A mini-bus drove us from Cusco to Hidroelectrico, from which we walked the 11 km through cloud forest along the railway lines to Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo), where we spent the night, before climbing to the ruins in the early morning. The prospect of seeing Machu Picchu during sunrise was tempting, unfortunately it was raining heavily that day and we visited the citadel while it was in the clouds (and we were thoroughly wet and cold). Nevertheless the place worked its magic and we were especially fascinated by the Inkan astronomical knowledge and building technique, which was so accurate that no mortar was needed to fit the huge blocks of stones. Our Peruvian "guía" held an entertaining and insightful tour in Spanish and it was good for us to train our listening skills and to mingle with other, South American tourists (we were “grupo Condor” ;-)). All in all, we had to realize that we aren’t made for group tourism, though. Having travelled independently for several months we are simply too impatient and spoiled. Waiting for fellow group members or guides to organize stuff we could have done ourselves (quicker) was too strenuous for us. Do we grow antisocial!? For the ones planning to visit Machu Picchu: In retrospect, we would call for braving the gap and consider not visiting Machu Picchu (it is rumored to be closed within the next two years entirely anyways as it is endangered to fall apart). Or, we strongly advice organizing the trip yourself. During shoulder season (October to March) it is no problem to receive entry tickets in Aguas Calientes directly for the next day. The same is true with finding an accommodation there. We think, however, that it is a good idea to book the transport from Cusco to Hidroelectrico and back with a tour agency, as otherwise you would need to change colectivo-taxis three times and it just takes longer. Beware that you only book the transportation, without included lunch during the stop in Santa Maria/Santa Teresa. This should cost you around 30 USD. Numerous tour agencies can be found around Plaza de Armas; check multiple offers and don't buy the tour from a vendor directly in the street. If you are up for a bit of nerve tackling, you can also just go in front of the Catedral around 7:30 a.m. and try to catch a tour mini-bus with spare seats.
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December 2016
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