The Machu Picchu Trek

I just returned from Machu Picchu, and I´m proud to say that I was number 1 at arriving to the top. Yeah, I know- you don´t think that going to Machu-Picchu is, or should be, a competition...but it is! They only allow 400 visitors each day to climb to the top of Wayna Picchu, the taller mountain next to Machu Picchu that you see in every postcard and photo. Naturally everyone wants to go, I mean what is one more hour of climbing after a five day 40 mile long trek?? Well, the competition was a little over rated. Everyone, even people who had been there weeks before me told me that it was really important to get there early and secure your spot in line. The ruins open at 6 am, and the busses start arriving at about a quarter to 6. The hike from Auguas Calientes, the nearby town everyone stays in, is about an hour and a half. I was up at 3:45. I sure as hell wasn't going to be shut out of the top spot in the park after my 5 day journey. Myself and two others from my group left at 4:20. The next hour and a half was miserable! Tired, and already beat up from the journey to this secluded town- a two hour hike up old wet Inka stairs, in the pitch black, with rain, was not on my list of most desireable things to do that day. But what can I say- I was too cool to take the bus. We arrived at about 5:30- and I was number 10 in line. I was pissed- what the hell did we wake up for?? Where are the other 400 people? But only untill the busses arrived just 10-15 minutes later, when the packs arrived in droves...then I was happy :)

Then the race started. After you get into Machu-Picchu, at 6, then you need to run all the way to the other sde of the ruins to the entrance to Wayna Picchu....I know, not the smartest system. Also, my first glance at Machu-Picchu was spent jockeing for position in the next line. Well, I was still 11th in line when I got to the base of Wayna Picchu...but it was terrible cloudy (as my pictures will show) and the first 9 people opted for the later climbing time of 10 am. Sweet, now I'm 2nd in line! As our 7 o'clock climb group started, the competitive spirit was still strong within me. Either that, or I was just so damn eager to get away from the crowds that once I was let loose, I just took off. The trail up was mostly switchbacks, with some straight ups that were practically like ladders, all these with scattered homes here and there along the way. I found myself about an hour later, after many slippery wet steps designed for mini-me shoes, at the top of Wayna Picchu. All by myself! I explored the top for a while, and picked my spot to perch for the best view. After soaking in the 360 views of absolutly amazing mountain peaks, draped in thin lines of cloud cover at different altitudes, I seteled in. Feeling accomplishied of reaching the destination of choice from the previous 5 days, I wondered what to do. I almost took a video, I almost started writing, but then I just started thinking... and I couldn't help but ask myself, who the hell would want to live up here?? I mean, the climb was difficult!, and I can't imagine of doing it every time I wanted to see some friends, or shop for food! I stayed long enough to relax and wait for the clouds to clear...which they sort of did, in about 10 second intervals. I got three pictures during a clearing...and my camera died. NICE. I still had fun. There were a bunch of Argentinian guys up there who were singing cloud moving sogns that sounded more like soccer chants...it was fun- we had the whole crowd cheering on the clouds! As they moved in and out of our viewing position people cheered and groaned, a fun expierence.

I didn't really find any answers to my living questions on the tour though. They really don't know much about the people who lived there. Of course, they have their theories...which mostly soundlike interesting stories to tell to tourist to me. Hiran Bignham, a German carteographer, turned explorer, is largerly credited with the discovery of Machu Picchu in 1911. It is believed to be inhabited during the 15th century, and deserted in 1539. No one knows why they left, war, pluege.?. My personal theory is that they got tired of climbing all those damn stairs! The Inkas are certainly given a lot of credit for building it, and after all they were excellent with cutting these granite stones and fitting them together without morter. There are great examples of this in Cusco as well (the Inka capital city). I must say it is impressive, and it must have been terribly time consuming. Also, their famous trail system allowed for an impressively large empire. They communicated through messengers, the strongest men from each village were entrusted with this important job, and their trails connected many cities and villages throughout their empire- which today would encompass parts of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. And their language, Quechua, is still today the primary language spoken in the mountainas regions of Peru and Bolivia. I definitly now, have a better understanding of these people, their culture, and their history.

Oh, did I mention the 4 days leading up to this?? Well, lets just say- I summited my 2nd 15,000 ft. + mountain in the last 2 weeks, saw some amazing peaks and beautiful lush valleis with great waterfalls, and terrifying bridges. Most days started at 6 am, after a soggy night in an ill equiped tents, and ended around 4, after mind numbing stepping repitition which, in the end is rewarded with amazing views, new friends, blisters, akeing bones, some really great hot springs...and when civilization is reached....a cold beer.