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| Machu Picchu |
The 0640hrs Vistadome train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu, was full. The distance is about 60 miles. We chugged west along the 'Sacred Valley' at a stately 20 mph and rocked rather alarmingly from side to side on occasions. Speed was not the object here.The railway followed the Urubamba river downwards, sometimes steeply to such an extent that the train had to pass and then reverse down a junction to reach a lower level. The river looked as if it might be rather good fishing ( Cranfield please note ) and probably was, due to the fact that trout featured prominently on all the menus in this part of the world ( along with guinea-pig ).
Left: The Vistadome train at Poro station, the start point, to the north-west of the town. For some reason the trains to the east go, inconveniently, from a different station the other side of town. Why they don't join up in the middle is a mystery, to me. The Spanish were probably to blame.
The journey there featured a good breakfast.
We passed through some increasingly spectacular mountainous scenery. The valley got narrower, the sides steeper and higher and the river deeper and faster. There were several American tourists on board ( and Japanese ). On passing any particularly towering cliff-face there was a chorus of "Oh my Gaad" and, of course, the inevitable "Aarsum". My fellow passengers opposite me (right) were not so impressed. They must have been Vietnamese.
Left: Some of the scenery at the beginning of the valley.
........and (right), some more as it got narrower. It is on the 'Inca Trail', a route, four or five days' worth, which caters for the hardy walker and we passed small groups of these intrepid, and knackered looking, hikers on the way. I think the Inca Trail walk is a sort of right of passage for any self respecting backpacker. Personally, I thought......what's wrong with the train?
Left: The station at Aguas Calientes. We arrived there at 1000hrs. This small town exists purely to cater for tourists. It is full of pizza restaurants, hotels and markets of Inca/Quechuan handicrafts and, of course, things made from 100% baby alpaca. It also has the bus station to take punters up to Machu Picchu.
Right: The Plaza Major in the middle of the town. The statue is of the redoubtable Inca Pachacutec, the guy who started the great Inca expansion and thereby their empire. On the far left of the square is where you buy your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu and at 126 soles ( $40 ) it's not cheap. The bus ticket costs another 45 soles ( $15 ) return.
Left: The bus ride up takes about 30 minutes along a dusty crumbling track. It is one of those hair-pin bended hanging over the edge of a 2000 ft precipice with other buses coming down towards you type of journey which I am beginning to get quite used to now. The secret is just to close your eyes.
Right: A little bit of an uphill hike takes you to the vantage point above the main settlement. It is a well maintained site and you stick to the marked routes.
It really is quite an impressive sight and breathtaking, both physically and metaphorically. It could be described as magnificent or even, despite the American vandalism of the word, awesome!
Left: Amongst the many ( but not too many ) tourists was this group...from Essex. I spoke to them, of course, and there really was a Sharon and Tracy as well as a Mandy present. I was impressed by the pink umbrella.
Right: A mystical stone at the high point of the settlement. I listened to several tour guides waxing lyrical about the astral significance of this monolith. They all concocted roughly the same well rehearsed story about when the sun strikes this point and the shadow falls....... etc. etc. etc.......As one freely told me, it's all a bit of guesswork. The Incas left no writing. I suspect 10% of the blurb is fact and 90% total bullshit! But it keeps the tourists happy. When all else fails a bit of religious ceremony or astronomy, preferably with a bit of blood and gore attached, can always be made up successfully to fill the gaps.
Left: A diagram at the entrance supposedly tells you exactly where the buildings are and what their purpose was. This, and the tour guides, remind me of my time in Edinburgh when an enterprising, clever and highly articulate student profitably led tours of boggle-eyed Japanese around the Old Town giving a most amusing, credible sounding but totally spoof commentary about such things as the Swiss capturing the Castle in some year or other and massacring the garrison led by Tam O'Shanter and Robbie Burns. The Japs would have returned to the land of the rising sun full of good stories with which to regale their mates over a pint of saki, but with a rather warped knowledge of Scottish history. I reckon one could do similar here with fascinating stories involving Genghis Khan, Haile Selassie, Flash Gordon and the Mysterons. The alternative tour.
Right: A happy well briefed group from Bansai Tours.
Left: The train journey back started at 1530hrs and was a most convivial affair involving a liberal bar service..........
...........some song and dance........
.....and a fashion show by the staff. They were modelling various garments made from, you've guessed it, 100% baby alpaca. The drink service must have worked because I noticed that they managed to flog some clothes, and even a few hairy toy alpacas.
We got back at about 7.00pm after a most enjoyable and memorable day out,
I recall passing through the countryside not noticing any of the creatures so favoured by the Incas and incorporated into all their designs; ie llamas ( the only ones I saw were being dragged around town by Quechuan ladies ), condors, pumas and snakes. Bloody alpacas don't count. I did see many coos, yows, dergs and gallowers ( Quechuan terms ) and the occasional donkey. Perhaps I've just not looked in the right place and will be keeping my eyes open in future. The Quechuan for hello, I was told, is Alianchi Cashanki, but I got a few strange looks when I tried it out.
Next episode is, hopefully, The Andes Explorer, the train from Cusco to Puno on Lake Titicaca.
PS. Before I left Lima I promised my old mate Pepe that I would publicise the latest Peruvian tourist advert. So, before I forget, here it is, I think, if you click on to:
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