June 10, 2016 – Machu Picchu City and The Return To Cusco
I only had a day at Machu Picchu but it was really something. Today, I’m scheduled to catch the 1:37 PM PeruRail train back to Ollantaytambo so I have the morning free. I didn’t see a need to pay another US$40+ for another day’s admission when I would only have a few hours, plus the bus ride cost about US$24 (albeit I guess I COULD have walked up the 14 corner switchbacks to the top of the mountain to reach the Incan city.
Instead, I wandered the small town of Machu Picchu City. I even managed to snap a few shots for UBS to thank them for my water tumbler.
There was an Earth Day-ian celebration going on in the town plaza, a recycling initiative seemingly spearheaded by the area schoolchildren. They were decked out in costumes made from recycled material and while I couldn’t follow the Spanish, I assume it was encouraging the town and the nation to do more to protect the environment.
I was most intrigued by the three folks dressed as mascots – I am ALWAYS a fan of mascots. These seemed to be I think a cat, a bear, and a chinchilla. They kept taking off their heads, both because of the heat and to talk … even with the kids who wanted their photos taken with them… including this big kid:
I don’t think this photo does justice to the fact that a bear is taking a photo of his chincilla and cat friends… but that’s what’s happening.
There was also a drop of water mascot but whoever was in there was either too important or too blind to mingle with the crowd. He stayed on the stage and had to be helped down by three or four wranglers when approaching any steps.
That’s not even the weirdest part though. Apparently Peruvians LOVE Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” I heard two different Peruvian flute versions over the PA system waiting for the program to start… and then the local middle school’s marching band played it as, I dunno, the school’s anthem? The theme of the Earth Day fest, in that if we are silent the earth dies? I would have possibly thought the latter but honestly this wasn’t the first day I’d heard cover versions of “SoS.” At three other locations – restaurants, waiting areas, trains – I heard it played. The perhaps erroneous conclusion that I must draw, as all other explanations have been Sherlock’d; this is all that remains, no matter how improbable, so it must be the truth.
***
I spent the afternoon souvenir shopping in the local artesian market and souvenir stalls. The breakdown on my haggling negotiations is as follows:
MAGNET
Asking Price: 10 sols
1st Counter: 5 sols
Sale Price: 6 sols
STICKER
Asking Price: 8 sols
1st Counter: 5 sols
Sale Price: 5 sols
ALPACA + HANDMADE HAT FOR SAME
Asking Price: 35 sols
1st Counter: 20 sols
Sale Price: 30 sols
TABLE RUNNER
Asking Price: 35 sols
1st Counter: 20 sols
Sale Price: 20 sols
In typical fashion, I was mostly a disaster at haggling but so be it. Hilariously, the Alpaca Saleswoman said she remembered me from the day before. I told her I’m sure she did but I still thought I was paying too much… until I realized the thing was costing me less than US$10. Was I really going to argue over pennies, maybe a dollar, by trying to get to 25 sols?
***
I once again had the front seat on the train. The woman next to me only spoke Spanish but via hand gestures and my infantile Spanish, we established this was my first time to Machu Picchu… and hers too. She was Peruvian, maybe 50-ish, and she said her heart, her corazon, was big from visiting.
During the ride back, the train’s service team were obligated to put on a dance party and fashion show as a marketing tool to later sell the alpaca items they modeled. They looked as uncomfortable doing the show as we riders felt watching it. When the sales pitch ultimately came, as I knew it would, the alpaca prices were as one would expect – 599 sols (or about US$200) for a sweater and beyond. I passed.
***
Arriving at the station, I spied my Condor Travel contact through the window – this entire trip, people have thought my first name was Hanna and my surname was Kevin. So everyone calls me, “Mr. Kevin.” To be honest, I think I prefer it to Mr. Hanna.
The ride back to Cusco takes about 90 minutes. It’s mostly silent as my contact’s English is worse than my Spanish… and the driver doesn’t seem too chatty either. I’m the only passenger in the 7 seat van, the guide and the driver in the front seats. A few points of interest are listlessly pointed out to me – some more Incan terraces, a bungee jumping attraction. But mostly it’s just me sitting there thinking of time and space and where I’ve been and what I’ve done. And I’m ok with that. In my head, I’m trying to review and log details I want to include… and in the back of my mind, I’m figuring if I can squeeze a run in after getting to the hotel. I suddenly realized I had my swimsuit in my checked luggage and while it’s not exactly standard issue running gear, it was better than nothing.
Plus, there was a rainbow! And as discussed with some new friends at Easter Island, is there anybody who doesn’t like rainbows? I have some potential candidates but no confirmations yet… I for one am pro-rainbows.
About 15 minutes from the hotel, my guide said there was a problem. I wasn’t sure what that meant and he said it wasn’t a problem for me, it was a personal problem for him, and he needed to get out here but the driver would get me to the hotel. We all have things come up but I have to admit I did think this was a set-up to a bad episode of TV, wherein a Kidnap and Ransom expert would be getting a phone call about some stupid Americano in Peru who had gone missing. All that they had to go on was a black jacket embroidered with the words, “Run Kevin Run Dot Com.” But fortunately, no kidnapping and therefore no ransom. Huzzah!
The one additional hiccup was that the Cusco Celebration had apparently started and certain roads were blocked. My driver had to circle around quite a bit, navigating one-way side streets to get me closer and closer to my hotel. Again, visions of back alley hooligans dragging me into the darkest recesses of Cusco flashed before me… but quickly I was back at the hotel and checked in.
It was 5:15 PM and I thought I really, really needed a run to help reset and offset some of the over-indulgent decadence I had enjoyed this trip. It was a slow 4 miles – down the hill and then a struggle back up thanks to the high altitude and my general meh-ness. But I did it and as is always true, no matter how slow and how rough the run might be, it’s always better to have DONE the run than to NOT.
I wandered through the night-time festivities in the city plaza square, noticing the odd fireworks shot into the air. Mainly they seemed to be roman candles, sometimes launched by specific groups parading the streets with their Mardi Gras-ian floats.
Along one stretch of the city, I spotted a gang of youths shouldering a large display of a patron saint mannequin on their shoulders. They seemed to be shoving other similarly dressed members trying to join in and help shoulder the burden and it felt like a musical chairs competition for the honor of carrying the saint. Weird ain’t the half of it:
After hemming and hawing over dinner options, I finally wound up at this placed called Los Balcones. It afforded a balcony, natch, and it overlooked the town plaza, giving me if not a bird’s eye view than a really tall person’s view of the action. I went with the trout and vegetable skewer and it was hands down the best meal I had in Peru.
In the distance, larger fireworks were being shot off over the city and because of my vantage point I was able to place my camera on the balcony ledge and make use of the tripod assisted fireworks setting. A few nice shots to cap the evening, part of the month long celebration of Cusco.
Not a bad way to spend one’s last night in Peru.