July 19th, 2015
We wake up decently early in Hospadaje Veronica in Aguas Calientes all exhausted from our long but incredible day of exploring Machu Picchu, a name famous all around the world. Today there’s nothing quite so exciting planned but the greatest thing about travel is often the people you meet, and I’m with five good friends so even the duller days turn into loads of fun.
Slowly we pack up our bags and head out into town to find some breakfast before our walk back along the railroad tracks to hidro electrica where our minibus back to Cusco will supposedly be waiting for us. We find a little restaurant/mini market just off the main plaza and enjoy a tasty if simple breakfast served by one friendly man who seems to be doing the job of three people.
As we eat and chat about the previous day we also pay some attention to the tv which is doing an extended interview with a Russian circus who will apparently be visiting Lima in the not too distant future. I jot down the information just in case and then we’re off, heavy packs on our shoulders (luckily I left my big one at the hostel in Cusco.) winding down the path out of town towards the train tracks.
The river is rushing and before long Rob and I are looking for path’s down the steep embankment. Our ride isn’t scheduled to pick us up until 2:30 pm and we’ve left with a few hours to spare to leave the door open to possible adventures along the way. Sadly, this close to town there’s no obvious route down to the rushing water, but that’s okay, we noticed many more interesting sections further along the path beside the rail road tracks.
We continue along passing a few small botanical gardens before finding a small path through the thicket and down the hill to the river at a particularly interesting section of it dotted with huge grey boulders, and small cascades flooding over some of the rocks and under the others. It’s the perfect place to hang out and have some fun exploring the rocks and the water, but first of course we do what all boys dream of… blow up a dinosaur.
Rob had bought some firecrackers in Bolivia and this seemed like a great use for them. We quickly find a sheltered section of the huge rocks and set to work, Rob lighting the dinosaur we used on as a photo prop on the salt flats and running for cover. The blast outdoes anything I’d expected and leaves me temporarily deaf but very impressed. The Dinosaur is obliterated, our new friendly dog companion is terrified and now we feel free to go explore the river which is way more fun than it should be.
Bethan later likened it to little boys playing with each other while the more sensible girls watch and shake their heads with knowing smiles. Rob, a damn good climber, leads the way on the rocks and shows Ben and I the best to follow him as best we can.
Eventually I do take a break to take some photos which culminates in an enjoyable where’s Rob collection seen below.
Rob later finds a small passageway through the bedrock to the upper sections of the river, and after a little consideration I follow him wedging my way up through the narrow opening, hoping to find a place to get into the water, the huge boulders in our initial place make this difficult and very unsafe.
I’m in luck and soon my clothes are gone and I’m out in the middle of the rapids, fighting the current and finding respite on a few of the protruding rocks. Rob’s in his element on the rocks and I felt bad not being able to follow his every move, but in the water I’m home.
Sadly the same can’t be said for once I climb out of the water and start putting on my clothes. I immediately lose my balance and go plunging into the water with my shoes and all my clothes in hand. In the brief instant between knowing I’m falling and actually falling I consider saving my shoes but instinctually decide that breaking my fall is more important and manage to keep myself from landing on any of the jagged rocks face first. It’s the right decision though walking back the rest of the way in soaked shoes is less than ideal.
We head back to the girls who are busy appreciating the tranquil beauty of the scene before we realize we’ve used almost all our spare time and hurriedly pack up our things and climb back up onto the train tracks which will guide us back to hidro electrica.
On the way back we flatten some more coins and let our eyes pick out specific sections of Machu Picchu above which we now know well, including the Incan bridge, just a spec in the distance until my camera zoom gets to work.
Ben and Ceci get ahead of us but we catch up to them with the just over 2 hour hike just about finished. They are sitting on the tracks and looking very photogenic together.
We then decide that we have time to stop for a cold drink at one of the trackside restaurants near hidro electrica. It’s not cheap but in the heat with our tired legs it’s worth the stop. We hurriedly finish our drinks realizing we’re running a little late and not wanting to miss our bus heading down the last ten minutes of the trail, stopping briefly to make an offering of some rum to Pachamama, goddess of the earth, fertility, and the harvest to many of the Andean indigenous people, including the Incan’s.
We get down to the incredibly crowded parking lot which is more like a maze of minibuses only to eventually figure out that our bus has not arrived yet. We snap a few final photos before collapsing onto the ground. Eventually I get up to try to figure out when our bus will arrive and after a hectic 45 minutes it arrives and we pile in, only to find out they’ve overbooked so a bus meant for about 12 people has about 18 in it for the first two hours of our ride.
I manage to sleep through most of it, until the extra people are transferred to another van and we continue on our roughly 7 hour journey back to Cusco. The only stop is at a small roadside minimarket which serves up surprisingly delicious burgers from a hot plate and a frying pan full of oil.
The stars and music in my ears make the last 3 hours of the ride quite enjoyable, if a little nausea inducing, and soon enough we’re back in Cusco, walking to Kilombo hostel, for some ping pong and a comfortable night’s sleep in their brand new beds. Definitely a worthwhile place to stay in Cusco, especially if you’re into png pong. The Israeli owner will give you a very good game, though like most good players, he doesn’t like to lose.
Back in Cusco, we spend a two days relaxing and eating some delicious western food at Fuego BBQ and Burgers restaurant before our group splits up.
Louise gets a flight to Iquitos up in the northern jungles of Peru, while Ceci and Ben get on a bus to Paracas, the poor man’s galapagos of Peru (every country in South America seems to have one) and then, the next day, Rob Bethan and I get on a very long and very uncomfortable night bus to Ica, about 16 hours away. Our final destination and the setting for the next entry is Huacachina, a tiny desert oasis town just outside of Ica, Peru’s home for sand board’s and dune buggies!
