4 days to Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is the most famous archaeological site in all of Latin America: a stone city built on a mountain top, never discovered by the invading Spaniards, and probably abandoned before it was completed.  It's on every advertisement for travel to Peru, and it's half the reason that anyone visits Peru.

A few days ago I left on a 4 day trip that ended with a full day at Machu Picchu.  Getting there is not a simple process.  First, you have to get to Aguas Calientes--a city at the base of the mountain Machu Picchu is on.  But you can't drive there--Aguas Calientes is unreachable by car because there are no roads.

I took about 200 pictures over the last couple days, so I'll try to upload as many as possible

There are only 3 ways to get there.  The first is to pay upwards of $500 to hike the Inca Trail: 46 kilometers through mountains past Incan ruins on an ancient trail created by the Incans.  The 2nd is to pay at least $50 each way for a train that runs from Cusco (the main local city that's the staging ground for the area).  It's a 110 kilometer trip, and the company that owns it charges an exorbanant rate because there's no other mechanized way to arrive.  The last route is the one we took: a 3 hour trek along disused train tracks from a tiny pueblo only reachable by dirt road.

Our tour began on May 28th with a bike ride down from a 4500 meter mountain pass to 1500 meters.  It was a great ride, even though my bike's wheel started to deteriorate halfway down the mountain.  Next was a bus ride on dirt roads, including a stop at a jungle coffee plantation, to the village of Santa Maria--a very rural Peruvian town.

The next day was a hike through the jungle to Santa Teresa, with a stop at a hotspring. Unlike Santa Maria, Santa Teresa is turning into a total tourist town, complete with a moderaely developed main street, overpriced restaurants, and an incredibly bad club that some of our tour group went to.

Santa Teresa was nothing compared to Aguas Calientes, however.  Even the Lonely Planet guidebook calls it the most overpriced and touristy town in Peru.  It's got nothing but overpriced hotels and restaurants, and no real scenery.

Then came Machu Picchu: 3 times larger than I ever expected, and we saw it under a blazing bright blue sky.  It was amazing.  I took about 200 pictures over the last couple days, so I'll try to upload as many as possible and let them do the talking.

Pete and I are in Lima, the capital of Peru right now, and on our way up the Peruvian coast tomorrow.  Thanks again to everyone for all their messages and payers--you guys rock.

-Justin