Journey Return

Tuesday, May 20
Start: Phuyupatamarca 12,040′ (3670m)
Via: Wiñaywayna 8694′ (2650m)
Via: Intipunku Sun Gate 9005′ (2745m)
Via: Machupicchu 7972′ (2430m)
Stop: Aguas Calientes 6693′ (2040m)
7.41 miles
1,114′ ascent
4,879′ descent
O2 average 89%
100% acclimated to 6939′ and fully acclimated to 7217′

In an effort not to have to get up in the middle of the night, I make a late trip to the rather gross squat pit toilet. Plus there’s so many people here at this camp, it’s not really possible to hide behind any of the vegetation. I fall asleep about 10 pm and sleep really well until the whole camp comes to life about 2 am. The morning energy and ruckus of all these people is enough to make the birds think that it’s time to sing. My personal penthouse terrace is just steps away from the stairs that descend to the Phuyupatamarca ruins. I hypnotically sleep and wake as tourists start to stream down the stairs. Their headlamps flash my tent and I can easily overhear those with American accents. Some porters even go straight through our campsite and trip on the guy lines of my tent. I shout out suddenly when someone trips and I think they’re going to fall onto me and my tent.

I wake up at 5 am and do my morning tent routine. I emerge from my tent just before 6 am and I’m shocked to find that virtually the entire camp is deserted. The clouds bend to and fro and snow-capped Apu Verónica peeks out briefly. Just after 6 am we enjoy an amazing breakfast of coca tea, scrambled eggs, quinoa cakes, coffee, hot chocolate, fresh fruit, rolls with jam. We sit with the tent doors flapped back, enjoying the view. After breakfast, we get our snacks for the day of peach juice and mint chocolate cookies.

About 7 am we take a group photo with Apu Salkantay far behind us. It was only three days ago that we climbed up across Incachiriaska Pass right next to Salkantay. Elizabeth takes the picture of the group, L-R: me, Juvenal, Damian, Joel in his full chef uniform, and Victor. I’m still completely blown away how there’s only a few tourists left in camp.

Elizabeth and I roll out at 7:10 am and make the short descent down the stairs to the Phuyupatamarca ruins. Since almost everyone left hours ago, we pretty much have the place to ourselves.

Phuyupatamarca is known as “La Ciudad entre la Niebla” or “The City Above the Clouds.” We first cross over the elaborate water system with five stone baths that descend down the hillside. Then we climb up the agricultural terraces for a spectacular view over the canyon. Phuyupatamarca was most likely an Inca administrative center which also contains a large, flattened bedrock platform at the top, and unique semi-circular structures resembling towers.

During the monsoon rainy months prior to May, tourists had to take an alternate to the Inca Trail due to slipouts and trees across the trail. Luckily, the official Inca Trail has just reopened and we start to descend its steep stairs at 7:45 am. We pass Eccremocarpus pink lanterns, Pleroma, Campyloneurum fern, and yellow Miconia.

Down, down, through jungle tunnels and rock tunnels and past wild sages far above the Urubamba River.

We pass bright begonias as llamas welcome us to Intipata. At first, I’m a little worried but the llamas seem undisturbed by our presence. They flash their luscious lashes at me and strike a pose while foraging. It starts to sprinkle as Elizabeth trots off for a nature break. I can’t decide if I need my umbrella or not.

Just down the trail, the full Intipata ruins come into sight. Wow! Intipata is known for its immense agricultural terraces. It’s likely that food was also produced here for Machupicchu. The terraces are steep and seem to go on forever as they curve around the mountainside straight into the clouds.

We follow the full curvature of the terraces before descending some stairs. Wow, no mistakes! The steps are small for my big, wide feet. I step down carefully because one wrong move and I will bowling ball, taking Elizabeth with me.

Looking back at the terraces really showcases the blooming yellow Abatia, which is in the Willow family.

We hike for 15 minutes, passing purple Justicia alpina and violet Sobralia orchids, before we arrive at Wiñaywayna at 10:30 am. Wiñaywayna is the name of an orchid and in Quechua, means forever young. I first saw the Wiñaywayna orchid on Day 3 as we started our descent into the jungle. Wiñaywayna camp is bubbling with energy and hordes of tourists. We search around and eventually find the Mountain Gods Peru team stuffed into a small corner and working on lunch.

Since this is our last meal as a team, all the remaining food is prepared in a massive spread. Chicha morada, soup, corn cob slices, rice with scrambled eggs and hot dog, mango, sweet potato slices, potatoes stuffed with meat and topped with cheese, fried puffs. It hasn’t been that long since breakfast but I do my best to eat lots of the scrumptious food.

After lunch, Elizabeth and I get ready to go view the Wiñaywayna ruins while the rest of the team has lunch and repacks everything. I stand atop a thick retaining wall and notice something moving in the brush. I immediately start to record and do my best to track it through the understory. For a split second it appears and looks my way, before submerging again into the vegetation. I excitedly explain to Elizabeth what I spotted and she’s pretty sure that it’s a ring-tailed coatis. They are raccoon relatives with a long striped tail. Coatis have a masked face and forage for food, which I imagine is plentiful in this camp. The coatis also play an important role in seed dispersal.

Elizabeth and I follow the short trail to the Wiñaywayna ruins. Wiñaywayna is etched into the steep hillside with lower and upper house complexes. The agricultural terraces and houses are connected by one long staircase. There’s a large waterfall on the far side of the narrow valley. The trail leads straight onto one of the agricultural terraces and we circle around below the upper houses. The houses have a narrow view of the Urubamba River.

When we get back to our little lunch nook, sadly, it’s time to say good bye to the rest of the crew. They will pack everything up and head straight down to Aguas Calientes where they will catch the train. We have a tipping ceremony where I thank each for their incredible care and service.

Elizabeth and I meander out of the Wiñaywayna camp about 12:45 pm, we pass many groups having lunch. I see one groups’ lunch and it is the biggest table of high-end charcuterie that I’ve ever seen. I think about the effort to haul it all up here and create such a lovely presentation. We soon come to a checkpoint where a wooden bear sculpture greets us. I continue along as Elizabeth gets my paperwork stamped. The jungle wonderland continues with impressive flowers and insects.

Begonias, orchids, Ageratina oh my! There are tourists sauntering along in large groups. They stream past me as I stop to investigate the wonders along the trail. Where’s Señor Muchachos when you need him? I bet he would be able to tell me about this intricate funnel-web spider nest that is literally engulfing this entire network of plants.

But the Inca Trail is not jam-packed since a lot of people are stopped at Wiñaywayna for a lunch break. There are still quiet moments with the trail all to ourselves.

Above: Epidendrum orchid, Sobralia orchid
Above: Jungle views and mushrooms growing out of a log
Below: Lasiophila butterfly, Tillandsia bromeliad
Below: purple Chaetogastra, Charaxes butterfly

Above: Pleurothallis orchid, Inca Trail jungle walk
Below: Hipparchia butterfly

We start to move along with purpose and pass many groups. Elizabeth is moving quickly ahead of me, pushing my breathing to its limits. We come to a jam at a rock wall where there’s a few tourists lined up waiting. It’s not really a wall but the stairs are so steep that you can only move forward by climbing up hand over hand. I am so focused on hiking and keeping the flow, that I don’t get any pictures. My feet only fit on the rock steps sideways and I reach my hands up onto the gritty, muddy rocks above me. Some people are laboring and stop mid-climb. I maintain my focus, not wanting to screw up and bowling ball those below me. Post trip research revealed that this “gringo killer” section of trail is the most notorious of the steep stair sections on the Inca Trail. Check out this blog for some pictures.

Tourists pile up around the top of the wall waiting for their groups to reconvene. Elizabeth and I make a quick exit as the trail dips slightly before climbing again. We’re full steam ahead as we catch up with a small group. Oh hey, there’s Señor Muchachos and his group is circled around getting some information from him. There’s a definite vibe of excitement and energy in the air. Before I really understand or realize what’s happening, Elizabeth and I pass through some large rock pillars and turn left through the Intipunku gate just after 2pm. The below photo is from the Machupicchu ticket website.

And there she is. The incredible Machupicchu. Shrouded under a high layer of clouds with a single crepuscular ray beaming down. I knew that today was the day, but it still feels like a surprise. Elizabeth didn’t stop and tell me what to expect or that we were about to arrive. We just arrived hot on the scene, having passed hundreds of tourists along the way. Elizabeth’s strategic maneuvers mean that we did not have to queue at the “gringo killer” or here at the stairs climbing to the Intipunku gate.

We climb a few stairs and take a break on a high grassy terrace. Elizabeth hands her cookie snack package over to a national park guard who blows his whistle at anyone that gets too close to the edge. We sit enjoying the view and some snacks for about 10 minutes. Before starting our descent, we take a few photos at the gate’s entry

The view from our elevated break terrace, MP in the background, and looking back at the Intipunku gate.

Above: MP and blooming orchids, Carretera Hiram Bingham Road that connects Machupicchu and Aguas Calientes (Machupicchu Pueblo).
A couple MP workers taking a break call out to Elizabeth and we go over to greet them. They kindly offer us some coca leaves. Back on trail, I stow my trekking poles on the outside of my backpack.

After a gentle descent from Intipunku into the top terraces, the skies start to spit on us. I throw on my wind jacket and pack cover just in case. We move downward through the terraces as the wind starts to pick up.

The passing of time blurs as there are magical things to see around every bend. As we descend, there are lots of tourists getting their perfect machupicchu picture while wearing a traditional-styled poncho. Guess I didn’t get the memo. The people tending the llamas and who offer pictures for soles, have disappeared with the sprinkles. A Rufous-collared Sparrow sits atop a railing and sings to me.

The roped pathway funnels us towards the entry as I spot a magnificent yellow Brugmansia. We arrive at the entry/bus loading zone about 4 pm and the crowds are minimal. Elizabeth queues briefly to buy our bus tickets down to Aguas Calientes.

Within minutes, a bus pulls in and we all start piling on. It’s a tight squeeze with our backpacks but we manage. We zig zag down the road with perfection as these machupicchu drivers know their craft well. We meet buses on their way up and each knows where and when to pause for each other. I don’t understand at first, but Elizabeth explains to me that there are some other Mountain Gods Peru clients on a different trip today and she’s wondering if we may all have dinner together. We agree on a 7 pm dinner time.

The bus ride takes 15 – 20 minutes and we descend almost 1300′ to Aguas Calientes aka Machupiccchu Pueblo. I wait while Elizabeth runs off to somewhere nearby and grabs our duffel bags that the crew left for us. Then I follow her up a paved pathway along the Rio Aguas Calientes, which is a tributary to the Urubamba.

We arrive at Hotel Tara Machupicchu about 5 pm. Since the room is included in my trek fee, Elizabeth pays and gets me all checked in. They are selling beers in a cooler, so I grab one for both of us and start a tab. I climb the stairs to my room, which happens to be above the rushing Rio Aguas Calientes. A bit dazed from the day, I’m slow to get myself sorted. And then I realize that I forgot to stop my watch from recording when we departed from Machupicchu. I have adjusted my total mileage for the day accordingly. I eventually enjoy my first shower in five days complete with a Cusqueña shower beer.

I’m a bit underdressed for dinner out but that’s the way it goes. This isn’t a fashion show. I go down to the hotel lobby and Elizabeth is there. She introduces me to Jane and Ian who are from Northern England. We walk to dinner and Aguas Calientes is hoppin’ with night life. I order a Peruvian double ipa craft breer which is really tasty. 30 soles is like almost $9 but I feel like celebrating. Plus there’s cute cat drawings on the bottle artwork. We order soup for the table and I order a quinoa burger just because it’s a simple choice.

Jane is talking about Paddington Bear and that she must see the statue here. I know about Paddington but thought it was a British thing so I’m pretty confused. We walk over one of the many bridges that span Rio Aguas Calientes and head uphill. Sure enough, there’s Paddington sitting on a bench eating a sandwich. Getting in the spirit, we all get our picture with Paddington Bear. If it wasn’t for Jane and Ian, I would have never known. Post-trip research reveals that the author Micheal Bond originally intended for the bear character to come from Africa. But there are no bears in Africa so Paddington’s origin was changed to Peru.

Jane and Ian want to take a look through some shops and Elizabeth helps me locate a bottle of water for tomorrow. We’ve had a long day and I insist that I can find my way back to the hotel. I cross a bridge that has lots of little locks attached to it. I explore a little bit but soon turn around and head in the general direction of Hotel Tara. I realize that I’m not totally sure where the hotel is. I stop and survey my surroundings. Hmmm, maybe I passed it because I don’t recognize this. I turn around and walk back a short distance and there it is. I had missed the entry because I was river-side and there’s a bunch of plants blocking the view of the hotel. Back in my room, it takes a while to unwind and I don’t fall asleep until about 11 pm. Rio Aguas Calientes provides a constant wash of sound.