Now that I have had amble time to reflect and sleep from my journey to one of the 7th wonders of the world, I feel like I am able now to share it with the world wide web. My adventure to Macchupichu was out of control un-matchable experience. There are a couple of different options of how to arrive to the ruins, and I chose, hands down, the best option. Instead of going on the overpriced and overcrowded famous Inca trek, I took an alternate route called Salcantay Trek. Not only was it cheaper ($200 US), it was one more day, I barely saw any other travels, and it was not rerouted that week becuase of landslides. Despite the hail, snow, constant rain, avalanches lasting 10 minutes, mud up to our ankles, wet socks, near death experiences in landslides, and loads of mule shit, it was one of the top treks I have ever done. In fact I think that National Geographic rates this as one of the top 16 treks (which is a bizarre number) in the world.
Our group of 8 all got super close too. The first day we were already sharing dirty stories, most embarassing moments, and having deep beautiful moments looking up at the stars. There was a group of 4 Australian med students who are doing an elective in clinics in Cusco. Super chill group of people. There were two english dudes, one with a horrible pealing sunburn. and the last guy was this hilarious dude from ireland that laughed really spontaneously. good group.
Climbing up the first couple of days I got to the highest point I have ever been to in my life at 5,033 meters (around 15,000feet). The last couple of days were spent descending down through beatiful jungle and along the most raging river I have ever seen. We even had mules carrying the majority of our stuff with 2 cooks that would show up before we got there and already have popcorn and tea for us. Soup before every meal was served and we woke up every morning to coca tea in our tents. Besides the five star food we got, our guide was absolutely amazing. Juan Carlos was a young hot peruvian guide that enjoyed socializing with us around beer and cigars and educated us on the ancient Incan culture. He taught us that the word Macchupichu is originally pronounced slightly different in Quecha for "old mountain", but with the Spanish influence the pronouncation has been altered and now means "old dick" (macchu meaning old and pichu meaning dick). And Wuaynapichu (which is the famous peak that you climb in the macchupichu,means ("young dick"). So we all hiked 5 days to ancient dick and then climbed up the steep stairs on young dick. jeje.
After spending our last night in Aguas Calientes, which is a tourist town right at the base of the ruins, we woke up super early and hiked up the steep steps to get to the entrance to Macchupichu before all the old fart tourists showed up on the buses. I was the 8th person to be emmitted into Macchupichu and so was one of the 400 people they allow up Wuaynapichu. I spent the whole day wondering around these magnificent ruins in complete awe. Since we got in so early we got to experience the ruins without anyone there. So magical. As the people started pouring into the site, I was so grateful that I went during low season. I can not even imagine how crowded it would be during high season.
My group of 8 that I had hiked with all climbed up to Wuaynapichu together. And although it was raining at the time and some bitch lady had told us it was not worth the climb up, we made it to the top and took a naked photo that we had been planning on. It was an awesome photo with are white bare bums siluetted by the white clouds in the background. Unfortunetly, and completley understandably, this was not allowed in such a sacred place and the security guard made us erase our photo work. oh well.
The rest of the day I spent wondering in and out of the ruins. On my way up to the Sun Gates I had a very National Geographic Discovery Channel experience. Right after I was almost run over by like 10 llamas charging down this narrow path, I stumbled apone a llama giving birth!!!!!!! It was so amazing. Right before hand the father had committed suicide and fallen off the cliff to meet his death (I am convinced it was becuase having a child was just too much responsibility for him). For an hour I watched a baby llama being pushed out and welcomed into this world. It was so floppy and had placenta all around it. But once it was able to sit down and lift its head up on its own, I was granted the honor of preforming a baptism ceremony. I drank some boxed wine with some workers of Macchupichu and poured a little over the llamas head welcoming it into this world and thanking the patchimama (mother earth). With every death there is a birth. So beautiful and metaphorical.
On the way back to Cusco, the entire bus wanted to just pass out from having had such a long journey the last couple of days. However, we were blessed by having the biggest assholes in our bus ever. They were from California and I felt sooo embarrassed for my country. They were pissed drunk and screaming and yelling fuck shit gay nigger every other word. They pissed in bottles, one guy shat himself cause he thought it would be funny, they were so disrespectful to this 60 year old man sitting next to them, and when the driver and the women working on the bus asked them to be quiet they just told her to take her clothes off and get naked. We stopped the bus and were going to kick them off at the police station, but unfortunetly they convinced the driver that they deserved to get to cusco. Such jerks. or as the english say, such wankers.
So when i eventually got back to cusco the bed at wild rover hostel felt so good to climb into. The week had been just one adventure after another and i was reading to just sleep and do nothing for a couple of days. Cusco has trapped me in with its small streets, beautiful plazas, amazing food of all sorts, and great nightlife. I could really see myself staying here for a couple of months and working in a bar hostel restaurant teaching english or something. However, my plans are taking me north and there are more countries to see. I will come back some day for sure.
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