Probably the most exciting excursion of the whole holiday was my day out at Machu Picchu. I was awake bright and early and ready on time, although received a phone call saying the person coming to collect me would be 20 minutes later than first advised but not to worry as the departure from Cusco was 8 am instead of 7.30. Alfredo and I were out by the gate as I had one shot left in the camera before changing the film and I took one of Alfredo outside the house and was just waiting for the film to wind when the woman arrived to collect me. We got a taxi straightaway and I paid her as well for her trip out to me from Cusco, but what an awful driver we had. First of all, he nearly pulled out right in front of a lorry and only our shouts of alarm averted an awful disaster. As if that wasn't bad enough about a quarter of a mile down the road we could see a dog run across the road, stop and turn back when something was coming the other way, turning right into our path and the taxi hit the dog and we heard it give a short squeal and I was absolutely horrified and looked back and was greatly relieved to see the dog still running, so hopefully it only received a glancing blow. The taxi didn't even stop either. They certainly haven’t got the same regard for animals there that we have in England.
On arrival in Cusco centre, we waited along with a few others outside the Andean Life office until William, the boss, arrived who then sorted out who was on the day trip and who on the 2-day trip and three of us were sent with another woman to catch our bus. It was only then that I realised we were going halfway to Ollantaytambo by bus and catching the train there for Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. The two people with me were girls from Ireland and we got chatting and after that spent the whole day together. One sat with me on the bus and when our tour guide - Washington - gave a talk at the front of the bus - in Spanish! - I translated the whole lot afterwards as neither of them had even one word of Spanish.
It was a pleasant drive through the countryside and I recognised when we were descending to the Sacred Valley and Urubamba and it was great to see it again. Instead of stopping at Urubamba however the bus continued on towards Ollantaytambo and the setting was beautiful - an absolute rural paradise - the sun shining, the river flowing through the valley, pretty countryside houses and farms, men ploughing their fields the old-fashioned way, walking behind two oxen pulling the plough, big cactus plants and other beautiful wild flowers everywhere, the backdrop of the mountains, even snow capped ones in the distance - the Sacred Valley must be one of the most beautiful places on earth.
After one and a half hours we arrived at Ollantaytambo station where already a great crowd were waiting as many other buses as well as ours had arrived before us. On the approach to and on the platform it was chaos, crowds of people with street sellers weaving in and out selling their wares. At first only the people who had tickets for the A and B carriages could get on the train, and people like me in the C carriage were not allowed to board yet. As this was only a few minutes before the train was due to leave it was a bit mystifying and I realised why a few moments later and it made me glad I could understand Spanish because someone was asking a rail official inside the C carriage why we couldn't board and he replied it was because people could only board the train on the platform itself, that the train was longer than the platform (6 carriages I think) and that the train would move forward in a few moments and for people to move along the platform ready to get on. So consequently I wasn’t worried when the train started moving, but several others around who couldn't understand Spanish were panicking like crazy, banging on the train windows, waving their tickets frantically. A few others and I calmed them down and explained... but I did feel sorry for them because I would have panicked just the same myself if I too thought the train was leaving without me!
I was separated from my two new friends as they were in the A carriage but we arranged to meet up again at Aguas Calientes. The bus journey was an hour and a half and the train journey about the same. The two people opposite me on the train were a young couple from Brazil, really friendly and nice, so the journey passed quite pleasantly. After a while someone came along with a trolley and one could enjoy coffee, soft drinks or beer and snacks and I opted for the coffee as I absolutely adore the coffee served in Peru which is served up black, which I enjoy slightly sweetened. To add milk or cream to such fantastic coffee would be sacrilege. Washington had told us that on arrival at Aguas Calientes we had to group together near him as he had all the bus tickets for the bus up and down to Machu Picchu. These he gave out to everyone, saying that once the bus reached the top there would be 10 minutes for everyone to use the loo, there being no facilities in the sanctuary, and that in that time he would be handing out the Machu Picchu sanctuary tickets to everyone as well.
The bus journey up the mountain was fantastic, the road zig zagging up higher and higher and one could recognise the mountains from the Machu Picchu sanctuary photos, posters and postcards. Getting higher and higher, lovely wild flowers everywhere including orchids, and one could see the train station far far below etc. It certainly wasn't a climb one would welcome on foot, being so steep. All up to this point I had taken a few photos, from the train, from the bus etc, plus another one at the top of a young boy playing his harp. Also here I met up with the two Irish girls again.
Then we were through the entrance, along with another tour guide who Washington handed us over to, this being the English-speaking guide for those who preferred. It was quite a steep climb - some of the stone steps quite high - and some of the older people were getting quite out of breath climbing up and having to stop to catch their breath. It was great when finally high enough to catch the first glimpse down onto the sanctuary itself - a breathtaking, indescribable sight - to see that Inca city nestled among the backdrop of the mightiness of the mountains - it really was incredible, really magic to be in such a wonderful place. For the next two hours our guide led us throughout, describing all the various locations, and it was really interesting. I took loads of photos - in fact during the day I took around 70, with at least 50 of them in the sanctuary itself, and my Irish friends took a few with me in the frame as well. After the tour was over at around 2.30 we still had time to walk at our leisure with buses going back down the mountain at half hourly intervals, the last one leaving at 4.30 - with our train due to leave from Aguas Calientes at 5.45. We were able to wander at will and this was almost better than being led around in a group by a guide as you could better absorb the atmosphere. We came across a Vicuna twice and I managed to get quite close to one sitting down and had my photo taken with him!
During our four hours there we did a lot of climbing up and down and it certainly gave one an inkling of what to expect on the Inca Trail. Although I coped perfectly I think I would like to increase my fitness level a bit before attempting the Inca Trail on my next visit. I know that a couple of days of the four on the trail are all uphill and seeing how steep the steps are one would really need to be fit to keep it up for hours on end. And I definitely would be back - when it came time to leave I felt really sad to be leaving - just standing for the last 10 minutes looking down from the watchtower, enjoying the sight of it and feeling the magic, not even worried about the three stray dogs lying in the sunshine. All during our time there I didn’t once think about food, so lugged a rucksack around all day for nothing really. It was a nice warm day again, but luckily not too hot as all the climbing might have been more difficult had it been really hot. And the temperature there is definitely higher than in Cusco itself, with the jungle only just behind the big mountains encircling the sanctuary itself.
Machu PicchuWe caught the 4 pm bus back down the mountain to Aguas Calientes - having decided on this one rather than leave it to the last bus just in case we couldn't find our way out of the sanctuary in time. Back down in Aguas Calientes with almost an hour and a half before the train was due to leave, I got separated from my friends as I was accosted by a woman seller with T shirts and next minute found myself led to her stall and in the process lost sight of them. I bought two T shirts and a bit later a nice necklace and some postcards and wandered a while looking at all the stalls and managed to resist everything except a small bag with Machu Picchu embroidered on it.
Then I found a small family run restaurant and went in and ordered the set 3-course meal which was very reasonable at 15 soles. I had a table by the window with a lovely view of the river cascading down over huge stone pebbles, the mountains covered in greenery behind it. I asked the young boy serving to speed my order through as fast as possible as I had a train to catch and he did. La sopa de casa was excellent with chicken, pasta and vegetables, slightly spicy, followed by trout (probably caught from the river outside) and a chocolate pancake and then I only just had time to look for the station, remembering Washington’s instructions to go to the right station and catch the Perurail touristico economico train and not the local train at a different station.
I asked a young girl and she led me all through the shop arcades right to the entrance of the station and was delighted when I rewarded her with some money. I got on the train with about three minutes to spare, lucky enough again to have a window seat, and a young Peruvian sitting next to me. Only seconds before the train was leaving my two Irish friends arrived huffing and puffing, and sitting in the double seat across the aisle from me. Although I had explained that morning about going to the right station they had forgotten and gone to the wrong one and had to run like mad to make it to Perurail in time, the final whistle blowing just as they ran onto the platform! I was all set to listen to music all the way home, put my Machu Picchu CD in the player and started listening but only heard about one song as the Peruvian next to me who spoke perfect English started talking and was a really talkative person, telling me about his forthcoming marriage at the end of the week and we ended up chatting all the way to Ollantaytambo, before parting company as he was going onto another bus.
It was then an easy matter to look for the right bus - the same one we had travelled there on - and this was easy because Washington had written the registration number and the driver’s name on all our rail tickets. Within ten minutes we were on our way, with about an hour and half ride to get back to Cusco centre. It was dark by now - in fact was dark for most of the train ride too. The train ride was a really shaky one, swaying from side to side and one couldn't help hoping the rail tracks were kept in good order! This time I did listen to my music all the way to Cusco.
The bus actually dropped us off in Plaza des Armas at about twenty past nine and my Irish friends said they didn't have time to eat more than a bowl of soup at Aguas Calientes and were off to get something to eat and would I like to join them. I said I had already eaten but would join them and just have a drink instead. I followed them across the square and when I realised we were in the same street as Tomines restaurant I told them about it and said they would probably like it there. So we entered the restaurant about 9.30, the management in there really surprised to see me again as I had told them on Sunday I would next be in on Tuesday. They almost didn't recognise me I looked so different - previously in high heeled shoes and elegant clothes, contact lenses in etc - whereas I had windswept hair, hat on, jeans, trekking boots and a couple of sweaters and my glasses on.
I recommended the Aji de Gallina to Derval and she thoroughly enjoyed it. They fancied wine so we decided to share the cost of a bottle and I selected the nice one I’d had there previously and we all enjoyed it. Although the restaurant had last orders at 10 pm, we were lucky to be able to stay there until 11 pm, and during the evening we made arrangements to meet again on the Thursday evening at 8 pm in Tomines, first for a meal (at that time so that they could hear Takillakta as well, as the band had gone by the time we arrived there that evening). The three of us were going to Kami Kasi nightclub afterwards, me having told them about the brilliant band Apu Marku. It was their last night in Cusco and they hadn't been to any of the clubs yet so were looking forward to it as much as I was. Although walking distance from Tomines, and somewhere near Plaza des Armas I couldn’t remember exactly where, so we decided to take a taxi from the restaurant. Taxis were cheap enough there after all.
That day in the plaza there were military bands marching, which was the start of the festivities leading up to the weekend. Saturday would be Peruvian Independence Day with everyone on a national holiday. Unfortunately I would miss seeing the new president’s visit as Sunday 29th was the day he would take over - with his inauguration at Machu Picchu. I wished I had known that way back when I booked my flights, as unfortunately I was flying to Lima that Sunday morning. Because of all the military displays, marching bands, vast crowds etc, I was beginning to despair of finding the band who I had arranged to meet at midday and was almost about to give up when I spotted Milton. When I caught up with him I saw that most of the other band members were also there with their instruments, including Anibal who certainly did not look very happy. I found out later the reason was that because he had disappeared and let the band down they found someone to replace him. The new member was called Gustavo, another nice friendly chap. They weren’t playing at Casuron del Inca after all and said they were going for a drink and invited me to join them. Although Angel was with them at this point, it was only to let the others know he was feeling rough, was going home to bed and that he hoped that by resting he would be fit enough to join them in the evening. After a short walk we ended up at a cafe in a sidestreet, went through a huge wooden door, into a courtyard until the cafe itself, which had an outdoor terrace with tables etc. Once seated we ordered a couple of large bottles of Cusque–a to share and after a while they started idly playing their instruments and soon were in full swing and I was enjoying myself immensely, even quietly trying to have a go myself on a small set of panpipes. Leonarda was also there and was quietly practising too.
After a while Milton recognised one of the men on the next table as one of his fellow teachers (he was the oldest member of the band, previously being a teacher but now retired after 22 years of teaching). All the band hailed from Puno, even though they lived in Cusco at that time, and soon they were performing Pune–o songs which delighted the men on the next table so much that they bought and paid for another two large Cusquenas for us. When these were gone I bought two as well and thus we spent the most pleasant afternoon, me thoroughly enjoying their company. I really enjoyed being with all of them and my Spanish came on in leaps and bounds with all the conversation. One of them - Marco - could speak a bit of English and I promised that by email once back home I would help him improve his English.
About 5 pm (after four hours of great fun at that cafe) the band went their separate ways to go home and get changed etc, as they were due to play at Patitis at 7 pm. I was starving by this time and wanted to have something before going home, so Milton accompanied me to a nearby cafe and we both enjoyed a bowl of soup - Peruvian soups are really fantastic - I got home by about 6.30 and by 7.45 I was out again as I was meeting the two Irish girls at Tomines at 8 pm. I arrived at Tomines before Nollick and Derval and as usual was chatting to the owner, who by this time had recorded one side of my C90 tape and promised to get the other side done by the following night.
Then Derval and Nollick arrived and we had a really enjoyable couple of hours, had a great meal and shared a bottle of wine. The band arrived at the same time as them and each one came over and introduced himself to all of us. The restaurant was really busy for once and the show they put on was even more fantastic and joyous than previously and thoroughly enjoyed by all. At the end when they were about to finish I asked for one more and they played one, and then I remembered they had performed Sacsaywaman that afternoon and requested that as well (my favourite song on the Manuelo Prado CD) and it was brilliant hearing it again. By this time we had invited Angel and Milton to join us at Kami Kase and they said they would take the instruments home and join us there as soon as possible.
Although one has to be through the door at Kami Kase before 10 pm to get in free, we were lucky that the doorman waved us in without payment at 10.25. Upstairs we managed to get a table as well and ordered drinks. About 20 minutes later I spotted one of Angel’s friends - another musician but from another band, who came over and said that Angel and Milton were downstairs and would have a better chance of getting in free if I went down to the door. He was right because when I asked the doorman if two of my friends could come in he said yes! Upstairs again we had to get a bigger table to seat all of us and thereafter had the most enjoyable evening. I think the Irish girls enjoyed it too and at least they could chat to Angel’s friend who spoke English. The band that night were Pueblo Andino, but their show was not nearly as good as when I heard them on an outdoor stage in June. Most of the songs hardly sounded Andean and some were even quite boring.
Both Angel and Milton thought the same, but by this time it was too late to go anywhere else. We all left as soon as the band finished, as the Irish girls had to be up early to catch their flights to the jungle, I too had to be up by 5 am for Urubamba. They hailed taxis for us and in my case all three of them made it obvious to the driver they were checking his number, instructed him to take me right to the house etc. Knowing they were so concerned with my safe arrival home was quite comforting. We parted company with arrangements made for me to meet them in Plaza de Armas on Saturday at 12-noon (as I would be in Urubamba until then). It was almost 1 am when I got in, this time able to let myself in with a key, which Alfredo had provided.
