Journey to Machu Picchu

We met with our guide for Machu Picchu Tuesday night before we departed on our 4 day trek.  The traditional Inca Trail is closed during the month of February due to the high amount of rain, so we opted for the more adventurous Inca Jungle trek, which included mountain biking, white water rafting, zip-lining and hiking into the famous site.  Our enthusiasm escalated as Edwin, our guide, explained the activities that filled each day and that night as we tried to get some rest our overwhelming excitement seemed to shake the earth.

However, soon after our windows began rattling and beds trembling we realized that although our excitement was vast, the earth was actually shaking as Cuzco experienced a minor earthquake that evening.  For my first earthquake experience it was honestly a bit frightening.  It lasted only a few moments and the hostel staff assured us that everything was fine and that it was a somewhat frequent occurance for the area, but it truly made me realize the power of the Pacha Mama and respect the exploration of the elements we were about endure so much more.  

After waking up just about every hour it was finally time to arise and meet our driver for our first of four days trip.  Because of it being the rainy season nobody else had signed up for the Inca Jungle trek during the same time and we ended up being rewarded with a private tour consisting of only us and Edwin.  This was kind of nice, but also kind of weird as we felt oddly pampered with nice hotel rooms (we`re talking private bathrooms), fancy meals, and people opening doors for us.  It was a feeling we are definitely not used to, but we befriended Edwin quite quickly and spilt the beans that we were actually on quite a tight budget, jobless and currently homeless nomads.  Oddly enough that made us feel better about the whole situation and accept the pampering with a bit more ease.

Our first day consisted of a couple hour drive through the magnificent Sacred Valley where the fog engulfed valleys sat below us, majestic mountain tops peaked out of the cloads above and we could see the snow capped mountains of Abra Malaga where we would begin our 45 km ride towards the village of Santa Maria.  We stopped for breakfast along the way and met other crews of travelers (primarily Australians) enduring the same adventure with different tour companies.  Little did we know how often we would endure  these same travelers along our path to Machu Picchu and how much they would become part of our experience-and us of theirs.  As we pulled into the take off point for biking our Edwin and our driver began to pull out our gear for the ride.  It was almost comical the amount of protection we had to put on.  I mean this wasn`t exactly the most hard core mountain biking we had ever experienced as it was all downhill on paved roads-but nevertheless we put on the full leg pads, zip up vests with chest protection and arm pads, gloves and helmets.  The ride was from the top of the Andes down to more of a jungle type vegetation, and was absolutely breathtaking! The smoothness of the roads allowed us to enjoy the views and really take in this surreal experience.  Only the terror of passing tour busses and the frequent crossing of rivers (in which we got soaked, and it was awesome) brought our gaze down from the glorious nature that we were gliding through. After finishing our ride-and barely beating the rain-we headed towards Quillabamba for our first nights rest and to prepare for a day on the Urubamba River the next day.  

We awoke early the next morning ready to take on the river.  Our tour company hooked up with another rafting company and our crew consisted of 6 Peruvian boys (all much younger than myself), Edwin, and the two of us.  I never for a moment felt unsafe as all of our equipment was top of the line, we had a very experienced guide, two rafts and a safety kayaker to help in case anyone was thrown from the boat.  At first glance of the river the large and tumulchous waves were a bit daunting, but our guide assured us we would only endure class III rapids at most.  The most surprising part for us was the temperature of the water.  Having all of our rafting experiences be in the bone chilling waters of Montana, getting hit in the face by the large waves or jumping out for a swim didn`t quite take our breath away as it does up north.  Immediately upon entering the water we were paddling through some of the biggest waves I`ve seen.  What a rush!  I felt as if we were on a roller coaster riding the up`s and down`s of this magnificent river with the occasional clash against a wall of water and the inevitable adrenaline rush that follows.  It was a great time, and as we stopped halfway down they even had beers for us-beers that weren`t PBR (not that I`m complaining about PBR, by any means).  The second half of our journey brought us through Big Mama, the biggest rapid on the trip-and one that has capsized our guide multiple times- but we made it through with no problem and came to the end of our rafting trip with hearts pounding and nothing but smiles all around.

The third day of our trip we had the option of a full day of hiking, or zip-lining for a half day and hiking for the remainder.  Clearly we picked the zip-lining.  We felt it was only appropriate to complete the adrenaline filled four day trip (plus we both had our entire packs as we were catching a night bus to Lake Titicaca directly after our return, so we opted for less hiking in the extreme altitude, with all our gear).  Now all of the zip-lining I had seen was in tree canopies, from tree-to to tree top through the jungle, high up, but nothing too terrifying.  This was pretty terrifying.  Initially at least.  The cables were about 500 ft long, strung between huge canyons with the highest sitting at 450 ft above the ground.  Whoa. It was a bit daunting looking down at the tiny trickle of water that was the raging river we crossed only moments before, however we were in a group with the Australians we met our very first day and joking around with them definitely helped take the edge off.  They were crass, sarcastic and encouraging all at the same, and somehow we all made it through and had an amazing time. There is nothing quite like taking in the scenic views of southern Peru while hanging by a carabiner and barreling down a cable fifty stories high.  By far one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I have ever experienced! After completing all 6 cables, our day winded down and we all finished with an easy 3 hour hike into Aguas Calientes, the small touristy town which sits at the base of Machu Picchu.



That night after a much needed shower and a quick bite to eat we retired to our room early and tried to curb our enthusiasm enough to get some rest in order to make the early bus in the morning and catch the sunrise atop the sacred Inca site.  Our anxiousness kept us walking up nearly every hour to check the clock, so it was almost a relief when at 4:30 a.m. our alarm went off and we could actually get up.  My heart was beating with anticipation and I found it difficult to sit still while our bus slowly weaved up the side of the mountain.  Little did I know there would be a plethora of unforgettable moments that would take place in the next few hours,

It's hard to find words to explain the overwhelming feeling of your first glance of such a historical, breathtaking display of architecture.  Breathtaking, really is the only description that can somewhat accurately describe the moment. The vastness of it all with the surreal mountainous backdrop and fog slowly rolling through....absolutely epic.  We hung out with Edwin for a couple hours and got the low down on the history, discovery and important sites of the area.  Our package also included entrance to Huanya Picchu, which is the summit in the backdrop of nearly ever photo you see of Machu Picchu.  Where the main area was the village, this was more of the holy site and the Inca's build multiple temples along the peak connected by treacherous stone steps delicately placed along the edge of the mountain; a 1200 ft. altitude increase. The agony of the climb was worth it for the feeling of sitting atop such a spectacular spot, in which our friend Chicha graced us with traditional tunes on his wood flute.  Our views were a bit inhibited by fog, but just feeling the energy present was very powerful.  After our summit, we decided to continue on further down the trail to find the Temple of the Moon and the Grand Cavern, where the high priest would go to communicate with the dead.  We wondered, at first, why we were the only ones on the trail, but as we encountered rickety, slick wood ladders and the copious amounts of wet, slippery stairs we found the reasoning for our solitude.  To be honest, it was quite nice, although my calves felt the strain for a few days after (seriously, I could barely walk up stairs).  Eventually our friend Chicha caught up with us on the path (he had native blood and was very quick and steady on those stairs, quite impressive really) and again graced us with ancient songs to fill the mysterious cavern while we identified with the ancient spirits around us.

So many things continued to wonder and amaze us throughout the day.  The most spectacular part, however, was in the morning; standing next to the Temple of the Sun embracing a moment of seclusion, and taking in the wonder that lay around us, Mason dropped to one knee and proposed!!  It was so beautiful; our tears mixed with the rain from above, we embraced each other and set forth the motion of our lives together.  There we stood hand-in-hand overlooking one of the most sacred sites in the world; homeless, jobless and with nothing to build our future together on but our love for one another-the most important thing in the world setting a foundation as sturdy as the ancient stones we stood upon.

Going South

Sad to leave the beach and sunshine we relished in the rays as long as possible, watched one last sunset over the ocean and set off towards Trujillo to board our night bus to Lima on Thursday January 26th.   Our last meal in the northern part of Peru was as interesting as ever as we watched two ladies pull out a T.V. on their streetside stand to watch a soap opera (stealing electricity from the building next door we prsume) and conversed with a very charismatic Peruvian man who knew only a few english phrases like-¨The women drive me crazy, but I can`t get enough¨, and ¨I work as a gigalo.¨ Quite a great way to say goodbye to the north.  Our bus was surprisingly comfortable with seats that reclined nearly all the way back to beds, silk blankets, pillows and headphones.  They also showed some movies to pass the time, including-Zookeeper!

Trying to stay away from large cities and urban sprawl we opted to skip Lima and head straight to Cuzco, which sits in the southeastern part of Peru and would serve as the beginning point of our trip to Machu Picchu.  We arrived in Lima at 6:00 a.m. and had eight hours before our next bus, so exhausted and famished we headed towards the bus station cafeteria to kill some time and get some breakfast. It´s scary to realize how vulnerable you can be no matter how careful or paranoid are. While enjoying our food and time out of a moving vehicle I fell victim to the stealth thieves that we have so cautiously been trying to avoid, and of our eight hour layover in Lima five of them were spend trying to overcome language barriers in order fill out an accurate police report.  No bueno.  Everything was taken care of (also insured, thank god), and I`m very happy that we were both unscathed during the incident.  It sort of made me think about the deep attachments we have to material things. I realized that they are just things and are (for the most part) replaceable.  They don`t make a person who they are and in the end...they don`t really matter so much.  That person may have stole my posessions but they could never steal my experiences. 

Relieved to be getting out of the area and the constant reminder of momentary lapse of caution we hopped on the next transport preparing ourselves for 20 hours (yes almost an entire day) on rolling wheels across some of the most terrifying terrain I`ve ever seen.  Luckily the bus line did a great job of detouring our attention away from the steep cliffs we continously swayed over with food, bingo games and movies. So as Ecuador had a strange obsession with blood and gore movies, apparently Peru seems to love awful romantic comedies and for the third time in two weeks we were subject to watching-you guessed it-Zookeeper. At this point I`m honestly not sure which genre is worse.  

With both of us on the edge of insanity nothing could have been more gratifying than stepping off that bus and as we weaved through the cobblestone streets of Cuzco alive with local vendors adorn in colorful attire an overwhelming sense of tranquility and curiosity came over us.  We were truly moved by the sacred atmosphere of the oldest city in Peru.  Traveling with limited funds and minimal baggage space almost made wondering the streets of Cuzco painful as every nook and cranny is filled with beautiful artisan crafts and some of the most breathtaking art I have ever seen. The whole city has quite a laid back attitude and I was constantly amazed at the equal fusion of Indiginous and Catholic history present through the entire area.  Statues representing Inca kings stood in plazas next to ornate catherdrals with buildings flying the rainbow flag representing the indiginous tribes of the area. I enjoyed the inclusion, even though the Spaniards still pillaged the majority of the ancient city.

Our first night in Cuzco was spend jumping between multiple venues playing live music.  We met a man on the street in the afternoon that invited us to his show and said he played a mix of folklore. Expecting a musical experience similar to Huanchaco we were a little surprised when we showed up to hear a mix of American grunge tunes-although I`ll give him credit he could actually do Eddie Vedder some justice. and it was quite enjoyable.  The next music we pursued was held in an underground bar that was a bit more rowdy and alcohol infused.  We arrived a bit late and as the lead singer was ripping his shirt off, pouring beer over himself and mumbling ¨Roadhouse Blues¨ through a mega phone held up a microphone-all while the band played with beautiful symmetry and ease-I couldn`t help but think that was probably similar to what an actual Doors concert would have been like.  We ended the night at an interesting, but rather fun Discoteque where we could freely make fools of ourselves knowing fully we would never see anyone in there again. 

As we throroughly explored the night life of Cuzco, we decided that we would delve into the deep history of the area the next day.  Outside of city, on the edge of the Sacred Valley, lie some of the most complex and important ruins of the Inca times. We decided the walk would be nice as it was just a little over 2km from our hostel, however that short distance consisted of about 1,000 stairs and a significante elevation change, so needless to say we were extra excited upon our arrival to the beautiful site!  The first of the ruins we visited is named Saqsaywaman-or in tourist slang ¨sexy woman¨ and was a perfectly fitting puzzle of enormous mortarless boulders creating three large platforms, which form sort of a zig-zag shape.  Although to us it seemed very large and extravagent the site is actually only 20% of the orginal architecture, but contained some boulders topping 125 tons!!  We also visited a ceremonial temple dedicated to Pacha Mama (mother earth) called Q'enco which was used for primarily as a center of worship and was sort of a labryinth containing caves and secret passageways throughout all of the rocks.  It was so hard for me to wrap my mind around the idea that these extraordinary structures were built soley on manpower.  I mean talk about teamwork! Just the size of the rocks was to be marveled at, but the fact that they were moved to the top of a hill and continously chisled, heated and polished until they fit together perfectly continues to blow my mind.  It´s amazing what a civilization with no written language could accomplish. The last of the sites we visited was the Temple of the Moon.  Because of it`s distance from the rest of the area, and the amount of walking we had already done, we decided to pay for some horses in order to make the trek a little bit more timely.  Having both grown up riding we were excited to be able to saddle up and take a ride through the Cuzco country side.  Despite the horses looking a bit underweight and the saddles being pretty thin, it was quite enjoyable to ogle at the beautiful sites around us, while not gasping for air hiking at such a high altitude.

In addition to the breathtaking ancient sites that decorated the area it was quite enjoyable to watch all of the locals patronizing the valley.  Around every corner you could catch groups of people having a picnic or enjoying the sunny weather, but mostly everywhere you looked groups of people were playing soccer games, using whatever they could find in the area for goals.  Also nearly every child that walked by was carrying or kicking around a soccer ball-I just loved it!

Besides marveling at the ancient sites in the area we spend a great amount of time walking around the local market.  Cuzco has one of the biggest indoor markets in the world where you can buy anything from a cheap hot lunch, to a custom made traditional skirt to alpaca meat. It was quite an experience to be swept away amonst the chaos of the locals bustling around between booths and the vendors chanting in a sing song manner in an attempt to entice you to their products.  It was like nothing you would ever see in the states, and aside from the pile of cow heads delicately covered with a cloth (oh yeah eyeballs still attached) and the rancid smell that inevitable followed I thoroughly enjoyed perusing the beautiful garments and elaborate culinary displays.  

(I apologize for the lack of photos. As the computers are all in Spanish I am deathly afraid of pushing a wrong button and erasing my hard drive.  Look for a plethora on facebook soon!)