Wet and Wild at Machu Picchu

We got up relatively early this morning to catch a bus up to Machu Picchu. 25 mins-worth of being bounced up and down in the backseat, we arrived at the entrance. Immediately our progress was slowed by . . . everyone. I had underestimated the size of the crowds. I had figured that February being the low season and rainy season would keep the numbers down. I was very wrong, and folks who did not have the best physical fitness, or frankly the ability to walk in a straight line. Every time Nicole moved to overtake someone, they would shift course like a snake, stop for 10 seconds, take out a selfie stick attached to an ipad or some such nonsense and then start walking again toward the other side of the path. It was driving us mad.


Anyway, we attempted to get away from the crowds and found a little overlook by ourselves until half of a Chinese tour group believed our spot was grand and decided to pin us into a corner while standing approximately 3 inches away.

We fought our way out and went in search of a new viewpoint. At this point we had only a limited view of the site with glimpses of the ruins between passing clouds. We were awaiting for the clouds to clear in hopes of a clearer view, but there were few indications that the weather was improving. We passed the time by hiking toward the Inca Bridge which was nice because the crowds really thinned out as it required a very small degree of physical fitness. When we returned, the weather had not changed, but there were now more people. I would have sworn that walking sticks were prohibited, but lots of people had them nonetheless. I really don't understand. These people had not completed the Inca Trail (which is currently closed for trail maintenance), and had merely stepped off a tour bus and had to walk up a few steps. A walking stick only proved to be an obstacle to our eyes when we were stuck behind these "adventuresome" trekkers.

In any event, in short order, the weather got much worse. The rain started to intensify and it got quite cold. There is very little shelter at the site, so Nicole and I just kind of huddled by ourselves near a wall for a good 30 mins during a downpour. See the first picture in this post to see Nicole looking out at the ruins (which as you can see were not visible at all). The rain did do a good jog of dispersing people, however, and just as we were about to despair, the wind picked up.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to start pushing the clouds along. We never got a sunny clear view like you would see in a postcard, but we did get some nice misty and eerie shots that evoke more of a mysterious feel to the ancient citadel. After spending a solid six hours at the site, we fought through the slow moving tourists and made our way back down to town to catch a train to Ollantaytambo, an hour and a half away. Here, everyone else on the train took a taxi or transferred to bus to go to Cusco. Nicole and I were spending the night.

After settling in to our small guest house in the small town of Ollantaytambo, we had our Valentine's Day dinner for two at a small restaurant a few blocks down the cobbled streets. Unlike back in the states, there did not appear to be huge demand for fancy Valentine's Day dinners and we did not need a reservation or have to deal with special Valentine's day menus. I appreciated this and we were able to enjoy a quiet and relaxed dinner despite feeling a bit cold and wet in our clothes that had adorned our bodies since the morning. After dinner we headed back to the guest house after Nicole purchased a few hand-made goods at a market stall. It was a very busy, but fulfilling day. Perhaps not the most traditional way to spend February 14, but I wouldn't change a thing.