsible for the expansion of the Inca Empire, which at a point was larger than the Roman Empire. (The Inca Empire, however, did not last too long, destroyed by infighting, disease, and finally the Spanish conquest.) Pachachutec deliberately chose a site for this complex that was difficult to access, on top of Machu Picchu (which means old mountain). The location seems to be most easily accessible from a single direction, through a mountain pass via the Inca trail.

The Incas were great civil engineers. They built a series of roads that spanned over many thousands of miles to connect their major centers. Some of these pathways still exist today. The Inca trail to Machu Picchu is probably one of the most famous of these roads. The Incas also developed strategies for supporting agriculture in the mountains, using techniques to build structures that optimized the use of their resources. They also built structures with great precision, managing to move large rocks and place them against each other for form walls with minimal gaps in them.

In order to build Machu Picchu, the Incas first built a series of terraces starting at lower levels to support the structures on top. These terraces were designed to drain excess water from the top quickly. They were marvels of engineering design, with layering of different kinds of material in the terraces to allow the water to safely drain away slowly. These terraces survive even today. They had rock quarries at the top of the mountain to also help with the construction of the buildings. They got a lot of rain in those parts. In fact one of the challenges of visiting Machu Picchu is experiencing good weather when you visit!

Machu Picchu somehow survived the destruction that the Spanish sowed everywhere in their path. They demolished anything that they found that had to do with the Inca religion. Perhaps Machu Picchu survived because the Spanish did not know of its existence. Machu Picchu was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 when he went to Peru on a National Geographic sponsored expedition. Bingham’s goal was to discover the lost Incan capital of Vilcambamba. He convinced himself that he had indeed found Vilcambamba at Machu Picchu, but he was wrong. (This is what happens when you have biases, and a predetermined objective in mind!) The good thing was that in spite of his biases, Bingham was a good explorer. He did a good job documenting what he had found. The road up the mountain to the Estate of Machu Picchu is named after him today. It is the only way to get to the ruins by motor vehicle. The only other approach is to hike the trails!

Our journey started with a bus ride.

Onward to the Land of the Incas

We are preparing for a visit to Peru next month. During this trip we will be traveling to the interior and visiting the heartland of the old Inca civilization, including the ancient city of Cusco. We are looking forward to this visit.

I have been doing some reading in anticipation of this trip. The first book that I read was ‘Turn Right at Machu Pichu”, by Mark Adams. This book, first published in 2011, weaves two different story lines. The first is Mark’s experience of traveling the region, following in the paths of earlier explorers, including trekking the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Mark interweaves this narrative with an account of the history of the region, some of it very brutal, mostly centered around the time of the Spanish conquests of the area. He talks about the “discovery” of Machu Picchu by Hiram Bingham III, a somewhat self-serving American explorer in search of fame, in 1911. But Machu Picchu was never really “lost”, especially to the people who are from the region! In any case, the stories are interesting, even if the details of the book are difficult to remember just a few weeks after reading it. My memory is not what it used to be.

The other book I read more recently was “The Old Patagonian Express”, by Paul Theroux. This book was first published in 1979. It is an account of Paul’s travel from Boston, Massachusetts, to Esquel in Patagonia, mostly by train. The travels took the author through Peru, and specifically Cusco and Machu Picchu. I have a copy of the book that I had bought in June of 1985, when I was about to graduate with my doctorate degree. It was time to open the book once again.

The spirit of the somewhat arduous trip taken by Paul Theroux (it took a few months to complete) is something that I can appreciate. It is an undertaking that seems to have been driven mainly by the author’s sense of curiosity and adventure, and his need to leave his zone of comfort in the process. It is about the thrill and the romance of travel. You do it because you want to see, experience, and learn about new things, new places, new people, etc.. You are not looking for the familiar place or face. You do not have a complete plan in place to handle the situations that you will encounter. And it is more significant than that – you willingly open yourself to the unexpected and let yourself become more vulnerable. And in all of this, you manage to learn something more about yourself.

One has to remember that Paul Theroux’s book was written in the 1970s. I now find that his attitude towards the kind of people that he encountered, especially the locals, seems to be somewhat condescending, or maybe it is just a general sense of superiority. I wonder if it is actually a sign of the times that Paul Theroux lived and traveled in, or if it is a somewhat generic attitude taken by folks who are out on voyages of discovery, including most of the explorers of times past – especially those from Europe and North America. They always thought that they were better off than the others, and that they knew what was good for others. Perhaps they were really better off from a materialistic point of view, but did they necessarily know what was good for others?

Paul talks a lot about the poverty he encountered in Peru, especially among the natives. The power structures in place in government in those days did not seem to be geared towards improving the lives of the common man. Perhaps it is all true. My problem, reading Paul’s work at this time in my life, is the feeling I have that he does not seem to have gone beyond the superficial in trying to understand the lives of people. He does not seem to have had the conversations that someone who is undertaking this kind of effort should be having. Maybe he did not have enough time. Maybe he did not think his book was meant to be read by somebody of Inca ancestry. In my mind, he comes off as being quite opinionated in this regard. He might have thought that he was be brutally honest, but I think the problem is that he did not make the attempt to have a more complete perspective. He really did not complete his homework. Perhaps, this is a general problem with the attitudes of too many explorers.

Anyway, here we are, more than 40 years after the time of Paul Theroux’s travels to South America, and we are on our way to South America once again (we went to Ecuador two years ago). I wonder how the country of Peru has changed since the 1970s. We are not adventurers like Paul Theroux. We are going in an organized tour group, and everything is going to be taken care of for us. We will probably be shielded in some way from the locals. Paul Theroux had also traveled through Ecuador, and he talks about the poverty in that country, but our exposure to those circumstances a couple of years ago in the tour group in Ecuador was minimal. It could be that the situation has changed since the 1970s, but it could also be that we were just shown what would be tolerated by “tourists” like us – things that were unlikely to cause us distress, or show the country in a poor light.

It seems like the town of Cusco was geared somewhat towards tourism even in the 1970s. It is in all likelihood even more so today. You only have to see all the information on the Internet in this regard to sense that this is the case. You would also be led to believe that people are generally much better off in Cusco today than 40 years ago, but how can one be sure without having the complete experience?

As I said before, since we will be arriving in Peru as tourists in a tour group, almost everything that we do will be according to a plan and a schedule. But the explorer in me feels that perhaps some of the more remarkable and memorable moments of the trip could happen outside of the script. One just has to be open to the possibilities.

One final note about the trains that Paul Theroux took many years ago. Even in those days, there was no way to do the entire trip from Massachusetts to Patagonia solely by train. Looking at the available train services today, this situation has gotten even worse. Passenger train services are available in much fewer places today. Common folk have to depend more on the buses than they used to do in times past. In a few places, the trains have been saved by running services over short distances just for the tourists. But this is not the real thing! The romance of the railroad is not what it used to be.