On the way to Hot Water
So as I was saying the morning to ride to Machu Picchu. Again I am pleasantly surprised by the organization of Percy and the tour, because at 5:10am (Feb. 17th) a skinny Cusceno, named Maguum picks me up and we head to the center to get two more travelers. They are an older couple from Chile and due to the early hour, no one talks for about the first 30mins... But I finally brake the ice by asking if i can turn up the radio. Maguum was bumping some good typical music and I wanted to hear. I was a mix of the region music popularized with cumbia. I love cumbia and with a cusceno beat,it was great. So we pass through the rolling hills and mountain sides of the valle sagrado... in the higher elevation they cultivate papas and once in the valley one starts to see the variety of crops, corn, strawberries,apples, melons, carrotts, tunas (catus fruit. in Mexico they eat the nopals and the fruit is used more for salsas due to its bitter taste, but in Peru its a deep red fruit with a wonderful juicey flavor...Im guessing the rain helps alot for the Peruvian tunas) ...
Once in the valley the road runs along side the Urubamba river- this baby is raging (obvisously, its the rainy season) and it leads us to Ollantaytambo where we are to take the two hour train ride to Aguas Calientes. The train is very comfortable and the route is breath taking. Again it follows the Urubamba river through the mountains, tunnels and everything, until we arrive to AC. Another cool observation is how the climate changes. Cusco is Moutainous and the elevation keep it cool, then the valle is much warmer and more vegetation. After cruising through the mircoclimates we get to AC which is in the Jungle.. tropical forests, wet, humid, bugs, moss, vines, you know a jungle.
So we arrive. Im tired. I just wanna find my hotel, maybe take a nap then check out the town. My hotel was all arranged so now I jut have to find the guy/hotel representative that has my nameon a piece of paper... Scrolling, scanning, ignoring the people that want me to go with them, more scanning, whats the name of my hotel again? I will know it when I see it.... but Igot nothing... Finally way inthe back i see ayoungman with his hotels name. AHH HANAQPACHA... duh! thats it. So I approach young man with the sign and i tell him i am staying there. He is quick to reply it NO... Puzzled I respond, "ummm yes I am", and he says that I am not on the list.... huh... excuse me? not on the list, how does he know if he didnt even ask my name? He asks for my voucher... shit Percy didnt give me a voucher, but Idont freak, i just assume there has been a misunderstanding.. but while I am looking through my info, the young man yells for a Johnathan. My ears perk up, ?! thats me.. i just know it.. So i say to the guy, ummmare you sure your looking for Johnathan and not Johannah? I said it was a common mistke and I bet its me.. and again he was short and just said no. UGH I really want to complain aboout his attitude. But once he realized no more people were getting off the train, he decided to help me out, and he saidthat I probably wasntstaying at the hotel he works at, but another one within the same company... WHTEVER just dont be a dick. So we walk for a coupleof bloks and we get to the other hotel. They dont have my name either.. okay, time to call Percy, but thats when I ask them to look up the reervation based on my tour companiesname... and sure enough... we had a reservation, but SOMEwhere long the lines, Johannah Waite became Johnathan Urubamba Waitexpuerto... UGH. But allgot figured out and the young man apologized and lead me backdown thehill to the nice hotel right along the Urubabmba river :) Now its time for a nap... or not.
Once in the valley the road runs along side the Urubamba river- this baby is raging (obvisously, its the rainy season) and it leads us to Ollantaytambo where we are to take the two hour train ride to Aguas Calientes. The train is very comfortable and the route is breath taking. Again it follows the Urubamba river through the mountains, tunnels and everything, until we arrive to AC. Another cool observation is how the climate changes. Cusco is Moutainous and the elevation keep it cool, then the valle is much warmer and more vegetation. After cruising through the mircoclimates we get to AC which is in the Jungle.. tropical forests, wet, humid, bugs, moss, vines, you know a jungle.
So we arrive. Im tired. I just wanna find my hotel, maybe take a nap then check out the town. My hotel was all arranged so now I jut have to find the guy/hotel representative that has my nameon a piece of paper... Scrolling, scanning, ignoring the people that want me to go with them, more scanning, whats the name of my hotel again? I will know it when I see it.... but Igot nothing... Finally way inthe back i see ayoungman with his hotels name. AHH HANAQPACHA... duh! thats it. So I approach young man with the sign and i tell him i am staying there. He is quick to reply it NO... Puzzled I respond, "ummm yes I am", and he says that I am not on the list.... huh... excuse me? not on the list, how does he know if he didnt even ask my name? He asks for my voucher... shit Percy didnt give me a voucher, but Idont freak, i just assume there has been a misunderstanding.. but while I am looking through my info, the young man yells for a Johnathan. My ears perk up, ?! thats me.. i just know it.. So i say to the guy, ummmare you sure your looking for Johnathan and not Johannah? I said it was a common mistke and I bet its me.. and again he was short and just said no. UGH I really want to complain aboout his attitude. But once he realized no more people were getting off the train, he decided to help me out, and he saidthat I probably wasntstaying at the hotel he works at, but another one within the same company... WHTEVER just dont be a dick. So we walk for a coupleof bloks and we get to the other hotel. They dont have my name either.. okay, time to call Percy, but thats when I ask them to look up the reervation based on my tour companiesname... and sure enough... we had a reservation, but SOMEwhere long the lines, Johannah Waite became Johnathan Urubamba Waitexpuerto... UGH. But allgot figured out and the young man apologized and lead me backdown thehill to the nice hotel right along the Urubabmba river :) Now its time for a nap... or not.
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