Hacia Machu Picchu
Trip Start
May 11, 2006
1
12
15
Trip End
May 21, 2006
Loading Map
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
Aguas Calientes,
Sacred Valley,
Peru
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
The train to Machu-Picchu is run by Orient Express. www.perurail.com/ Originally the railways in Peru were privately owned though in the 70s, they were nationalized, and went quickly to the dogs. Passenger service was withdrawn from many routes and the trains began loosing money big time. When Alberto Fujimori became president, he privatized many state owned companies, such as the telephones, electric power and the railways. The train to Machu Picchu had been a catastrophe, the equipment was dirty and broken down, they oversold seats, and the workers seemed to be constantly on strike, though at least the fares were low. Now it's clean, well organized and efficient, but it isn't cheap anymore. The fare for the "backpacker" train is US$ 68.00 round trip from Cuzco. Nevertheless we have numbered seats, and hopefully we won't have to fight for them when the train arrives from Cuzco.
The train passes by Ollanta at the very civilized hour of 9:05 am. Our tickets are checked and approved, and we sit in the waiting room for our train. Our train is preceded by the "VistaDome", which is a somewhat optimistic tag for a diesel railcar with a window in the roof. Shortly after this, our regular train arrives right on time and although other passengers have occupied some of our seats, they vacate them without any protest. The system is very well organized, and everyone's seat seems to be respected.
The railway follows the river into the Urubamba Gorge. At Coriwaynachina, known to generations of hikers who have begun the Inca Trail there simply as Km 88, an Inca suspension bridge and a fine staircase carved into the rock leads to a series of ruined buildings where once, it is said, Inca artisans took advantage of the constant wind that rises from the valley floor to smelt gold.
Emerging from a short tunnel, a series of beautiful agricultural terraces marks the ruins of Qente, which in Quechua means hummingbird. In this fertile microclimate fed by a nearby waterfall, giant hummingbirds are a common sight in the early morning and bright flowers bloom all year round.
Surrounded by tall ceibos and rocky outcrops hung with orchids and bromeliads, the train passes Km 104 at Chachabamba, from where the one-day trek to Machu Picchu via the magnificent ruins of Wiñay Wayna begins.
At just two km from Machu Picchu, the train arrives at Aguas Calientes. Surrounded by the high, green mountains that cradle the famous lost city, as well as myriad other Inca remains, this small town, which is well known for its thermal baths, has blossomed into a popular overnight destination for travellers to Machu Picchu. http://www.aguas-calientes.com/
We disembark at this strange town that exists 100% from tourism. We are greeted at the station by a crowd of hotel luggage porters. We locate ours and our bags are efficiently packed onto a hand cart and carried away. We follow through the market and along concrete walkways to our hotel, the Hanaq Pacha Inn. We are somewhat concerned to find it sandwiched between the railway tracks and the Vilcanota (Urubamba) River, none the less, the hotel is surprisingly good. It has a tiny reception area beside a large attractive restaurant overlooking the river rapids. We check in and are shown our very comfortable and spacious rooms. Ours overlook the railway tracks and the station. The view is not as bad as it sounds, as there are only a few trains each day, which certainly do not annoy us in the least.
Many of us are feeling the effects of the trip. The altitude, the strange food and the exertions, so we have decided to drop the idea of a pre-visit to Machu Picchu, or a hike down the Vilcanota Valley. Today will be a rest day for most. We enjoy a lavish buffet lunch at the hotel, a bit expensive by Peruvian standards at US$ 12.00, but we remember we are in a purely tourist town, where high prices are the norm.
In the afternoon I wander around the town alone. It's a funny place, squeezed into two narrow canyons. There are no roads; in fact there is no highway access at all to Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu, only the railway. When I worked in Peru many years ago, there was nothing in this area at all, except the hot springs and some dingy backpacker hostels. The train station was further on at Puente Ruinas, and this place was entirely bypassed by all. What a change today! The trains from Cuzco stop here now and the passengers transfer to swank looking Brazilian buses which transport them up the mountainside to Machu Picchu. There are basically only 2 main streets in Aguas Calientes; Avenida Imperio de Los Incas, the street with the old train tracks running through, and Avenida Pachacutec which extends steeply up from the Plaza to the thermal springs. All of the town's hotels and restaurants are on these streets. It's a real pioneer town with virtually no planning or zoning at all. Wooden shacks coexist beside futuristic hotels, attractive restaurants and bars beside handicraft stalls. You seem to be able to build whatever you want, wherever you want, however you want. This is free enterprise gone mad!
Later in the evening I go with Michael, Wendy and Karen to the hot springs. It's a hard slog up the steep hillside, and I'm not too impressed with the facilities, which are a series of big public pools with varying temperatures. I suppose its fine to relax your muscles after a long day hiking, but on the whole, I'd prefer a hot shower.
