| Any visit to
Machu Picchu begins in Cusco, the capital of the Inca empire that at its
height stretched from modern day Argentina to Ecuador. To the Spanish
Conquistadors, Cusco was a major source of golden idols that were melted
down and shipped to Europe as bullion. For me, 11,000-foot Cusco is a base
for altitude adjustment. Flying in from Lima, the seaside Peruvian capital,
I'm hopped up on Diamox, to ward off the effects of the thin air.
Where overnight in Cusco ? Surf our
suggested hotels and resort list and also the
travelogues section
When the Spanish looted Cusco, they found plenty of wealth, but they
never found Machu Picchu. These days, of course, Cusco travel agents are
more than happy to point you in the right direction and get you there by
practically any means you like. Wanting to walk, I sign up for a budget
backpacker tour. For $80 a piece, the outfitter agrees to provide food and
shelter for the four-day hike, plus transportation to the trailhead near the
base of the Sacred Valley — a fertile plain that has produced much of the
highland region's crops since Inca times.
Cusco Cathedral
I set out for the Sacred Valley one day early to see a bit more of the
country and shed some of Cusco's altitude. I spend a night at Ollantaytambo,
a small village framed by the Inca fortress that rises just steps from the
town's square. It's an historic area of its own — the endpoint of the
Spanish explorations in this area. The next morning, at 8 a.m., I rendezvous
with the bus carrying fellow trekkers, and we drive to the trailhead.
If one were to follow the Urubamba River, as the train tracks do, the
hike would be a gradual descent into the lush jungle that surrounds the
ruins: Machu Picchu is at a significantly lower altitude than Ollyantantambo.
But the Inca Trail takes the high road, then low road, then the high road,
making for a tough journey, especially when battling altitude. The trail,
which at points retains the cobblestones laid by the Incas, traverses
several steep Andean valleys and features three passes over 12,000 feet.
It's difficult hiking, to be sure; in return, one is rewarded with
spectacular views of the Urubamba gorge and the neighboring Andean peaks.
Or so I was told. The first day, clear views capture our eyes and
imaginations, but then rain and clouds start moving in. This is unusual for
August (the South American winter), which is supposedly the best time to
visit. And the crowds (another staple of the high season) are as much in
evidence as the clouds. Competition for camping spaces is so intense that
our tour leader sends out porters a day in advance in an effort to secure
the best ones.
But the fourth day brings the prospect of reaching Machu Picchu. We wake
before dawn to hike the final stretch |
