Next time I'll take the Inca Trail
Trip Start
Jun 19, 2010
1
8
16
Trip End
Aug 22, 2010
Aguas Calientes, Sacred Valley, Peru
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Well when we turned up to get a bus a taxi driver offered us transit direct for 10 soles. We thought great, much more comfortable. After waiting for about 15 mins for a couple of other passengers for the taxi we were off. That taxi ride was one of the scariest and most sickening things I have done. He seemed not content with flying round mountainous roads at 100 km/h, 120 or 140 was more his
style. We almost hit into countless dogs and almost flew through the windscreen when he swerved sharply around a pothole (this is because obviously Peruvian taxis don't have seat belts).
We survived that ordeal but after being driven by a maniac ended up in Ollantaytambo far too early. A couple of lemonades and card games ensued to kill some time. As our train time approached I
went up the the gate only to be told there had been a change and our train would now leave 30 mins later. And so started the joyful PeruRail experience. After what seemed like hours of queuing we finally get through the gate, have our tickets checked umpteen times to board and now we find that they can't even allocate us seats next to each other. Give us a break please. To make matters worse the train is poorly lit with half the lightbulbs broken and the
carriage rattles around like we're rolling on rocks. All this for $31 for an hour and a half train ride. I think I will walk next time!
To make matters a bit worse we arrive in Aguas Calientes over an hour late, giving us only 6 hours to check in to the hostel, eat and sleep before getting up very early to make the trip to Machu Picchu. Aguas Calientes is a very strange town, it serves no purpose other than to be a rest stop for people making the journey to Machu Picchu. The town is mostly empty with far too many restaurants all with sky high prices hoping to lure just a few tourists in to keep them going. As we arrived very late and just wanted a quick dinner we pounce on the first pizza place pay our ridiculously high bill and wolf down the strange pizza which is lacking any tomato.
Hopefully all this is worth it for tomorrow and Machu Picchu itself.
