Off to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu! After a good night’s sleep in Santa Teresa, we set out with Gabriel. We drive to Hydroelectrica, where we’ll hike from the last train station to Aguas Calientes—also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. We hike for three hours through the high jungle with Gabriel. It’s great fun; after all, how often do you get to walk along train tracks through the jungle for three hours? We get lucky almost immediately thanks to the Merlin Bird ID app: the national bird—the Andean Cock-of-the-rock—suddenly appears. We hear the sound, but spotting the bird itself isn’t easy. Then, I suddenly spot something bright red in the distance and get a high-five from Gabriel, as spotting this bird is apparently quite an achievement. The male of this national bird is brilliant red with black wings and a bright red crest on its head.
We cross a bridge used by the train, which offers beautiful views of the landscape and the river—which is nearly dry. We learn that all the rivers in this area eventually flow into the Amazon. We also hear that, due to this unusual El Niño year, there is more drought than ever; Gabriel says he has never seen the river this low. Despite the language barrier, we have a nice chat and manage to connect using our Duolingo Spanish, picking up a few new words along the way.
Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes, we get straight to work: we need to buy tickets for Machu Picchu—ideally for Circuit 2A or 2B, or otherwise Circuit 3. I’ve already decided that if we end up with Circuit 3, I’d love to climb Huayna Picchu mountain, which takes an extra three hours. We’re very lucky; our turn to buy tickets comes up almost immediately, and everything is still available! We choose Circuit 2A and are happy with our tickets. Off to lunch, then a rest in the hotel room—after all, we’ve been on the go non-stop for about six hours. Later in the afternoon, we’ll explore the village a bit and, of course, grab some coffee and cake! We need to get back to the hotel in good time, because tomorrow promises to be a long day as well as a special one.
We are waiting anxiously for 1:00 PM, when we are allowed to enter Machu Picchu. I’d bet it’s even more spectacular than the photos suggest. Since yesterday, we’ve been hearing promising forecasts about the weather. But it’s almost noon, and there’s still a light drizzle and cloudy skies. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Then Gianela arrives to pick us up; she turns out to be a fantastic female guide. She tells us she has plenty of time, as she has no other appointments scheduled after our tour. So, we bombard her with questions, and Judith manages to strike a chord with inquiries about the status of women. A conversation ensues about the role of women during the Inca era, as well as their position and societal expectations today. It is a remarkable discussion. While the average visitor spends about an hour and a half walking through Machu Picchu, we end up spending nearly four hours there.
The first glimpse of Machu Picchu
Up at the iconic viewpoint, the weather gods treat us to a magnificent spectacle: we set off up to Machu Picchu under cloudy skies and a smattering of rain, but come back down in the sunshine.
At the very spot where those iconic photos are taken, we almost forget to snap any pictures ourselves. A stream of tourists from the next time slot comes along, but we’re perfectly content. No matter how many beautiful photos you take, they can never replace the image of what you see with your own eyes—the surrounding mountains, and the way the weather clears as magnificent clouds drift over the village.
I made a timelapse video of the clouds that was shared in Polarsteps and Instagram by Judith. We are incredibly lucky with the weather and I would like to thank the Incas for providing us with spectacular images that will last forever in my memory.
Arjan
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