"On the Trail"

The Journals from the Road

Dec 19,2000: The journey not the destination! Aguas Calientes, Peru (Tad), Cusco, Peru (Frank)

Video:
Andina Beauty: The walk to Chilka.

Tad here.

Today, in retrospect was about making the best judgments that I could with the information that I had and then dancing through the effects...how ever unexpected they may be. I suppose every day is about that but this one was a real focused lesson.

I had asked my three advisors at the market if I could make it to Machu Picchu without going by train. They said that I could do it by bus and about a five hour walk. That sounded doable to me in one day and so, thinking I had found the secret entrance to the ancient city, proudly started on my way.

Diana displaying her picked capulis More Photos

The first stop was at the bus station to Urubamba. A taxi driver at the station told me he would take me to Urubamba with a few other passengers for the same price as the bus, and the trip would be shorter. Sounded good to me. About a half hour into the trip the taxi driver ask me why I was going to Urubamba and I told him my plans to go to smaller and smaller towns until I was close enough to walk to Machu Picchu. He said that it would be impossible in 5 hours and that it would be more like 12 hours. I realized he was right and my previous advisors must have thought I was an olympic speed hiker. So now, slightly dishearted, I asked it their were any alternatives. At first there were none and then he remembered that a little town called Chilka let people on the train at the local rate and nobody was there to charge the tourist prices of about a 500% increase from the local prices. Alright, plan B-at Machu Picchu was in full force.

The taxi driver took me to the next town on my route Oyantitambo (sp) and from there I chatted with a combi driver who would take me to Chilka but said I had time for lunch. I asked about the train price from Chilka and four people confirmed that I could get the local price.

It turns out I had time for a long lunch and then some so I spent the time watching some dogs with two gals from the Netherlands (Pica and Mikia...or something very close, sorry). Finally, the combi was loaded up to the brim and all crammed full of people and we were off down this gravel, dirt road to Chilka.

About 200 meters into the trip, boom...ssshhhh....

The tire blew. Most of the fellows hopped out and there was a community tire replacement project going on.

About 20 minutes later there was another tire repair of some kind and I decided it would be faster and more fun to walk in the Andina breeze rather than sit cramped in `liability combi` anymore.

Great walk, met some kids, Diana, Ernesto, Carlito, and Jose Luis who taught me how to pick and eat a cherry-like fruit called capuli (today`s PeaceBike vocab. word). That was a lot of tastey fun!!

When I arrived at the tiny town of Chilka everyone told me that not only could I not get the local price but that the train doesn`t stop there anymore, at least not at night. That was discouraging to hear and I didn`t have a plan C at all.

Aw...shucks...was I going to have to go back up to Cusco and take the 30$ train? Now, had I spent most of the day on a wild train ticket chase?

As I walked back in frustration the cool wind soon wisked my perterbations away and I realized that I was on a great journey, full of new friends, new scenery, and even a new fruit!

I made it back to Oyantaitambo and found out that there was an evening train for 10$ (one way) from there that would take me to Aguas Calientes, right next to Machu Picchu. That was my only option if I wanted to get there tonight. After trying to talk the ticket fellow into a non-profit discount I paid full fair and decided to be thrilled. I was going on a train to Machu Picchu!!!!

As I waited for the train I met two great guys from Arizona, Mike, a med. student, and Oliver, an ed. student. We had a good talk in the train station about traveling, learning Spanish, and biligual education.

Later, on the train, met a family with connections to India. I talked with Shanti for most of the ride to Aguas Calientes. She was also a med. student. She brought me up to date on the US presidential elections...¨who is the next president anyway?¨ and other news events. Thanks for making the 2 hour trip seem so short, Shanti!

Arrived in Aguas Calientes and was hawked many a Hotel. Found a good one and snuggled up, needing some zzz before the big adventure tomorrow.

Dreams of misty mountains,

TAD

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