Sunday 11th November - trip to Machu Picchu

What a day and experiences!

Up a 5.00am to catch the Vistadome train from Cusci to Aguas Calientes, the village at the bottom of Machu Picchu. Took 3.5 hours each way. nice train with galss roof so you could see all the canyon views and also free meals and drinks!

Got the Aguas Calientes, then onto a horror min bus ride whihc goes on a dirt track zig zagging for 8km up the mountian to get to the site entrance. No matter which side of the bus you sat on for half the ride it was simply a sheer drop down into the valley.

Then into the site itself - well the ruins, the quality of workmanship of the Incas in building this city in the sky and the fact that it wasnt even discovered until 1911 must make it one of the top 10 places in the world to visit. I can say it simply took my breath away and is without doubt one of the greatest places I have ever visited. In fact so much, people I befriended in the ruins said if you wanted a truly inspiring view of the site, to climb the Wayna Picchu hilltop up to the top and look down onto Machu Picchu. For you all Wayna Picchu is the biggest hilltop behind the ruins in the normal photos.

Well I went for it, signing in for the 2 hour round climb, I noticed that there were roughly 300 names of people climbing that day before me and only 10 that were older than me...perhaps a sign I should have taken on board. The climb started fine with a hilly jungle type walk bit then bascially came to what must have been 2000 steep steps upwards zig zagging the mountain with nothing to hold onto and at times a sheer drop one side.

Getting to the top fortification was even worse, with the steps literally between 90 degrees and virtical going straight up. It was great to pass Shermans* Americans / some 20 years olds full of mouth but stuck becuase they didnt want to go any higher and the ones that did were coming down step by step on their asses almost crying for their moms! Well this was the final inspiration for me to go for the top which I made after 1 hour 20 mins. The views - simple out of this world. The top when I arrived had 12 people at it, mostly Aussies who have no fear of anything and Irish who were seeing if they could set up a bar there as you cant get away from Irish pubs in any country you visit! Got some photos of me and when I get around to putting them on this site you will notice 3 things. 1 - I am as ugly as ever 2 - I look scared and I really was 3 - I look totally knackered. Topper - Jay I took your advice and tried to get a few more photo with me in them and also not doing my famous hilter youth pose.

The place was a photographers paradise and so I have taken quite a few and will upload most to the site. They simply are so good. Just check out the drops from the site to the valley below...some of those dot like things are trains and buildings.

The way down was also not easy, but easier than going up. Like a true samaritan I am, I helped one fellow brit lady, Jane and one Belgium girl. Vanessa come down the climb. This took a little longer than I wanted to, but I couldn't leave them stranded up there.

So, a real days expereince for me. I managed to overcome for the day my fear of heights. People who know me know I hate things like fairground rides and so this was a real personal challenge for me, and also the ruins and site themselves, the Incas advancement in civilisation were simply so thought provoking.

The funniest thing of the day was the return train journey. Each train coach had 2 staff looking after the guests, the service was similar on an airline, where they showed you to your seat and went up and down the aisle with a food and drinks trolley. Both on them were very smartly dressed in their perurail uniforms and coming up quite officious.

Well halfway back they annouced over the tannoy that there was an onboard fashion show of the Alpaca range of Peruvian clothing. To bemused travellers, mainly tourists, the same crew then came out and did a 40 minute strut up and down the catwalk AKA the coach isle to modern european music....hillarous...

So to answer some peoples questions on the message board, what do young Peruvian peope look like *thats nicely put - again check out the photos and vids if I can get them to load.

Got back to Cusco at 9pm and after 4 hours on the train could hardly get my legs to get me off. Went for one brief beer in a local pub and then, sadly shower and to bed.....I just know my legs are going to be stiff in the morning.

Oh...thaks to all the boys in Abbey International who made up the ITEX walking team with me earlier this year. I think that 48km round the island walk was good training for today.

Cheers

Steve