Thursday April 18
2019 – Machu Picchu – Last afternoon
When last we left
our intrepid traveler she was tired of looking at Incan rocks in and
around Cuzco.
The next day I got
up at a reasonable time, had a slow breakfast and then caught a taxi
to IncaRail’s offices for a ride to Machu Picchu. I left the
majority of my luggage at the hotel, since it was only for 2 nights
and the guidebook said they had a bag size limit. At the office it
was a mad house, backpacker types just hanging around, student types
in clusters, tables of 4 early retirees in clothing from expensive
outdoor stores and nicely dressed employees. Everyone seemed to know
what to do, but I guess I had missed that day at class. Finally I
just found a line for a bus help out my ticket and got on, hoping I
was going where I wanted.
The bus started out
of town and started climbing, and climbing and still going towards
the Heavens. Uhh.. I thought Machu Picchu was supposed to be lower
than Cuzco., and the only way I want to to higher is in an airplane.
Eventually we crested and started down hill. Zig Zagging down and
down and stopped at another building the had IncaRail on it. More of
the same as the last building with IncaRail on it. A woman ranted in
some obscure language that is used in this country, known only to
it’s residents and American linguists. I went to the bathroom. When
I came out everyone on my bus was gone. Alien abduction? I waved my
paper under some uniformed guy and he responded in this obscure
something that sounded like “Eestation” .. I wanted the rail
station, but he pointed so I went.
Down the hill a few
blocks I found rail tracks, this was looking good. Paper wave and
more pointing and so I went walking and realized it as the wrong
train. I had the pretty good train, not the normal train, so I
crossed the tracks got a whistle blown at me, and gave him my best
dumb look (rest assured I am a mistress at it) and he pointed at a
train car and the shoo’ed me back across the tracks. Kind of,
here’s what you are getting or Christmas, but not yet.
Finally we boarded
the train, found our assigned seats, though several missed the
Alphabet day, and some were sick on the day we did our numbers, but
after some confusion, butts were in seats and off we went. An
airplane lunch was served as the tracks clicked under us and the
scenery flew past. Then the train slowed and we stopped. Everyone on
the train got up and left, so I did too.
Then there was the
matter of finding my hotel. Here instead of exiting through the gift
shop, you enter through the gift market. I mean gift market. Not a
single bit of food to be seen, but yards and yards of t-shirts,
stuffed thingies, carrying units, all in bright colors and on Special
today only, just for you. BUT, only if you speak an obscure language.
I knew I had to go up, I didn’t realize how much up, I had to go.
First stop, the lady said go up until you find the orange …. uh …
ya orange bridge and cross it. That only took two rest stops. The
pizza guy said go to the corner and turn left. I go to the corner and
looked left – it went down. I wasn’t about to go down without
absolute certainty. The next Pizza guy says go up to the main square,
5 minutes. Either he doesn’t know how to tell time or he doesn’t
know me. Three more rest stops and I found a hotel that looked like
the one on Trip Advisor. I had made it. Honestly it was the hotel at
the top of the city. There are no other hotels above it.
The hotel clerk
takes my passport and asks how I am going to pay. I say cash, but the
Hotels.com made the reservation and has my Amex and will charge it. I
just have to get USD exchanged into Peruvian Soles. Oh, no, that
isn’t happening. He needs the moola right now. I give him my Amex
and will deal with it when I get home I guess. The room is nice,
billed as a queen on the 5th floor (elevator), but the bed
seems bigger. Great view and what you’d expect for the price.
In conversion with
the bellboy he asked me if I had me bus ticket yet. No, don’t you
just wait behind three people and give then a dollar and get on the
bus? Nooo, the bus ticket office is down by the train station and the
line is long. BACK DOWN ?!?? Nooooooo…….. He said I’ll get it
for you if you want. If I want ?!?! Yes please. Okay, they want $24.
Dollars, not Soles? No, dollars. He was gone maybe 20 minutes. Sorry
I took so long, the line was long. It took me an honest 30 minutes to
get here when I got off the train. I thanked him and gave him the
equivalent of $10 +/-. No this is my job. Dude, you are killing me
here, please take a five, please. He took it, thank God.
Then I asked the
desk about a guide. They said they would try. They had the $90 guide
and the $60 guide, but the $60 guide is booked. Of course. I booked
Mr. Big Bucks.
I left the hotel for
dinner and if the shop isn’t a gift shop it is a restaurant and
there are a zillion of them. I found one close to the hotel, no down,
and had some Avocado something and some soup while I read my novel.
Then the lights went out. Not the entire city, just the 4 next to my
eaterie. Guess I better accept my losses and go to bed.
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