The big MP...
Stones of another sort. After our ordeal getting to Aguas... They weren't about to let us ride out either. We were stopped by some head honcho who showed us his badge and marched us to an office. Cass again being the speaker (I owe that guy a couple thousands of words) got nowhere in bargaining for our freedom. We weren't in trouble, we just couldn't leave on our bikes. Same stupid rule. You can walk but you cant ride or push your bike along the tracks.
We sat, we hemmed, we hawed. While doing so were told a few more times that bikes were not permitted on the railroad tracks (the only feasible way out). Cass resolved to take the train. It was a ticket price I couldn't stomach- and it didn't sound like any fun.
I waited till after dark, watched the security guard end his round and made a break for it. A feeling I knew all to well from years of freight train hopping. Like old times except not at all. Down the line aways and it started to pour. I had to pass some other big hydro/ electric plant. Again I watched the guard then stumbled past. Riding at times, bumping along between the rails or on a path along side, when there was one. Most time, the space in the canyon was only big enough for the river and the rail line. You could easily avoid being hit by trains but trying to hide was a bit interesting. I dove behind rocks or clung to the weeds on the cliffside. The river rushed and the rain came down. The night worn on and I made progress. We had gotten up that morning at 4 and hiked up to MP. Now that it was late, my eyes went to doing funny things in the dark. Like in the Tour Divide. At one point I realized I lost my camera- prolly back at one of my train dodges AKA bush dives. It was gonna be a real long night. Though lucky me, I found it sitting in the middle of the trail only about a Km back and still working (not even near anywhere bumpy). The rain stopped and stars came out. I camped in the walls of some Incan ruins. In the morning I rode back into Ollantaytambo and had a delicious coffee.
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| I was on the fence for some time about going. Thinking of it as touristy old piles of rocks. Boy was that silly and man am I glad I went. The place is truly amazing. |
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| The masonry alone... |
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| is mind gurgling |
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| 500 years ago |
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| effin lasers man |
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| I stood and stared at this wall a long time. |
We sat, we hemmed, we hawed. While doing so were told a few more times that bikes were not permitted on the railroad tracks (the only feasible way out). Cass resolved to take the train. It was a ticket price I couldn't stomach- and it didn't sound like any fun.
I waited till after dark, watched the security guard end his round and made a break for it. A feeling I knew all to well from years of freight train hopping. Like old times except not at all. Down the line aways and it started to pour. I had to pass some other big hydro/ electric plant. Again I watched the guard then stumbled past. Riding at times, bumping along between the rails or on a path along side, when there was one. Most time, the space in the canyon was only big enough for the river and the rail line. You could easily avoid being hit by trains but trying to hide was a bit interesting. I dove behind rocks or clung to the weeds on the cliffside. The river rushed and the rain came down. The night worn on and I made progress. We had gotten up that morning at 4 and hiked up to MP. Now that it was late, my eyes went to doing funny things in the dark. Like in the Tour Divide. At one point I realized I lost my camera- prolly back at one of my train dodges AKA bush dives. It was gonna be a real long night. Though lucky me, I found it sitting in the middle of the trail only about a Km back and still working (not even near anywhere bumpy). The rain stopped and stars came out. I camped in the walls of some Incan ruins. In the morning I rode back into Ollantaytambo and had a delicious coffee.
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| The night mission |
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| Toil and ye shall be rewarded |
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| The old incan short cut |
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| Pigs in zen |
Efffff yeah, Kurt. And a happy USA Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteThanx, Joe. Same to you. I think they have really cracked down on the security since you came through a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteIt's a vexed ol' business, that MP thing. But I was glad I went, in the end, too.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for doing the midnight rallway line raid. Can't imagine you doing anything else, actually. (I ended up on the train, to my shame and financial detriment.)
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