Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Dec. 10, 2013 - Machu Picchu & Waynapicchu (Day 3 in Peru)


Machu Picchu & Waynapicchu – Dec. 10, 2013

 

 

I woke up on Dec. 10, 2013 and took a shower and had a small breakfast before I walked to the bus to ride up to the entrance of Machu Picchu where I looked for my tour guide from “Kosmos Tours.”  The tour was a good pace for me and allowed me to catch up to the rest of the group when they’d stop every so often for pictures.  Even though I was often behind, I still had time to snap some pictures before the group continued to the next stop on the tour.  Most people that are in “average shape” would not struggle with the tour at all.  The ruins and the terraces that surrounded us (built by the Incas) were amazing.  After the tour I continued on to the entrance of Waynapicchu.

I knew that hiking to the top of Waynapicchu would be a challenge for me as I am quite out of shape after a couple years of some health issues that set me back and then another year of simply being lazy after that.  Because of that, I planned ahead to make sure my trek to the top of Waynapicchu was with as light a load as possible.  This is how I prepared myself:

1)      I left my backpack behind at my hostel for the day (the bus was in walking distance of my hostel so it was easy to return and pick up the backpack after I finished my day on the mountain),

2)      I brought 2 small bottles of water (I purchased little souvenir bottle straps from Sacred Valley the day before so it was easy to sling them over my arm/neck and not have to hold them while trekking),

3)      I brought a collapsible walking stick (I also purchased this in Sacred Valley the day before – and while there were parts of the mountain trek up Waynapicchu that required me to use my hands and feet at the same time while I was climbing therefore I couldn’t use the walking stick, I simply let it hang on my wrist by its strap during that time),

4)      I brought my camera (w/o the case), and lastly

5)      I layered my clothes as the temperature at the top of the mountain can be significantly colder and/or hotter than at the bottom (I wore a tank top with a sweatshirt and a light jacket over that – as I was climbing up it got really hot and I had to take off my top 2 layers and hike with just the tank top on and the jackets tied around my waist but once I got past the ¾ mark it started raining and it got cold real quick so I had to put my layers back on – NOTE: If you get cold easily, I suggest 1-2 extra layers, which you can take off and tie around your waist if needed).

Despite the efforts above, by the time I got to the landing that was about 85% up to the top of the mountain (right before you hike up some really steep narrow steps and climb through a small cave to then continue up the last steps to the very top of Waynapicchu), I realized that the items I did carry were still weighing me down.  I didn’t feel like they were heavy at all until a “rescue hiker” that worked for the mountain saw me slowly trekking to the top and it was right before the landing and I told him I was going to quite there and he basically said, “nonsense, let me carry your water bottles, your camera and your 2 jackets and I’ll get you to the top” and as soon as I handed off that handful of items to him I felt so much lighter which made the last additional 30 min. hike to the top easier.  Along the way we picked up several other stragglers and helped them reach the top as well.

When we got to the top we were literally above the rain clouds and it was very mystical.  Both Waynapicchu and Machu Picchu were covered by the clouds which were slowly but surely parting ways and before you knew it the sun peered back through and we were able to see the magnificence that surrounded us.  I truly don’t believe that words nor pictures can do justice to explain the sheer beauty and awe of the breathtaking view around us (but I will share quite a few pics nonetheless, to give you a taste of what you could experience too if you trek to the top of this mountain one day).

It took me 2 hours to trek to the top of Waynapicchu and another 2 hours back down.  That did not include the 20-30 min. trek back down from the Waynapicchu entrance to the Machu Picchu entrance (plus the additional 30 min bus ride back down the mountain).  I spent approx. 7.5 hours between the treks, bus travel and 1.5 hour tour of Machu Picchu before I was done for the day.  I started around 8:30am so I had no time left to get over to experience the Aguas Calientes (hot springs) before I had to take my train back to Cusco (which had I known, I would’ve booked it even later in the day and would’ve started my trek much earlier, to leave time for the hot springs as well.  What a treat that would’ve been after a long day of trekking.  Of course, if you were to actually trek from the bottom of the entire mountain (in Aguas Calientes) to the entrance to Machu Picchu, you would have to add another 3-4 hours onto your total trek time for the day).

Here’s a link to some great reviews on Trip Advisor re the hike to the top of Waynapichhu (a/k/a Wayna Picchu a/k/a Huayna Picchu.  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294318-d548890-Reviews-Huayna_Picchu_Wayna_Picchu-Machu_Picchu_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html

It’s always best to budget more time than less for the entire trek, site seeing and round trip travel time.

Here’s a list of the pictures I’ve posted on Flickr for you to view through the link below:

1)       Dinner – yum, I love the green sauce (the meat is alpaca, btw),

2)      Playing Jenga at our dinner table (with the guys I met on the train),

3)      The moon,

4)      Why did the chicken cross the road… the dog pondered? (this was the road I walked from my hostel to the bus),

5)      Denny’s House (my hostel – I had a private room with private bath, which was included in my tour package),

6)      View on walk to bus,

7)      River flowing between buildings,

8)      The bus,

9)      Driving up the mountain (2 pictures),

10)   Hiking up Machu Picchu with tour group,

11)   The magnificent view (2 pictures),

12)   The ruins,

13)   Me and the view of the ruins,

14)   Another picture of the incredible view,

15)   Walking thru the ruins (with a view of Waynapicchu ahead – the highest mountain top by Machu Picchu),

16)   Building structure, terraces and view,

17)   The view,

18)   The mysterious clouds are forming over the mountains (2 pictures),

19)   The structures and the little house above us,

20)   Amazing view,

21)   A view thru a “window” in one of the structures,

22)   Me in front of the view,

23)   The amazing rock formation that was aligned with the rock on the ground (2 pictures),

24)   Walking to Waynapicchu,

25)   Llamas that roam the land to “cut the grass” (graze),

26)   Gorgeous llama sleeping,

27)   Entrance to Waynapicchu (2 pictures),

28)   My entrance ticket and passport,

29)   The fork to get to the top of Waynapicchu,

30)   The trek begins,

31)   The point of no return,

32)   Up to the heavens,

33)   Beginning of the view,

34)   The narrow path,

35)   Me and Philipe (the Colombian I met on the hike up to the top) – at the platform about 85% up to the top,

36)   The cave we had to squeeze through (3 pictures),

37)   We made it to the top!!! (2 pictures),

38)   Being careful while striking a pose (the clouds are moving in and it quickly got chilly),

39)   Lost in the heavens,

40)   The descent begins…. Oh my!,

41)   Oh yeah, I have to go all the way back down that!,

42)   Altitude 2693,

43)   I’m ready to do this (lucky for me, I’m not afraid of heights – one of the ladies on the trail had a panic attack & started crying when she saw this),

44)   Check out the path below me,

45)   OMG! I have to hike back down all this,

46)   Check out the way the people below me are hiking back down (the steps are so narrow I had to step on them sideways),

47)   I can do it!,

48)   I’m coming down sideways while the boys are resting,

49)   Me and Myriam (she lives in Lima, so we met up again when I went to Lima a week later),

50)   Me and Myriam’s aunt (the 66 y/o who kicked all our asses going up and down the mountain with complete ease) – AMAZING WOMAN!,

51)   Me and the “rescue hiker” who convinced me to trek all the way to the top (right before I was about to stop at the 85% platform (so worth it!),

52)   Can you see the path we just came down? (there are people still on it in the middle of the picture),

53)   View of the top of the mountain,

54)   Signing out (I was hiker no. 334 that day),

55)   Machu Picchu stamp – proof I did it (the stamp was in my passport – just 3 days after I entered Peru),

56)   Souvenirs,

57)   Bark Thins (the BEST snack ever!!!),

58)   The train back to Cusco (Peru Rail), and

59)   The view from the train.

 
HERE IS A LINK TO THE PICTURES I DESCRIBED ABOVE:
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjUXL2KH

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec. 9, 2013 - Sacred Valley Tour - Day 2 in Peru

Finally another blog is being posted.  I have learned the hard way that WiFi connection abroad is fleeting.  If my Travel Writing business continues to grow, then I will definitely invest in an international plan to have internet access wherever I travel, whether or not there is WiFi, but for now, I’ll take it when I get it.  Btw, I finished writing this blog a week ago but then didn’t have enough free time to finish uploading pictures before I left China and flew to Sri Lanka (where the internet at my volunteer hostel rarely works, so I have to rely on using WiFi at the gorgeous hotel nearby my home, when I get a chance to get over there, like I am now.  The hotel is called Mahaweli Reach).  But I digress…

So here goes….

Day 2 of my travels abroad (I can’t believe I just began my one year journey abroad).  On Dec. 9, 2013, I went on a tour of the “Sacred Valley” located in Peru.  We started out in Cusco on a tour bus that took us through the Sacred Valley stopping in Pisaq, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo.  Each stop had its own unique qualities and beauty.  And according to the tour guide we were told that the Inkas picked the Sacred Valley as a place to live in because of its alignment with the stars and planets above, giving it a unique energetic property that is found in few places on this planet.

Along the way to Pisaq we had a gorgeous view of the entire Sacred Valley below it.  We stopped in a shopping area along the way to Pisaq.  This is where we purchased Coca Candy to help with “altitude sickness” and where I purchased my first alpaca sweater.  It was actually made from “baby alpaca” fur.  There was also a lady in the parking lot of this shopping area who was there with her alpacas that I got to take a few pictures with.  Once we got to Pisaq you could see all of the “terraces” that the ancient Inkas had built.  It is truly breathtaking and the fact the Incas (aka Inkas) were only around for a few centuries makes these sites quite astonishing.  We climbed up the mountain to view the surrounding terraces from above and also saw remains of an ancient Inca’s home.

Once we arrived in Urubamba we were taken to a very large silver jewelry store.  Then we went to have a buffet lunch at some restaurants nearby.  Our group was large, so we divided into several different restaurants.  I didn’t know anyone yet, so I sat alone, since the others that were at the same restaurant as me spoke a different language (I have yet to meet any Bulgarian speakers along my travels, but I am still hoping I might one day this year).  As we exited the restaurant I saw a Tuk Tuk pass us by (they seem to be in each country I’ve traveled to from Peru to S. Africa to China (though not as popular as scooters and buses are there) and here in Sri Lanka as well – but back to Peru for now).  In Urubamba I got the opportunity to actually hike up several of the terraces (rather than view them around me, as we did in Pisaq).  Once we got to the top of the terraces, we observed a mountain nearby where they believe that the top of the mountain looks like the face of an Inca.

Ollantaytambo was our last stop of the tour.  By then I had made several friends and was truly enjoying the magnificence of my surroundings.  I met two lovely ladies who were also traveling to several different countries, Cynthia and Nataly.  We took some pictures together here and exchanged contact information.  Ollantaytambo had a natural fountain, lots of old houses and great views as well.  After our tour guide finished sharing his wealth of information about the Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo, I deboarded the tour bus as this was my last stop.  I now needed to find my way on the small streets to the train (Peru Rail).  Luckily my Spanish was coming back to me and I was able to successfully ask, “Donde vas Peru Rail?” (where is Peru Rail).  It took less than 20 min. to walk there.  I got to the ticket office and had nearly 2 hours to wait.  I sat there at least 30 minutes as I kept looking and realizing there was no train or train tracks in the immediate vicinity.  Then I realized I had to continue walking to another location where I would actually board the Peru Rail to continue on its scenic route to Aguas Calientes (my next stop before going to Machu Picchu and Waynapicchu – see my next blog below for more details and pictures).

Below is information on the tour package I bought and tips on how you could save money on booking the same.  SCROLL DOWN BELOW THAT TO SEE A LIST OF THE PICTURES YOU WILL SEE WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE LINK I HAVE PROVIDED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG!

Tour Information

When I had first arrived at the Cusco airport in Peru, I paid for a 2-day package deal that included the Sacred Valley Tour (with lunch in Urubamba), a train to Aguas Calientes (after my last stop in Ollantaytambo), a tour of Machu Picchu the following day along with a pass to hike to the top of Waynapicchu.  The package, with all transportation included (and a lunch stop in Urubamba) was $340 (US).  If you are looking to do a similar combination, you could save a bit of money if you book everything online ahead of time.  You would want to look to book the following:

1)      A tour of the Sacred Valley that picks you up in Cusco and ends in Ollantaytambo,

2)      A ticket to enter Sacred Valley – most tour companies do not include this and you have to pay separate for it,

3)      A ticket for the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes,

4)      A hostel or hotel in Aguas Calientes,

5)      A roundtrip bus pass departing from Aguas Calientes and going up to Machu Picchu and back down (it is about a 30 min. bus ride – you could choose to trek to the top instead of the taking the bus which people said takes about 1.5 hours to do but I say give yourself at least 2 hours. Most people don’t trek so they can save their energy to hike around Machu Picchu and if you’re brave, to the top of Waynapicchu (the highest mountain top by Machu Picchu – which trek takes about 1.5 hours on average to get to the top or if you’re slow like me, 2 hours to get to the top and another 2 hours back down), SIDE NOTE: You will need your passport to enter Machu Picchu and as a cool bonus for complying with presenting your passport, you can ask that they actually “stamp your passport” and you will receive a stamp of the mountain and it’s name in your actual passport next to your stamp that was placed there when you entered Peru,

6)      A tour of Machu Picchu (I used Kosmos Tours, but there are many others to choose from) – you could walk around without a guide, but you won’t have the same experience since you won’t have someone telling you about the ruins and the history of the mountains),

7)      If you want to hike to the top of Waynapicchu you MUST purchase a ticket ahead of time (depending on the season, these tickets can sell out quickly requiring you to book as much as a couple months ahead of time, but at the very least the day before – do some research to see how much lead time you will need at the time you want to go).  Waynapicchu only allows two groups of trekkers per day, a max. of 200 people per group, a total of 400 per day.  Once you enter Waynapicchu, you will need to show your passport to trek the mountain and they will have you log into a book that states your name, date and time you entered the mountain.  When you exit you will sign out the time you exited the mountain.  This is the way they keep track of all the trekkers and know if anyone is missing.  You can take as long as you want to trek up and down it once you enter it, but they don’t allow you to stay the night on the mountain (some people have apparently tried to camp out up there before),

8)      A train ticket from Aguas Calientes back to a stop near Cusco (then you will need to get a taxi from there to your hotel).

SIDE NOTE: You cannot bring a full size suitcase with you on the train nor on the bus up the mountain to Machu Picchu so it’s recommended that you bring a day pack (Ie- small backpack) which you can store a days’ worth of toiletries and clothing in and leave the rest of your luggage stored at your hotel/hostel which you will return to in Cusco after your 2-day tour.

I got all of the 8 items above for $340 and the best part was I didn’t have to deal with trying to book all these thing differently.  I’m guessing that if you take your time and research all of the above you might be able to shave off about $50-125 from the total cost, but if you, like me, believe that “time is money”, I say book it at the airport and don’t stress over it before that.  They will be able to check the availability for tickets to top of Waynapicchu at that time and will give you all your tickets before you walk away.  Just make sure they review with you, step by step, each part of your tour and transportation, so you know you have all the tickets you will need ahead of time (and get the name and phone number of the person you paid for your package so you can call them in case there are any small issues along the way – I was missing my pass to enter the Sacred Valley and when I called the lady who sold me the package, she told me she would give the money to the taxi driver who would pick me up once I got off the train and was on my way back to my hotel in Cusco, so I paid for it and was reimbursed).

BONUS: If you can give yourself an extra day in Aguas Calientes and/or start your Machu Pichhu/Waynapicchu trek at 6am in the morning and leave yourself at least 4-5 hours before you have to get on the train going back to Cusco, then you should definitely take the time to check out the “Aguas Calientes” (not just the name of the city, but literally the name is a location within the city which is where you will find some amazing “hot springs”).  I truly wish I had left enough time to go the hot springs as I heard they are amazing.  Oh well, maybe next time.

List of Pictures

Here is a list of the pictures of the pictures I had uploaded on Flickr for you to view through the attached link (see below list for link):

1)      Baby alpaca sweater (with lady who made it and her baby),

2)      Lady with full grown alpacas,

3)      Me and one of the alpacas with the lady,

4)      Coca candy,

5)      View of Sacred Valley,

Pisaq:

6)      Pisaq surrounding terraces (3 pictures of view),

7)      Our tour guide,

8)      Stairs between terrace levels

9)      Sign – don’t climb over the walls (do people actually do this?),

10)   View of terraces and gorgeous mountains,

11)   Me and the view,

12)   Inca house remains,

13)   Me and the view,

Urubamba:

14)   Lunch,

15)   The restaurant I ate at (the food was good, but not spectacular),

16)   The restaurant sign,

17)   A passing Tuk Tuk,

18)   Terrace steps (we hiked up these),

19)   View of the mountain with the Inca face on top of it,

20)   View of the valley and homes (2 pictures),

Ollantaytambo:

21)   Me, Cynthia and Nataly,

22)   House structures,

23)   Natural fountain,

24)   Me and the view,

Walking to the train:

25)   Stores on the side of the road,

26)   People sitting on the side of the road and playing music,

27)   Small side road,

28)   River by the road,

29)   Peru Rail advertisement (2 pictures),

30)   Train station,

31)   Trains,

32)   My Peru Rail ticket,

33)   My name (some man was holding a sign with my name on it, though clearly it was another Lucy), and

34)   The stores by the train stop.
Link to view the pictures I’ve described above:
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjUXQVCF