I didn't think I'd actually get to this one...but with a week off and a strong desire for an adventure, I made the arrangements. This was one of the many things Cliff Olin, of Number 13: Skydive fame, put on the list, along with its "sister task," Number 21: Peru 2 - Ayuhasca Ceremony. After I told him I was going, I got some typical Cliff emails... "I'm so mad at you/filled with admiration for you," said one. Another simply, "you stole my dream."
First of all, the trip would not have been possible without my friend and American mother Diane Merrick, who I've known for 18 years and worked for off and on for just as long. Diane has a clothing store on Beverly at Martel, and not only have I learned everything I know about life in LA from her, she is the reason why I'm such a great and resourceful human being in general. My brain is still full of information she's given me over the years; the best places to shop, eat, spa, etc. And most of all, how to be charming, gracious and wrap a gift beautifully. She's been kind and generous with me always... especially the time she "fired" Faye Dunaway as a customer because Faye made my cry.
I've worked with Diane for the summer, taking a much needed break from my computer, and we've had more fun than ever. Reminiscing about the good old days; laughing, dancing to Pandora's 70's hits and lunch from El Coyote. So, she not only funded the trip, but also bought me a brand new duffel bag with wheels, and of course, the camera I brought was an AFI graduation gift from her. When it turned out that the week I was planning on going to Peru was the week she was scheduled to be out as well, she told me to go anyway, and tucked a stack of dollar bills for tips into my purse.
Before taking off, I poked around a map of South America to learn some new capitals and found Bolivia (Sucre & La Paz,) Ecuador (Quito,) Brazil (Brasilia,) and Chile (Santiago.) I also did my usual "new country research" and found out that Peru was home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world, the Norte Chico Civilization, as well as the Inca Empire. Peru achieved independence from the Spanish Empire in 1821 and today it's a democratic republic with a population of about 29 million people. It has a very varied geography with the plains of the Pacific Coast, tropical forests and the Andes mountains.
Peru has a poverty level of 34% and its main economic activities are agriculture, fishing, mining and manufacturing of textiles among other things. The main language is Spanish although many Peruvians speak Quechua or other native languages.
I arrived in Cusco, checked in to my hotel and after a quick nap, I walked over to the beautiful town square with an old church, shops and restaurants. I quickly decided two things as I sat down to get something to eat overlooking the square: 1. that I would travel as a Swede as soon as I figured out how to say Sweden in Spanish, and 2. that I would stop using the F-word because when you are in a beautiful place like Cusco, there's nothing more unattractive than hearing American tourists use the F-word.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm completely obsessed with trains as a means of travel. Love them. When I was younger and it was time for Ulrik and I to visit our Dad and grandparents in Helsingborg (where we were born,) we would take the train there from Stockholm. We got to spend 6 or 7 hours sans parents, which meant buying candy in the restaurant car, running on the platform at the stations, and standing where the cars are connected as the train moved, which was loud, scary and awesome. Needless to say, when one of the options to get to Machu Pichu from Cusco was by train, I jumped at the chance.
I got on at the train station in Cusco, and sat next to Doug Ramsey of Santa Rosa, who provided entertainment beyond my wildest dreams for the next few hours. He also enabled me to finally say I was Swedish. No more Estados Unidos para mi. Suecia all the way! We spent four hours riding the through some of the most beautiful terrain I've ever seen and were served food for little people - a mini trout sandwich and a mini quiche - by some very well dressed and professional conductors.
The music streaming from the speakers was...yes, you guessed it...a variety of popular songs played instrumentally by Peruvian pan flutes. And if you think they can't turn ANY SONG into a Peruvian pan flute song, you are wrong. The pan pipers are like the Kenny G. of Peru, if the song exists, they just "pan it up" as Doug exclaimed. The entire Beatles catalogue, obviously "El Condor Pasa," and last but not least, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" by ABBA. When I reassured Doug that my iPod would be safe in the outer pocket of my back pack simply because I would hear the music stop if it got stolen, he told me all they'd have to do is stick my headset into a pan pipe and I'd never notice the difference...
We soon discovered that the Perurail announcements have been directly translated from Spanish with not much concern for whether the final result makes sense or not, and this became another source of entertainment. They let us know that they would be "using the ingenous system of zig-zagging up the mountain," to get us to Aguas Calientes - where Machu Pichu is located. They also pleaded with us, "for the safety of the children, please refrain from throwing things out the window." And finally, as the train approached the station, there was the not so modest, "for us it was very gratisfying to be part of this unforgettable experience."
Doug stayed in town to head up early the following morning, so I took off to hike up to Machu Pichu with my iPod. I had been told it would be about an hour and a half from Aguas Calientes to the top and that sounded ok. I started happy and cheerful - how hard could it be? Answer: HARD. It seemed I had picked the hottest time of the day to hike up. And everytime I passed someone it was another "45 minutes" to the top.
The first person I ran into on the trail was Jesus
Thank god I walked alone because I would have complained to whomever I walked with. I could bring your attention to the fact that for someone with short legs, the stone steps are way higher and more of a challenge. And that there were times the steps were so high I had to sit on them, then slide my legs up before swinging the rest of my body around to get up. But I won't.
The music helped. Paul Simon´s "Rhythm of the Saints" seemed appropriate and got me going. I know...it has a Brazilian flavor which is different from Peruvian music, but it got me moving more than pan flutes would have, and that was all that mattered. Then the older stuff. "Kodachrome," "50 Ways to Leave your Lover" although when I was done with it, there were 53. I added "Go to Peru, Lou," "Zip up your pack, Jack," and "Hike up that trail, Gail," and felt quite pleased with myself.
I had almost run out of water when I met a Jewish couple on their way down. They refilled my water bottle with theirs. Sweet. They said it was just about 45 minutes to the top. No surprise there. Realized I'd lost my sweater. Great sweater, but at that point I wouldn´t even have gone back for a small child. So hot. Did I mention the steps are really high if you have short legs?
Just a few hundred more steps...
I heard Radha's voice saying what she usually says when I get impatient. "It might not happen today. It might not happen tomorrow. But it will happen." I realized that yes, eventually I must get there. Machu Pichu is at the top. So all I have to do is walk. Needed something with a bit more bite in the iPod to get me there, so I switched to early (angry) Bowie and early (angry) U2 and stomped on.
And there it was. Finally. Of course I was so hot, sweaty, dehydrated and tired that rather than climb around and discover it all, I found a big rock far away from the hoards of tourists and sprawled out in the sun like a lizard. Sun and wind on my face. Just sat there and looked at the greatness. Took photos but mostly just experienced it. Connected to it. Very powerful energy up there.
A quick nap. Some meditation. And finally, a very American voice yelling, "can I take your picture?" from somewhere above. I opened my eyes and looked up. Bandana, tattoos, Harley Davidson shirt. It was Kevin Johnson from Oregon. Just built a Nazarene church in Cusco with his pastor and part of his congregation. Don't say you don't meet interesting people while traveling.
The solar clock
After having recovered some energy, I climbed around a bit and saw the temples, houses and other structures which were built around 1400. It's really quite fascinating that Machu Pichu was never found by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas and so it was never plundered. What's more fascinating is that Machu Pichu was known to locals for many years, but it wasn't until Hiram Bingham, an American historian, was lead up there by a local kid, that it was discovered by him and eventually, the rest of the world. And at that time, some Quechuas were living there...in the original Inca structures. Pretty cool.
As the sun started to set, I decided it was time to head back to Aguas Calientes for the train ride back to Cusco, but not before stopping at the tourist office to get my passport stamped with the special Machu Pichu stamp. Since I had already proved to myself and everyone I met on the way that I could hike up, I opted for the bus on the way down.
An unexpected adventure and a favorite among the tasks I have completed so far, I will remember my day at Machu Pichu for the rest of my life. I'm happy and proud that I did it, and that I did it on my own. A big thank you to Cliff for inspiring me to go, to Perurail and Doug for making the journey there so much fun, to my fellow hikers, whose cheering-on helped me reach the top, and to Kevin and everyone I met once I got up there. GRACIAS!
Comments