2008 Peru – Machu Picu
Finally, the day came to start the highlight of our holiday, an overnight trip to Machu Picchu. There were two ways of getting there, a five-day trek along the Inca trail which included 10,000 steps and the possibility of rain with the certainty of being cold, or a four-hour train journey in a nice warm carriage. It was a difficult decision which took several milliseconds to make and then we had to decide on which train to take. There was the backpacker’s train, the Vistadome, or the Orient Express type of train which cost a fortune. We went for the middle-priced Vistadome which looked comfortable enough.
We woke at 5 am to catch the 6.05 am train to Aqua Calientes which was three kilometres from Machu Picchu and unless you can afford $2000 a night for the Sanctuary Lodge Hotel, it was the closest place to stay. Some people went straight to the ruins and returned on the same day but we were advised to book a hotel and go later to the ruins to avoid the crowds. Federika had been to Machu Picchu with her school and the last time she saw Aqua Calientes it was just a few huts. Now it was a thriving tourist town. Unfortunately, there must have been no building control so despite being the tourist base for one of the great wonders of the world, it was a dump. There were concrete block buildings knocked together by men whose only work experience was herding goats. There were corrugated tin roofs everywhere and bodged extensions to makeshift buildings tied together with an abundance of washing lines. 
We were lucky because only a couple of weeks earlier there was a big strike which closed down Machu Picchu. The government wanted to smarten up the town and build some up-market hotels but the locals wouldn’t let them. Our first thought was “good on the locals” for not allowing their historic site to be turned into another Torremolinos but the more we saw of the accommodation and terrible service it was clear that something had to be done which I was sure would eventually benefit everyone.
After a quick rest and some lunch, we took a bus for the three-kilometre journey up a bendy road to Machu Picchu. Once through the entrance gate, there were lots of steps to climb until we got our first glimpse of the extraordinary site. A small town made of huge stones built on top of a mountain. 
We didn’t hire a guide as sometimes the constant information can get a bit much and all we wanted was to stroll around and absorb the atmosphere. Despite being so incredibly skilled in engineering, textiles and ceramics, the Incas never had a written language so a lot of what the guides told people was guesswork anyway. Some of the paths were a bit scary with a sheer drop on one side but I kept away from the edge and so managed to finish the day without the need for a change of underpants.
There were structures of enormous pieces of stone that fit together so tightly that it was not possible to put a sheet of paper in between the cracks and they hauled those stones weighing many tons for miles up the mountain. One thing I found very strange about the Incas was that despite their astonishing engineering skills, no one had thought to invent the wheel. What’s all that about? Even I could have invented a wheel if I had been around at the time. Also, why didn’t they get themselves some horses? If they had, they might not have been such a pushover for the invading Spaniards who had thousands of them. I knew the Incas were great warriors but riding into battle on Llamas couldn’t have instilled much fear in their enemies.
They closed the site at 5 pm which only gave us three hours to wander around but it was more than enough time. The next morning we took a walk around the town and had a quick dip in their thermal baths. Thankfully, it was in bright sunshine so changing wasn’t a problem. We had been very lucky with the weather throughout our trip. Only the day before in Machu Picchu it was raining heavily so we were well prepared with waterproofs but we never needed them. It was the rainy season in most parts of Peru and there had been a lot of it that year but we always seemed to just miss it as well as the strikes and protests.
During the train journey back to Cusco they gave us a light meal and the same people who served the food also treated us to a little entertainment. A young man appeared with a woollen balaclava mask which was supposed to depict the devil although he was carrying a large cuddly toy Llama which one doesn’t usually associate with the devil. He started waving the Llama in everyone’s faces so we were all puzzled what the entertainment was going to be. Finally, things took off when they started playing Peruvian pan-pipe music. Llama man grabbed Federika’s hand and started dancing up and down the corridor, which was enjoyed by everyone, especially Federika. 
After that, they put on a fashion show which fell a bit flat because they were modelling the same clothes they wore to serve the food. They tried hard to sell the clothes but were met with universal apathy. We arrived back in Cusco late evening and were treated to a beautiful view of the city as we descended by train.
2008 South America
