The do´s and don'ts of Machu Picchu

Do assemble your crew. We started our trip with a fiery Argentinian, an adventurous Finnish girl, and yours truly. Along the way we collected two fun-loving Polish girls and a second Argentinian. Note: listening to Argentinians discuss politics can be a frightening experience, but wow are they incredible at bargaining!

Do walk the train tracks like a vagrant to Machu Picchu village. Taking this 2.5 hour hike will not only be mind-blowingly beautiful, but will save you about $100 that you would have spent taking the train.

Do not try to bribe the man at the gate to Manchu Picchu with 10 soles to let you in early. He will laugh heartily in your face, and you will feel quite silly.

Do hike Manchu Picchu Mountain. It will be a grueling two hour climb to the top, but the view will be well worth it. Note: your knees, calves and feet may not work the following day.

Do not pay for a tour guide at the ruins! Instead, just happen to follow a tour group as you walk along (note: be stealthy, as they will catch onto this pretty quickly). Making your own guesses about these big rocks and what they mean with your crew can be quite entertaining.

Do wear socks! Our poor Finnish girl found out that hiking without them can be quite painful. And asking strangers at the entrance of Manchu Picchu for an extra pair is quite odd. 

Do not, I repeat DO NOT rent a hostel room with a window overlooking the town square when any kind of party is going on! If you make this mistake, be prepared for the worst kind of repetative, synth-heavy Peruvian music you have ever heard, blared from a loudspeaker for 12 consecutive hours. Peruvians do not care that you are tired from hiking, that you have to wake up early, and that it is 2 am on a Tuesday (a WORK NIGHT!) Peruvians are the honey badgers of the southern hemisphere- they just don´t give a fuck.

Do soak your tired old ass in the hot springs after you come down from the ruins. Yes, the water looks like old bath water, and yes it smells like eggs. Just trust me.

Looking very proud at the top of Manchu Picchu Mountain

I won´t go into a lot of detail, but Manchu Picchu was an amazing experience. The Sacred Valley of the Incas in southern Peru is an extremely special place, and unlike anywhere I have ever been. I can only compare it to pictures I have seen of Tibet: towering mountains, mist rising from the valley, and vast amounts of lush, green foliage.

Three things will really stick with me from this journey:

One: walking the train tracks to Aguas Calientes, a tiny town in the valley directly below Machu Picchu. Call me crazy, but hiking along train tracks with a backpack makes you feel like a real badass. About 30 of us started the journey in the early afternoon, and arrived in the town at nightfall. The hike follows a beautiful river with amazing jungle scenery.

Two: making the hike from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu. We started the journey at 4:30 am, when it was still dark. Witnessing the first bit of light starting to creep over the mountains in the Sacred Valley, and watching the mist settle over the cliffs in the distance, was an absolutely incredible sight that I will never forget.

Three: hiking Mt. Machu Picchu. I have done some hiking in my day, but wow. This one almost killed me. In total from our hostel in Aguas Calientes to the peak, we gained something like 2,000 meters. A must do.

And now, onward to Bolivia!

View from the top of Mt. Manchu Picchu 

The crew- minus an Argentinian, plus an Israeli- celebrating the 4th of July (note that I´m the only American)