Off The Deep End

Outside of Cusco there are numerous Incan sites that hardly anyone visits. Luis told us that Machu Picchu attracts most of the tourists and therefore most of the government funding for access and development. In the afternoon after visiting the pre Incan ruins we drove far up into the mountains to Tipon which is the site of the Water Temple.

On our last day in Cusco we had planned to go mountain biking with our friend Luis. We decided to rent the bikes after meeting him in the square. This turned out to be a good idea, because Luis soon appeared limping badly. We rushed to his side asking him what the matter was. He explained that he had started coming down with an illness and went to the pharmacist to get an injection. This turned out to be a "mal injecion" and had hurt him so badly that he could barely walk. I suspect the pharmacist hit a bone with the needle causing a bad bone bruise.

Our second to last night in Cusco we headed out to a touristy meal and folk dance exposition at The Inka Wall. This place was just down the street from our hostel and featured a huge buffet dinner and dancing exemplifying the cultures of Peru. All the eras were represented from the Incan styles to Spanish and European styles. Even the pseudo futuristic space bugs versus the ice princess made an appearance complete with Yeti monster.

Watch as we speed down the high mountain passes of Peru. Dazzle at our ability to maneuver the twists and turns of the Incan roads. This awesome display of biking ability took us down over 8,000 feet through 25 miles of roadway, both pavement and dirt.

On day four we woke up at 4:45 in the morning to have time to grab a quick bite to eat and get to the bus. It is important to get up to Machu Picchu early to get a pass for Wayna Picchu. Wayna Picchu rises up above Machu Picchu and is often seen in the background of "classic" pictures. Every day only 400 people are allowed up to Wayna Picchu. So you get on the bus in Agua Caliente at 5 AM to get into Machu Picchu by 6 AM then trek all the way across the city to line up for your ticket to Wayna Picchu. After this it was about 7:15 and Luis started our tour around Machu Picchu.

Our second day on the trek to Machu Picchu was our first day hiking. We woke up to a home cooked breakfast before boarding the bus to the trail head. The hike started off very steep up through the cloud forest passing maize and coffee and coca growing in the traditional Inca terraced style. After about an hour we passed a little girl selling water and Gatorade in the jungle on the side of the trail. Her chaperon was a little monkey named Lulu. Lulu loved candy and would leap with blinding speed to snatch it from your fingers before devouring it.