© Richard HuangMachu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is known as the City in the Sky. It lies 130 kilometres from Cusco.
The ideal way to reach Machu Picchu is to hike the Inca Trail. It takes several days and the conditions can be demanding, but the wonders along the way make it a favourite among backpackers.
© Richard HuangWe chose the sightseeing train instead. Its broad panoramic windows and glass roof offered sweeping views along the way, with music and good food to accompany us.
© Richard HuangThe train followed the Urubamba River as it wound through the valley.
© Richard HuangThe Urubamba surged through the valley in churning rapids. Strange South American plants and flowers crowded its banks.
© Richard HuangVillages and fields lay in the distance. Now and then, among the high mountains and white clouds, we could just make out the remains of an Inca site.
© Richard HuangBetween spells of admiring the scenery, we struck up a conversation with the white American couple seated opposite us. They were from Arizona. The man had a ruddy complexion and looked elderly and rather frail; his wife seemed sharp and capable. Before retiring, they had worked in Argentina for more than twenty years. This trip through South America was a return to familiar places and a chance to visit old friends. With more than a little pride, the woman told us that while her husband had spent his days in the mountains absorbed in his work, she had managed everything at home—from renting a house and buying furniture to handling the daily groceries. Naturally, her Spanish was far better than his. She was clearly the boss of their household.
© Richard HuangWhen the train reached Aguas Calientes at the foot of the mountain, the couple walked out of the station hand in hand. It was easy to imagine them making their way through more than twenty years in a foreign land just like this—hand in hand.
© Richard HuangAguas Calientes is little more than a small village built for tourism. Hotels and restaurants stand tightly packed along both sides of a rushing mountain stream, whose roar never lets up, day or night.
Our original plan was to spend the night in Aguas Calientes, then take the first bus the next morning and climb the mountain in darkness to catch the first rays of sunrise over the City in the Sky.
Only 2,000 visitors are allowed up to Machu Picchu each day, so we had already bought tickets for the following day through the official website. But the forecast called for rain. On second thought, perhaps we should change our plans. We asked at the ticket office, only to learn that our tickets could not be changed. So we gritted our teeth, paid for another pair, and decided to head up at once.
After buying admission tickets, we still had to buy bus tickets. The buses ran frequently and with impressive order, and before long we were carried from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of the ruins halfway up the mountain. Once inside, we began climbing the stone steps. At that altitude the air was thin, and we were soon gasping for breath.
© Richard HuangJust as we were struggling to catch our breath, the view suddenly opened before us. Encircled by towering mountains, an ancient city built of stone appeared as if suspended in mid-air—a true City in the Sky. Far below ran the Urubamba River, our companion throughout the journey. The mountain behind the city resembles a wise old man gazing skyward, his tall nose and mouth clearly outlined. Legend has it that the city was built here in the hope of receiving his protection. The stone city blends so harmoniously into the natural world that time seems to have stopped here centuries ago. The sight made us forget every hardship of the journey, yet the force of it left us breathless all over again.
© Richard HuangThis interweaving of the human and the natural, the present and the past, seemed best appreciated quietly and at leisure. At that very moment, however, a stir ran through the crowd. We turned toward the commotion and saw that the adorable alpacas had arrived.
Alpacas look a little like sheep. More than ninety percent of the world’s alpacas live in the highlands of Peru and Chile. Gentle, intelligent, and responsive to people, they do not shy away from visitors and are quite willing to pose for photographs. Alpacas are widely used as pack animals, while their fleece—longer, glossier, and more resilient than sheep’s wool—is made into fine textiles.
© Richard HuangHow marvellous and full of spirit the alpacas seemed among ruins that had slept for centuries. They brought the silent mountainside vividly to life.
© Richard HuangThere were dogs on the mountain as well as alpacas. Near the summit we came across one dozing in the shade of a tree. A scattering of visitors were resting nearby. In such beautiful surroundings, what could be better than sitting quietly for a while? So we found ourselves a patch of shade and settled down too.
© Richard HuangThe dog drifted in and out of sleep, stretching from time to time. The yoga pose known as downward-facing dog is said to have been inspired by this very movement. Two young women actually began doing yoga beside it, imitating its stretches.
© Richard HuangCaught up in the moment, the boss of my own household followed their example and sat down to meditate, facing the wise old man. What a perfect setting, and what a fitting mood. A soft breeze stirred as time flowed slowly by…
© Richard HuangAnd so we sat there, drinking in the spirit of heaven and earth and letting time slip away. By the time we decided to explore the city itself, it was almost closing time. Fortunately, our original tickets were for the next day, so we could come back. After all that fuss, the tickets we had thought might go to waste would now be useful again.
© Richard HuangThe weather brought us to the City in the Sky a day early; a dog then made us miss our chance to enter the city. Somehow, it all felt preordained. Travel is much like life: whether we manage to visit every place on the itinerary may be uncertain and beyond our control. But perhaps that does not matter. What matters is standing somewhere far from home, breathing the local air and taking in the feeling of that particular moment. That is what travel means.