September 8, 2018

We debated about whether to visit Machu Picchu or not.  Dogs definitely are not allowed, either on the Inca trail or at the site, so that meant we needed to get back to the truck within the day and thus take the train to the site, which would be an expensive ride.  They have now also changed the entrance rules: you buy a ticket for either the morning or the afternoon, and you are limited to 4 hours for your visit.  We had read that the site would be crowded, and we were worried about getting there and being disappointed.  In the end, we decided that we would likely never have a better opportunity to visit Machu Picchu, and that we would regret it if we didn’t go.

The train ride from Ollantaytambo to the town of Aguas Calientes took about 2 hours, following the Urubamba river through a beautiful valley.  Along the way we were treated to glimpses of snow covered peaks, lesser known Inca ruins, and small Andean villages.

At Aguas Calientes we got off of the train and were immediately in the midst of a maze of market stalls selling everything Andean and more….alpaca this, and alpaca that, t-shirts, hats, and a variety of trinkets.  We guessed at the best route to get us out onto the streets of the town and then began to hunt down the tickets for the bus ride up to Machu Picchu.

You can hike up to the site if you do not want to pay the $24 US dollars return for the bus, but we had been advised by a traveller we had met in Cusco to skip the hike, and we are glad we did.  The route up to the site is steep, hot and dusty, part of the trail being the road that the continuous stream of buses were also using, and we were happy to arrive at the site fresh and relatively clean.

We waited for noon, when our afternoon ticket would allow us to enter the site.  We could have waited to allow the throngs to enter first, shortening our visit further, but as the gates opened we were pushed along in the middle of a crowd of other tourists and guided groups, consisting of hundreds of people.

We took baby steps, crammed into the pack, and started the slow climb up to one of the famous view points over Machu Picchu.  VIsitors huffed and puffed on the high elevation climb in front of us, but were reluctant to step aside and let us pass.  Finally we came to the top, and were able to break free from the crowd a little.  We decided to head out along the trail that those who hike to Machu Picchu arrive upon, just to get away from all the people for a moment.

 

We then climbed a bit higher and headed out towards what is called the Inca Bridge, which is about 2 kilometres away from the main site, and we saw only a few other people on the trail.  It was a much needed break from the crowds.

 

When we got back to the main site, the crowds had dispersed somewhat, tour groups being taken around the site at different speeds and those visiting the site on their own punctuating the spaces between.

 

 

So, did we enjoy the day?  Machu Picchu is an amazing place to visit, and the setting is unbeatable, but it is very crowded, and you have to circuit the site in one direction only…if you try to back track there are officials who blow whistles and shout for you to keep going.  If you are not careful, suddenly you can find yourself at the exit before you know it.  And it is expensive.  We paid $120 US each for the train there and back, $24 US each for the bus up to the site and back, and the entrance tickets, if I remember correctly, were $60 US each.  Add in the coffee we bought upon arrival and the snacks and drinks we bought while we awaited the train ride back to our camper, convert it all to Canadian dollars, and the day easily cost us about $600.

We would have loved to have visited the site 20 or 30 years ago, when there were both less rules and less tourist, but we have yet to find a time machine on this trip.  In the end, we were glad to have seen the great Machu Picchu.  Pictures really cannot do the place justice and it is day we will remember for a long time.