Machu Pichu 31 Oct 2005

Lets start with yesterdayevening. I was sitting on a table outside a small restaurant when I suddenly got attacked by something I never saw before. A kind of fly so small you almost dont see it. It lands on your skin and within a second it sucks a drip of blood out of you. And not one he, no.. about 40 bites all over my arms. At the moment itself you just feel a bite and nothing more but 1 day later these bites get red and very very itchy. I thought our summermusquito,s
where a plague but its nothing compared with these little monsters. The day the itchy feeling will stop I will report it here,.... if I am not completely eaten by then.

Now today. This morning I woke up at 7 and at 8 I was in the pendlebus direction Machu
Pichu. The bus had to climb from 2000 meter up to 2400 meter. At around 08.30 I entered
Machu Pichu, something I was already thinking of 5 years ago. The first sight is really
impressive. The hidden inca city and a breathtaking backdrop. I walked over the site all
the way to the end to climb the sacred mountain, the famous mountain you see in the back
of the traditional Machu Pichu picture. On my way I passed some Lama,s but they did not
spit in my face as they did with Captain Haddock. The climb up the sacred mountain was
not an easy one (or is it just my condition), I thought I was in the himalaya again. On the
top you have some more inca ruins and a nice vieuw over Machu Pichu itself.

When I was back down I started exploring Machu Pichu itself bit by bit. Its impressive
but it can not beat my number 1, Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Machu Pichu has wonderfull
architecture but lacks art. No statues, stone carvings etc... It took me about 5 hours to
explore every corner of the site before taking the bus back to Agua Calientes.

At 16.00 hr I took the train back to Cuzco. I ate something in a small restaurant. I dont
know why but untill today I did not get one tasting meal. They have all ingredients but they
just dont know how to cook here.

This evening its Halloween here. The children go dressed on the street in search for
sweets, local bands are playing on the street and in front of the Cathedral they have a
firework contest. The way they do it here is totally different from Europe and a lot
more dangerous. They really built skelletons full of fireworks and set it on fire. It would
be a wonder if no one lost an eye this evening. I watched it from a safe distance for about
30 minuts and then I had enough of it

I am gonna try to get some sleep but it wont be easy , a bit headache, sunburn on my arms
and the itchy fly-bites. Yes, a man has to take a lot to see some things in the world.

cheers
Danny