Machu Picchu

On Saturday I arrived to Cuzco. I took a hostel based on recommedation from guide and never was so happy. Usually guides get outdated fast and accomodation gets scamed. The name was Eco Packers and they had nice natural place with BBQ, pool, fireplace and whatsoever. It really had an atmosphere. For close to no money (36 sol, 11 usd, 270 czk). Also the city has much better atmosphere than Lima with nice Plaza de Armas (main square) and ruins all around the city. I stayed at the hotel in the evening enjoying the parilla (bbq), local beer, rum and live band. Really liked that place and I'm kind of sad I won't stay longer than one night.

Next day I took a collectivo (shuttle bus) to Ollantaytambo to see another ruins. Quite nice from outside in the mountains, but I didn't entered as I had only two to three hours stop for train to Aguas Calientes. And those looked quite a lot of walking for not that much interesting close ups. And also touristically expensive (170 sol, 53 usd, 1250 czk).

And now the Machu Picchu part begins. First of all super expensive (115 usd, 2700 czk) glassy train thru jungle to small village called Aquas Calientes. Everything touristic focused, but still with incredible atmosphere. Small village inside the jungle walley. I was looking forward for next morning to start the journey. All the people around looked like too serious to me. And overall it looked like Jurassic park to me. Everything super fancy, super touristic and super organized. Incredible number of people. But incredible joungle and Machu Picchu. I was waiting when dinosaurs will jump out of nature :D

But let's go my way. I went to bus station for 5am morning bus. Stayed in little queue to buy ticket (one way 12 usd, 290 czk). Then jumped over whole queue of hundreds of people waiting for first bus. Got 450m higher by 15min bus ride to entrance gate of Machu Picchu. Another smaller queue and I was in. I met the girl Yayushka who I met in the airplane to Cuzco already so decided to spend day with her. Early morning weather was foggy and not much visible, but the plan was clear - climb the Machu Picchu mountain - 600 extra attitude. The climb thru the fog was quite sporty actually (guide said moderate to challenging) and due to fog not scary. It was like a long stairs to heaven :-) It was foggy on top too. But after couple of minutes of our arrival, the sky started to get clearer. It was really nice view over Machu Picchu from that distance.

We stayed for some time and then walked down. Pachu Picchu got totally clear by that time and actually super sunny. It was incredible view. It was actually more breathtaking then the climb up, litteraly :-) I wasn't fascinated that much for long time. I walked around rather from distance to take couple of pictures. We separated with Drahuska and I took couple of random pictures around. I didn't went inside the Inca city really because it was overcrowded and I think nothing special from close up. I really liked the whole masterpiece.

I didn't got enough of activity and when I left the area I saw the queue of hundreds of people waiting for a bus again. Had little talk with guides about the trail down back to the village and guys explained to me and said they can do it in 20mins easily. They shouldn't tell that to me :-) I found some energy inside me and decide to run down like to remember my Spartan race europeen championship I did in September. I run down like a hell (after couple of hours climbing Machu Picchu and mountains around) and passed many other less ordinary people preferring hike over bus. I finished in Valley pretty fast and run further to the village for couple more kilometers. I finished with little less than 20 mind so I think I beat the guides technically :-)
I left my clothes in laundry next to my hotel, took swim suite and jumped to the river right in the city. Very beautiful refreshing water, perfect view of mountains and nobody else. I could not understand why this refreshment is of no interest for tourists here. They probably go to thermal spring uphill from the city but it's far from natural based on pictures.

And that's pretty much now when I'm taking some food and couple of beers on the bar here. Refreshing from inside. And looking forward for another journeys. Tomorrow I will do multiple hop to move myself to Puno next to lake Titicaca and I will go to harbor and find some people to take me to one of the magical islands there where I plan to live within some local family in rattan hut for two days or so.

See you soon ;-)