Clandestine Walk to Macchu Picchu

Looking outside the windows, I felt a sense of peace and calm. I had been on the road all day, and left Cusco at the crack of dawn to go to Santa Maria, where I had then caught another bus to Santa Teresa. I had been living in Cusco for a month, and my friends were concerned that I seemed to show no sign of wanting to go to Macchu Picchu. One of my Peruvian friends drew me a map of how to get there cheaply, and by myself. That very day was my birthday, and I had just turned 18 years old. I smiled to myself as we sped by green fields and small farmhouses. I was glad my friend pushed me to go to Macchu Picchu.
I was no longer as glad when I arrived to Santa Teresa. I checked my watch – of course! The whole day had gone by. It was 10 pm, it was dark, and I was alone. I looked around me – even all of the hard-working combi drivers were heading home. Why had I not thought of what I would do once it was dark? I hadn’t thought to bring a flashlight, a compass, emergency rations, or anything of the sort. I tried to see if any of the people leaving the bus seemed like they would know what to do or were heading to Macchu Picchu. Finally, I saw a group of four young travelers with light backpacks step off. “Hola! Soy Ani. Por casualidad, van a Macchu Picchu? Hi! I’m Ani. By any chance, are you all going to Macchu Picchu?” I eagerly asked them, with desperate goggly eyes. They blinked, and smiled. “Si, estás sola? Vamos todos juntos! Yes. Are you alone? Let’s all go together!”
We went to find a restaurant that was still open and got to know each other. Joaquin and Edwin were Argentine, from a province very close to Bolivia called Salta. Jessica and Tomas were Bolivian. They were all students, and were backpacking in Peru. “Tomorrow is Jessica’s birthday!” They told me over beers. “We thought it would be special to celebrate in Macchu Picchu.”
“I thought it would be special to celebrate on the way there,” I told them. We cheered our beers together, and set out to walk along the train tracks that would take us from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes, the town closest to Macchu Picchu. “Wait,” I said. “Do you guys have a flashlight?” “Of course!” They smiled at me. We set out walking along the train tracks. When midnight struck, we gathered around Jessica, lit up matches, lighters, and our cell phones. “Feliz cumpleaños a ti…!” We sang. It seemed as if arriving to Macchu Picchu was secondary as a goal now. I was having so much fun along the way.