12.07 Machu Picchu

The forgotten city of Machu Picchu

Since all the treks were already overbooked, and the only ones available were exorbitantly priced non-Inca 4-5 day treks, I was forced to take the train – the only other option to get to Machu Picchu.

But to protest against my grief, I endured the walk from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. Aguas Calientes is the last train stop and everybody takes a bus from there to get to Machu Picchu. I was the only crazy fuck who walked. It only takes 1h30, I don't understand why the others didn't do the same!?

It’s something to walk alone in nature… I don’t know how quite to describe it. It’s kind of magical, and you feel a sense of freedom of a different form.

Once I reached Machu Picchu and the first sight I got of it, I started trembling and tearing. There is something in that place. Not only its beauty, its surrounding mountains, the clouds hovering on top of the mountains, the mystery of the place, but something else… there are very strong vibrations in that place and you can feel them, even though it’s filled with tourists. I couldn’t move for 20 minutes and stayed put in a corner at the entrance and just looked at the place. Then, I started exploring it and finally went on top and kept on looking at it until closing time.

In 1911, an American historian, Hiram Bingham, was traveling around Peru and asking locals if there were ruins anywhere. Once he reached close to Machu Picchu, some locals told him that there were a few ruins behind the mountain they were pointing at. There are many explanations trying to solve the mistery of Machu Picchu, but to this day, no one really knows. Some say it was already a forgotten city before the Spanish conquered Peru.