ORDINARY LIFE: rainy season at Machu Picchu

Dear Readers, Thanks for stopping by. I am a sporadic blogger and I appreciate your sticking with me. We've recently returned from five weeks in Peru and Colombia. Too many stories! But I will start with one of the best — Machu Picchu. Got a few minutes?

A view from inside the citadel showing a small part of Machu Picchu...

... and a view from atop Machu Picchu Mountain, which we managed to climb.

The truth is I didn't want to go to Machu Pichu. And neither did PK. Almost everybody has seen the iconic Machu Pichu photos, right? How much better can the place be in real-time?

A whole lot better, it turns out — it is among my most inspiring travel experiences ever.

Thanks to Steve Lambros, one of our two travel partners, for insisting that If we're going to Peru, I'm going to Machu Picchu! And so did we all.

Our travel buddies Steve Lambros, Laurie Gerloff

on the train to Aguas Calientes/Machu Picchu.

During our trip planning, we learned about Machu Picchu's infamous crowds. A World Heritage site, Machu Picchu is the most visited tourist destination in South America, and also at the top of the list for most beautiful places on the entire continent. Guide books warn to order tickets far in advance and plan strategically to avoid hordes during high season.

Fortunately, we traveled to Peru during the low season, which often means rain. We got lucky. No rain and only a small crowd at Machu Picchu around 8:30 a.m., Dec. 13, 2019.

When to go? According to a tour company's brochure:

The best months are late March, APRIL, May, and September, OCTOBER, November. During these months, Machu Picchu and the hiking trails that lead to it tend to be less crowded and with relatively good weather.

Note that June, July, and August - peak season with tons of tourists - are not recommended, and neither are December, January, and February - rainy season.

Had it been raining on our Machu Picchu day, we would have been stuck with it as our arrangements had been made well in advance.

The thing is, you don't just say, on a lark, "Oh! It's a beautiful day! Let's go to Machu Picchu!" And there you are, dropped off at the gate. You can't take a direct flight, or direct anything, to Machu Picchu except for the short bus ride from Aguas Calientes that does stop at the gate. At the very least, once in Peru, a train and a bus are involved, and for hardy souls, two or four days of hiking the Inca Trail.

Machu Picchu tourists most often must find their way from Cusco, and that journey is worth noting. Machu Picchu is part of the storied Sacred Valley, as is the ancient city of Ollantaytambo, where tourists hop on a train to get to the most famous of all Inca ruins.

The Ollantaytambo train station is a marvel of efficiency with two final destinations: Aguas Calientes, a gateway to Machu Picchu, or, going the other direction, Cusco.

We hired a van to tote us 45 miles from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, in itself a tourist destination. Even without Machu Picchu being an hour and a half up the train tracks, this town's own grand archeological site and the ancient city's Inca-era grid of cobblestone streets and Inca-style walls and buildings would still draw and awe crowds.

This is the door to someone's home. See the modern 422 address? The larger smooth stones were likely placed by the Incas. The smaller stones held together with mortar were likely not.

Our Machu Picchu guide said that visiting during the rainy season is
advantageous because one can observe the clever drainage system.
Stone gutters go for blocks uncovered, then disappear and reappear all
the way to the mighty Urubamba River.

We scored a great hotel with a balcony overlooking the scene pictured below. Altogether, we spent nearly a week in Ollantaytambo, and it took that long to figure out how to pronounce the name.

The Ollantaytambo Archeological Park as viewed from across the valley. This site, the town itself, and Machu Picchu are all part of Peru's incredible Sacred Valley.

Typical indigenous dress and a typical tourist look.

Next, we caught the train to Aguas Calientes, a 1.5-hour ride away, and the next morning, a shuttle bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.

This is the rip-roaring Urubamba River, which the train to Aguas Calientes follows the entire distance. It is a breathtaking river studded with Class 5 and 6 rapids and waterfalls. If you go, try to get a seat on the "river" side of the train. The river can be seen from numerous vantage points from Machu Picchu Mountain.

We stayed overnight in Aguas Calientes, just a short bus ride from Machu Picchu, so we could enter around 8 a.m. and begin climbing Machu Picchu Mountain by 9 a.m.

When you buy your MP ticket, you must select an entry time and a time to climb either MP Mountain or Huayna Picchu, if you choose to climb either. Huayna Picchu is the peak that appears behind the Inca City in the classic postcard photo of Machu Picchu.

But wait. What about Aguas Calientes? Everyone who visits Machu Picchu must pass through this town, which you can't drive to. The town has capitalized on its captive audience with remarkable public art and numerous hotels and restaurants. If you visit Machu Picchu, staying the night before in Aguas Calientes makes good sense.

The hot springs for which the town is named are walking distance from
the train station and downtown.

Back to Machu Picchu Mountain - The Climb Begins

We registered at the trailhead soon after 8 a.m. and started up after we decided to climb first, tour the citadel later. Four hours is the average time required to get up and down the mountain.

We began at 8,000 feet elevation and ended at 10,042 ft. after 1.5 miles. Whew! Fortunately, we were acclimated from having been at high elevation for several days. But still. We were huffing and puffing all the way.

The trail is advertised as being suitable for older people and children. We didn't see any children, and we were by far the oldest people. In all, we may have seen 20 others during our four hours on the trail. Most appeared to be in their 20s or 30s. It is so weird to always be among the oldest people. We're grateful to be ambulatory and even, dare I say, fit.

Yes, the trail is super steep and rocky.

Every now and then, a person must stop and rest.

Huayna Picchu, the other mountain trail, is shorter and steeper but requires less time. However, people with vertigo or fear of heights were cautioned, and children under 12 are not allowed.

Although the Machu Picchu Mountain trail was in great condition, it was a series of steep rock steps of varying heights.

Climbing the mountain required eager lungs, a stout willing heart, stalwart legs, bulletproof knees, and a clear brain focused on the task at hand, not straying toward sanity issues.

So beautiful. So steep. Don't fall.

PK and I were grateful for the steep hills we'd forced ourselves to hike near our Oregon home in preparation. Little did we know at Machu Picchu that the MP Mountain was easy compared with another hike coming at us in a few weeks. Worst hike ever. Later.

Not exactly the view Steve was hoping for when he reached the top of Machu Picchu Mountain, but the mists disappeared quickly.

A few moments later....clouds are on their way out. So amazing.

I love this photo of Laurie taking her last few steps to the summit

It almost hurts to take in all this beauty. A view from the mountain trail

What goes up must come down.

Laurie always uses a hiking pole. Me too.

Descending was almost as challenging as climbing. I would have been helpless without a hiking pole. Yet hiking poles were not allowed except for "older people." (See below all the objects and behaviors that are forbidden.) I passed a young woman on the descent who was clinging to her partner, covetous of my stick. The reason for the rule? Hiking sticks with metal tips may damage features of the ruins. Rubber-tipped sticks are permitted for older people. We'll take it.

Every view change is gasp-worthy. It isn't just the citadel, but the river and the mountains. If you can go, do.

Machu Picchu Rules

I love most of the Machu Pichu regulations. My absolute fave is that selfie sticks are not allowed. I loathe selfie sticks and their tendency to create self-absorbed people. I can't count the times during the past few years of travel that selfie-stick-users have ruined otherwise fabulous scenery. They're so oblivious. Who could possibly be interested in their photos when their faces are front and center in every single one?

More Machu Picchu rules, and the entire list:

No general tumult. (The actual word used.)
No running or jumping
No climbing or leaning on features.
No weapons
No tripods. This is a tough one, but tripods take a lot of space and time when both are limited.
No high heels. Duh.
No obscene acts inappropriate in a public place and that threaten morals and good manners such as undressing, disguising, lying down, or running. They're really against running.

Our guide, Fran, was excited telling us the Machu Picchu story.

Seeing Machu Picchu with a Guide - It's a Rule

If you want to explore this stunning and surprising place, you must hire a guide. We did not need a guide to climb the mountain, however.

Numerous accredited guides hang out near the entry. We happily paid $20 a person for a couple hours of guide services, then provided a generous tip because having a guide increases comprehension and enjoyment immeasurably. Plus it undoubtedly saves the site from people who'd love to chip off chunks of Inca genius. Evidence of genius is everywhere at Machu Picchu.

The Incas were dialed into the stars, earth, rivers and all of nature. Their astronomical knowledge, agricultural skills, and engineering expertise continue to wow visitors and scientists.

This wall seems ordinary, right? It is ordinary in Machu Pichu and other Inca ruins, but not elsewhere. Each rock is polished and shaped to fit perfectly with surrounding rocks. A credit card isn't thin enough to slip between the junctures. Even more amazing, the citadel withstood a 6.5 earthquake in the mid-1400s as described in this National Geographic article. Also, a great deal of engineering is in the foundation which extends deep below ground.

By contrast, our guide said, this wall was erected as part of restoration sometime after Machu Pichu was "discovered" in 1911 by a Yale archeologist, Hiram Bigham. You could put all your credit cards in the cracks and never see them again.

What the heck is this? Note that the small rock "column" remains after the stone it was carved from has mostly disappeared. But why? Our guide couldn't wait to tell us.