[Music] Yes we know there are a million videos about
Machu Picchu out there on YouTube. "Look, Ansel Adams would not be uh jealous of our
work here but it'll do." "I guarantee you most of these people's photos, everything
out there is going to be photoshopped out." But we promise there is not another one like
this. We are going to tell you what no one else will tell you about descending on this
ancient Peruvian city in the clouds. And not just the good stuff. We're talking good. "It's
amazing man just look at it's a village in the clouds in a way." The bad. "I have my
doubts we'll see. Mr. Optimism right here." The ugly. "Millipede. They're common up here."
And the downright hurtful. "Yeah I was bit maybe close 20 times." In this episode of
Window Seat. [Music] "Alright it is 4:15 in the morning right now
on a Thursday. We are in Cusco, Peru, 11,000 feet, and we are about to catch a bus that
will take us to a train that will take us to Machu Picchu." [Music] Alright let's start right there. Yes it's
true, few cities on the planet inspire as much wonder and wanderlust as Machu Picchu.
But the 4am wake-up call in Cusco to start a four-hour journey into the Andes mountains?
Yeah, it sort of tempers the excitement. But really our troubled trip to Machu Picchu
began long before boarding this bus. [Protests sounds] Months of planning, plotting and prognosticating
went into this journey only to be nearly thwarted in the weeks leading up to our arrival by
massive protests and civil unrest sweeping through Peru. Protests we watched unfold on
the streets of Cusco even after our arrival. [Protests sounds] "This is interesting." Fueled by high poverty,
economic worries and distrust of politicians, Peruvians took to the streets, prompting a
U.S State Department warning to reconsider travel here. "It's kind of strange because that's the very
thing the State Department warns you about when they tell you not to come to a country.
They say don't go there because you could get caught up in a protest, you'd get arrested,
you'd get taken into custody and God knows when they'll release you." But after doing
our homework we were convinced traveling to Machu Picchu was safe. "Things have calmed
down a lot and you know that was a very minor protest. Sounds a lot louder than it is but
they seem to be doing so peacefully and there's police with the shields and the riot gear
ready but nobody's encroaching on anybody they're all just kind of standing their ground
and the protesters are making their voices heard." Worth mentioning though we never once
felt in danger. [Music] Alright so back to that bus. We chose the
earliest departure so we'd get an early arrival so we could maximize our time in the old Incan
village. And as you'll soon find out we needed all the extra time we could get. More on that
in a minute. First though we settle in for the long two-hour bus ride that starts our
journey at daybreak, thinking we'd get some extra sleep on the way. Wrong. And this is the first thing no one
tells you about going to Machu Picchu. The road to the Ollantaytambu train station is
quite possibly the bumpiest road on planet earth. Its potholes have potholes. Its pavement
is packed with craters the size of cars. Do not plan on sleeping en route. It just will
not happen. [Music] In a half-asleep stupor, our butts and backs
still bearing the strain of those potholes, two hours into the trip we arrive at the Ollentayrtambu
tourist Village populated by stray dogs and well-stocked gift shops. Where the commerce
of this Wonder of the World comes into full view. "We're in a small town in Peru and I
could not pronounce the name if I tried, so I'm not going to. Um no just waiting for the
train, gonna have to train to Machu Picchu or Aguas Calientes I believe it's a town right
outside of it and then we'll go in from there so, it's gonna be fun, it's gonna be good,
still very tired but adrenaline will get you through today." After a brief rest and a bathroom
break in the Inca Rail train station waiting room we are jolted awake by the sounds of
the locals. [Music] Employees decked out in indigenous garb ushering
us out the door, down the street and straight to the train that will lead us to our heavenly
nirvana In the clouds. [Music] "It's the strangest send-off I've ever had
on a trip but I'll take it. Why not?" What follows is two hours of absolute magic. A
blissful train ride alongside the Urubamba River through lush canyons and past what's
been called the Sacred Valley. At every turn, something new and more wonderful to look at,
from snow-capped peaks to small Peruvian villages. We pass other trains headed down from the
mountain, and Sherpas headed up the Inca Trail to supply hikers taking the path on foot.
Which brings us to another thing no one ever tells you about coming here. Book the train
that has observation cars with open-air windows. You can literally stick your head out and
breathe in the Andean mountain air. Chances are you'll never come back here, so you might
as well soak it all in while you can." [Music] The scenic ride comes to a rainy end in a
postcard perfect town that sits 6700 feet above sea level. "Now we gotta go find a tour
guide." After we rally with our tour group we spend a few minutes in town before making
our ascent. "Uh we're in a town called Aguas Calientes, which would translate to hot waters,
hot springs, and this is sort of the base camp for Machu Picchu. It's where all the
commerce is done headed up there. It's where you know people buy souvenirs, restaurants,
shops that kind of thing. So spend a little time here. The rain has died down a bit so
that's encouraging. And then up we go. I can't wait. It's so exciting." This part of the
journey brings us to another thing no one tells you about the trip to Machu Picchu:
the final leg [Music] It is a harrowing 30-minute white knuckle
bus ride up a steep mountain on a road filled with narrow switchbacks, wide enough for just
one vehicle, though technically it's a two-lane road. "It's straight down. And I'm trying not to
look. It's beautiful but I don't like it because there's no guard rail here and this road is
skinny as hell and it's bouncing around. I mean I know he does this all the time but
I'll be feeling a lot better once we get up top." But before you know it the thrill ride
is over and we have finally arrived at the city situated in the heavens. Where you immediately
realize a few more things no one ever tells you about visiting Machu Picchu. There are
no selfie sticks, tripods, big backpacks, alcohol, drones or umbrellas allowed here.
Even if it's raining. "So it says right up there mate." They take this place seriously,
and they want you to too. [Music] And when you take your first few steps inside
the UNESCO world heritage site you'll see why. This place is breathtaking, and not just
because of the altitude. Everything about Machu Picchu is just as advertised. It's gorgeous,
it's stunning, it's jaw-dropping. You name it. "It's amazing man. Just look at it. It's
a village in the clouds in a way." That is, if you can actually see it. Right about here
in this spot is where we are supposed to get our first glance of that iconic hump of a
mountain, those rocky ruins, the terraced hillside. The forgotten city that sat abandoned
in these mountains for hundreds of years until rediscovered by an American explorer in the
early 1900s, and then plastered on the pages of National Geographic for all the world to
see. But we can't see squat. "There's not a whole lot we can do about that." Here's
another thing they don't tell you: if you visit on a rainy morning you will likely have
to wait a long time for the fog to burn off so you can take that iconic photo that you've
seen all over Instagram. "So we're waiting to get that picture but I actually have a
bad feeling we're not gonna get it. I just think that there's a ton of fog in the air
and I don't see it lifting uh and so I think we may miss the iconic photo at Machu Picchu.
Still cool to come but you want evidence right? Is it fog or are we in the clouds? Well it
is rain induced so I mean I think it's definitely low lying fog. We got to be optimistic. We
gotta hope against what he says that this will still happen. Yeah let's see. I I have
my doubts. We'll see. Mr Optimism right here." What forms next is a high mountain traffic
jam. Throngs of tourists gathering at the top of Machu Picchu, jockeying for position.
Waiting the better part of an hour for the weather to lift. For the Heavens to part.
"I still wonder if we just wait five more minutes if that cloud will be gone." And for
this ancient village to come into view. And finally, just like that, it does. [Music] "So skies have finally parted and uh the sun
came out and I'm eating crow even as we speak. The power of optimism and the power of positive
thinking really does work wonders and this guy is learning it every single day. Sure.
Yeah." We didn't plan this trip for months and travel thousands of miles to miss this
amazing view... and sadly neither did these thousands of others. Good luck getting an
amazing picture without getting crowded out by others just as anxious to pose in front
of Machu Picchu as you. Some serious, some not so much. "Perfect oh it's a shitty picture.
And I got one. You got one? Take it off real quick. Take it off before they kick you out.
We have it, we have it. I watched him get it." These tourists thought it would be cute
to pose in Pikachu costumes because, how clever to be able to say Machu Pikachu right? They
were ordered to take the costumes off at the park entrance but they snuck them in anyway,
and snuck them on long enough to snap a picture. "Although you almost got kicked out for it.
Yeah they just said many people have tried nobody have gotten it." Others in the crowd
are a bit more endearing like the llamas we encountered at high altitude, a mainstay in
this 600 year old city, and a popular photo op as you make your way down the path and
into the stone buildings of Machu Picchu. [Music] But as you do that, be warned. You are about
to encounter a pest that plagues this primitive place: mosquitoes. Lots of them. "Awesome.
A little of everything up here. Really glad I wore shorts today." Sean wore shorts up
here against the advice of others and found out the hard way. "Oh I gotta eaten alive.
Tell me again. Well because you know you are really needing a lot of time to shoot something.
I didn't understand what, but I was trying to play along, and yeah I got bit maybe close
to 20 times. By? Mosquitoes and alligators. I don't know if you want to go there. They
warned us though. Yeah they warned us, I should have brought mosquito repellent, but I didn't
think about it. I could have bought some. We thought about doing that yesterday we just
couldn't find it. But no that's fine we'll be okay. Worse things have happened, That's
why we have our shots." Seems like a good time to tell you about another thing no one
ever warns you about: the stairs. There are lots of them, they are everywhere, and if
you're in any way immobile ,this place is essentially impossible to navigate. "It's
burning my lungs. Legs are fine." So be warned, we had people in our tour group unable to
navigate the difficult steps and the high altitude climb and they did not get the full
experience like the rest of us. "If we continue through here, we're gonna ride straight to
Cusco. Cusco was the capital of the Incan Empire." Even our experienced and multilingual
tour guide was left breathless by the elevation. Bring lots of water. While invigorating, this
place will zap you of your energy, and it could give you altitude sickness if you don't
hydrate. [Music] Okay, alright, enough of the warnings and
the advice and all the things to look out for. This place is an absolute Wonder of the
World and it should be enjoyed and revered and celebrated. For many people, coming here
is the trip of a lifetime. "That's crazy mate. That's beautiful. It's unreal. Now that the
sky has finally parted. It's amazing." And as we wrap up our time in Machu Picchu
and make our way back down to Aguas Calientes, it becomes clear just how special this day
has been. [Music] Yes, this is about as touristy as it gets.
Yes there are crowds. Yes none of this would be here if not for the legions of travelers
desperate to photograph for themselves what has been photographed millions of times by
others. "That's it from Machu Picchu. Headed out of the train station in Aguas Calientes.
Turned into a great day. You know I was a naysayer. I was worried. I didn't think we
actually even see Machu Picchu. But we did and we experienced it and now we know why
hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world come here to take those Instagram
pictures, annoying as they may be. Because it's amazing and there's a good reason you'd
want to come here." But for us what really drove home how special this place is is something
we encountered on the now-crowded observation train car headed back toward Cusco. [Music] A group of about 40 family and friends from
the San Francisco bay area who had just spent the most incredible days of their lives together.
"So we did like a four day, three night Inca Trail. Uh we did it for the hell of it. Fun
hike, great reward, uh very long, hard, strenuous hike. A lot of steps but definitely if you
can do this hike you can do any hike in the world." Their journey together reminded us
of another thing no one tells you about Machu Picchu: coming here will very likely change
your life forever. "Will I do it again is a little bit unclear, but I would recommend
it for everyone." [Music]
