30/03/11 In the interest of adventure, we took a round about rural route from Cusco to Machu Picchu. A 6 hour local bus took us up steep forested valleys, clinging to the tight hair-pin bends until Sants Maria. From Santa Maria we shared a series of collectivos (minibus/taxis) up and down the most sketchy roads that could ever cling to quickly eroding mountain sides! The reason there was a series of collectivos is that we had to walk across several landslides that had swept the road away, and find another car on the otherside to take us on (to the next landslide!). Bad bad bad. We finally arrived safely in Santa Teresa that evening. From Santa Teresa we walked to Aguas Calientes (the base town for Machu Picchu) via roads, bridges, pull systems(!) and train track. It was an entertaining journey :) and with epic scenery all around.
Road from Santa Maria to Santa Teresa.
Landslide over the road.
We had to walk straight up it to find a car on the road above.
Walking from Santa Teresa to Aguas Calientes; There are a few of these pully system river crossings, so we had a go! Made extra scary by the rainy season river boiling below.
Following the tracks.
See through wings.
Mountain with waterfall coming out of it, from the inside?!
Arrival into Aguas Calientes. The river looked like a natural disaster.
The amount of water in the river is astonishing, did you know it was a wet time of year or were these flash floods? the washed away roads look a bit crazy too. We'll wait till the weather is good!
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