Of course, you would be tempted not to, to try to save just a little bit on the train ticket, as it is the most expensive part about the Maccu Piccu experience. The lowest of the low tickets goes for USD53 roundtrip, and they top out at USD90. I don't think I've seen train ticket prices this high outside of Switzerland. So we were turned away at six thirty in the morning, though an entrepreneurial cab driver took me and a Japanese guy to another town where the train stops, to get tickets. Instead of standing around waiting for tickets like at a rock concert I agreed, knowing of course that the price for the cab ride over about 80 kilometres would be extortionate, but how much more extortionate compared to that stupid train?
Those of you whom have done some research on visiting Maccu Piccu may be considering smugly that you'll take the Inca Trail, though to reach the trailhead you need to take the train as well. So, there is no way around it - pay the USD30 from Ollontaytambo to Aguas Caliente, one way, even if you are taking the trail. I bought a one way ticket, since I was planning on spending the evening. That didn't happen. More on that later.
So, the scenery was great going through the Andes and the tourists were gruff and rude, curious how that works. And then we all got off the train, wandered through narrow sidewalks flanked on both sides by hundreds of souvenir sellers, as we walked down to the buses. The quality of souvenirs was good, and people were not terribly annoying trying to sell stuff, which was a positive note.
The negative note would be the bus up to the site, USD9 round trip, and then inside, USD20 to get in for one day, no more multi-day tickets available as far as I could tell. With all of that taken care of and my pocket now 80 US dollars lighter, I walked on onto some ancient rocks and looked out across the city.
Perched indeed amongst the tallest spires of the Andes, their own peaks barely poking the clouds that hang precariously low, the ancient city spreads across a flat piece of mountain and has sheer drops on either side. Stone houses wind around sheer faces, stone walls create multitudes of terraces, steps are sometimes steep and often not, and the mood is calm in spite of the hundreds of tourists perusing the site at any given time. Like a sculpture balanced just perfectly on the mountaintop, and in the distance even more small sculptures on higher mountaintops - the Templo del la Luna and Huanco Piccu. You need to register to enter this area as the trail is steep and actually reminded me a lot of the Grouse Grind. I would call this trail the Inca Grind, since the grade is quite similar, the distance as well, and it sees just as many tourists.
The climate was warm in spite of the high altitude, something like 4000 metres plus, possibly as high as 6000 if you believe some articles. Great views could be had from any angle, from high to low, sheer cliff to simple clearing, and indeed it is one of those things every person should make an effort to visit in this world, a place that even the most jaded and cynical traveller can appreciate - that would be me. My only gripe is the price of the train, which is absolutely ridiculous. I would have much preferred to spend USD40 to enter the site and less on the train. Someone at PeruRail is making money hand over fist. My grand total for the Maccu Picchu Experience totalled USD113, and believe it or not that is not even the highest you can go normally - take the expensive train and head on the bus to the site, and you'd be 6 dollars higher. I was offered a day trip the day before for the price of USD120, and opted against it, though really there was little difference in price in the end.
I also entertained hiking the Inca Trail, wide open and filled with the wide-eyed, though the fact that all I had brought with me on this trip were some buttoned shirts, two pairs of dress pants, dress shoes, and my leather shoulderbag, I thought I may not be best prepared for it in spite of my British Columbian Background. However, the thought also occured to me that I could sell the experience as a book called "The Business Traveller's Guide to Hiking In The Andes", however quickly came to my senses as I realized there was little market for such a thing. Or is there?
Back to Ollantaytambo by train, and bus to Cuzco, where I currently reside. I had left Maccu Piccu in the late afternoon, as the sun had peeked from beyond the floating clouds and cast a light that created a magnificent chirascuro on the entire city. With a few perfect photos like that, and Huanco Piccu ascended and descended(in one hour and forty-five minutes, just like the Grouse Grind you get timed on your trip), I decided to head back here to begin the third chapter of my journey.
Though I am still waiting for a bit of info from a contact, I am going to head to the most obvious place tomorrow to begin this third and final chapter of this short Peru journey: Ayacucho. You may or may not be familiar with the city as the centre of activities of the mostly dormant group called Sendero Luminoso, also known as Shining Path. They have been mostly quiet since the early nineties, though in june of last year(that would be 2003 now) there were serious problems in Peru's central highlands.
I will spend five days finding out what I can.
Ayacucho, and the Eluded Sendero Luminoso
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