One of the Seven Wonders of the World...

... to me, is not exactly Machu Picchu itself, but the epic tourism industry around it. I am back-posting from my adventure to experience the Big MP (which I even have my family calling this amazing place now, in part because I like saying the Big MP ever since Ann refered to it was such, but also because I can never remember if the Machu or the Picchu has the 2 c´s).

We went to the Big MP January 2nd (after spending the first day of 2008 stuck on the train to Aguas Calientes because of a landslide), and OF COURSE it was pouring rain the entire time. No, I am exaggerating, it did not rain the first 30 minutes once we got inside the Big MP at 6:30 AM (after waking up at 4:45 that morning to catch one of the first buses up).

It truly is an incredible place, leaving one to ponder how the Incans created such a place using such few resources and in this location - and no wonder it remained undiscovered until 1911! Though if the Incans were so smart, they would have invented an elevator for all those steps - I was pretty tired after a few hours of swimming, I mean walking, around. And because the fog was so thick and visibility low, we did not hike the big mountain you see in postcards (at least, thats our excuse). I would insert an amazing photo here, but not only am I having techinical difficulties with my camera, but really it looks just like the pictures you always see. You need to experience it in person for the real effect.

But with all the mystery, inspiration, and pride that comes with the Big MP, there is so much tourism to the extreme in the Sacred Valley and Cusco that it somewhat detracted from my experience. I was expecting the overpriced train ride, bus ride, entrance fees, food in Aguas Calientes (a place erected basically FOR tourists as a stopover to the Big MP) as well as being harassed in Cusco by every tour agency in town, but there is also means to extract money from tourists awaiting you at every step (restaurants, local children and Quechans asking for money to take pictures with them and or their llamas, kids selling everything from dolls to ciggies on the street, the bathrooms, random stops on tours just to shop, wherever whatever). Granted this happens everywhere in the world, and the good ole US of A has way overpriced places like Disneyland, but my main problem here is that I constantly wonder if the money generated is really going back to the locals and improving their lives or maintaining their natural treasures.

But more on that later, I am recovering from getting sick at the Big MP (a cold, nothing too dramatic but add on 3 days of waking up early and then trekking around Lake Titicaca IN THE RAIN) and I am a bit delerious. Im still feeling swaying movements from being on a boat ... more on those adventures to come.

And hope all y´all in the Bay Area are not being swept away by the rain! But you can guess I am not too sympatheic being in the rainy season here in Peru ... whatever was I thinking I would be escaping the Seattle winter by coming South ...