To the hills...

The last few days in the jungle were as good as the first, a lot of more of the same (birds and monkeys galore) though the highlights were definately the times we spent in small canoes. Silently gliding through the forests looking for animals and trying not to scare them away. Or, in Vaniah's case, focusing on not falling in the water. So we left thinking it definately exceeded our expectations, and looking forward to the next opportunity we could get to wash our mosquito-repellent soaked clothing.

Cuzco
Next stop, Cuzco, altitude 3500 m and boy did we feel that. We noticed immediately that we were getting a bit winded a little earlier, but since I´ve been skiing on almost these altitudes before I was fairtly sure it would pass easily. That didnt quite happen, and we might just have had a little e-coli dose in something we ate along the way too. So we only managed to take a few short walks around the city, which is a beautiful little place by the way. Lots of old stone buildings, cathedrals, winding narrow cobbled streets and brightly clad locals leading the odd llamas that give it an ancient feel about it. In the next few days, when we go back, we´re hoping to catch all the great ruins outside of it as well.

Machu Picchu
One of the main reasons for visiting Peru, and to go on the this trip in the first place, was Machu Picchu, the mystical ancient ruins on the top of the mountains. Due to our issues with the altitude and food, and the constant raining that starts at 13.00 each day and keeps going until late in the night we opted out of doing any 4 day hikes, and instead caught the train. We got up at the crack of an hour before dawn and went to the bus stop. Then we went to the back of the queue, about 100 - 200 meters further up. This was at 5 am. But a little after 5.30 we got on a bus and went up the mountain, another long queue (they must like them here too) to get in.

It would have been great if we could have had a better day for it it was raining heavily and being soaked and cold is not the best way of seing and appreciating it. A word of warning first though, when you go to Machu Picchu you are a part of a captive audience and you will feel ripped off. You can only get to Machu Picchu village (formerly Aguas Calientes) by train or walking, so the train fare is extortionate. And in the horror that is the village, the food, water, snacks are grossly overpriced and the restaurants and hostels lack service. This is a great shame since the ruins themselves are amazing and it only serves to deter people from coming. Top-tip: when you go, go on a hike that does not involve a night in the village and head straight out after coming down the mountain.

Once finally in it was quite astonishing though, despite the low clouds and the pouring rain (top tip for anyone visiting, avoid rain-season, especially if you are trekking). It would be interesting to know what this place actually was, its almost never mentioned in preserved texts. But this makes it quite fun as well, you can easily play a game up there. Trying to get as many alternate explanations as possible by evesdropping on different guides (knowing multiple languages will definately be an asset). They are all happily going along telling their version as if it was a proven fact that the building currently in was the temple of winds. Or that the last building was where the emperor took his baths. We heard a few, most interestingly when two English speaking guides gave different descriptions, no more than 10 meters apart!

At one point, at a rock in a stone quarry, we overheard a different guide say to his troupe of 30-odd followers:

"The Incas worked very hard from sunrise to sunset then went and drank beer!"

which was too bad because the Incas had very advanced (for the time and place) stone cutting techniques which the guide didn't bother to mention, instead with a kurt "take picture", he herded his group onwards.

So tonight we'll be happy to leave this village and head to Ollantaytambo, from where we'll tomorrow hopefully visit Richard Webbs (an Univerity friend of Vaniahs) company.