Cusco, Machu Picchu and the do it yourself track

Huacachina is a backbackers resort, fun to hang around for a couple of days, but not super interesting to tell stories about. Although on the way to this resort place, I took a cessna flight over some old drawings called the Nazca Lines. It was a rough flight and the drawings are just some old lines in the sand. Nothing too special to get excited about. At least I didn´t. Quicly enough I jumped on the bus to Cusco.

Cusco. A sacred city in the sacred valley. Surrounded by dozens of old Inca sites. From Sacsahuaman to Machu Picchu. An absolute stop for travels of Peru, or Tawantin-Suyu as the Incas called their land. Cusco is rich and touristy. All the luxery you want, but for the prices you expect. If you want to go off the beaten track you have to dwell the outer skirts of the city. Local food for local prices tasting equally local: rice, potato and meat.

The main reason to come here: Machu Picchu and it´s famous Inca Trail. The Inca trail was the route the Inca king, son of the sun, took to Machu Picchu. Along the trail tambons (in Quechua) are to be seen, which were erected for housing the nobilty on their long travels across the country in Inca times. Most are destroyed by the conquerers some exist to be viewed by the interested. Since the Inca trail is booked for the next 6 months, yup book 6 months in advance, and it costs 500 dollars, most people take the train. That will costs you about 75 dollars, but there is a less travelled this more interesting route.

Summerized: - Cusco, 8pm bus to Santa Maria. - Santa Maria, 4am bus to Santa Terresa (+ sleep). - Santa Terresa, cab to hydroelectrico where you get to the very end of the railway connecting Aguas Calientes and Cusco. - Walk to Agues Calientes (+sleep). - Already in day 3, I visited Machu Picchu, and started walking back to the hydro at 3 in the afternoon. - Cab back to Santa Terresa (+sleep). - Santa Terresa, 8am bus to Santa Maria. - Santa Maria, 10am bus to Cusco where you arrive at 3 in the afternoon.

This way you are on the road for 4 days, while taking rural buses and sleeping in rural towns. You won´t see another tourist for a while, not until you reach Aguas Calientes, which is, ofcourse because of Machu Picchu, a big expensive touristy city. The ability to sleep cheap is available for the searcher.

Machu Picchu was never found by the Spanish because the Inca abandoned the place before the Spanish got word of it. Overgrown found back in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, he knew this was once a great Inca city in the great Tawantin-Suyu land (all of Equador, Bolivia, Peru and Chile along the coast). Nowdays visited by 2500 tourists a day, I decided to go there June the 24ste, Inti Raymi, or festival of the sun. While everybody was staring at peculiar dresses and evenly strange dances, I was standing in an ´empty´ Machu Picchu.

Back in Cusco I am recovering for 1 single day, today, and moving on tonight to Ayacuncho. According to the lonely planet with bus rides not for the faint of heart.

I hope I can make a new post soon...

Machu Picchu, and the landscape surrounding it looks quite impressive! I do like to read more about people though. I can't imagine you always travel alone.

Machu Picchu, één van de zeven wereldwonders. Dat je portemonnaie nog niet leeg is, is ook een wonder!

Ach dan laat ie wel weer iets van zich jatten! :)

Muhaha. En dan, ergens in okt 2009, naar huis komen in enkel een zwembroek. Rest verpatst om zo lang mogelijk daar te blijven. (mag je alleen niet in de business class vrees ik.) Maar ach.. Als je 't zo ziet is het geen straf om ietsje langer te moeten blijven.

geniet er maar van zo lang dat kan!!

Next time about people on request. Let me think about it.