I´m on my way to Machu Pichu, yay! I decided to scorn the organised tours and DIY it. Cool idea, except I got stuck in the middle of the mountain, hanging onto thorny branches, with no idea how to get out.
This morning I left Cusco with an overnight pack, planning to spend 2 nights in Agua Calientes, taking local buses and the train there and back. I got to Pisac without too much trouble, hassled the collective-taxi driver to getting me most of the way up the mountain to the ruins for 5 sols. Started the trek pretty alright, looking at ruins, eavesdropping on other organised tour guides´commentary. After a while I got sick of the crowds sharing my patch of ruins, and decided to take a bush path no-one else was using. Turns out there was a reason no one else was using it.
I was already half way down the mountain when I realised everybody else was doing a circle, going back to where the taxis and buses drop you off and getting a ride back to town. Instead, I was on a steep and slippery path down to the bottom of the valley where I could see there was rapid river, and the road to town was higher up on the other side. I braved it, slipping and sliding down the small pebbly path and falling a few times, scrapping lots of skin off my hands and arms. It took me an extra 2 hours to get back to town, sunburnt and bleeding a bit.
Anyhow, moral of the story, don`t avoid the crowds too much, and always take a map of the area you`re going to.
