to the temple of the moon and back: machu picchu, huayna picchu and la gran caverna

The view of Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu.

"Is this it?" I asked rhetorically although I never meant for anyone to hear what I said.

"Well, let's hope it's not," said the guy in front of me, whom I didn't know but I had been 'adopted' in their group since we left Huayna Picchu.

Going to the temple of the moon wasn't actually part of the plan. I was at an office in Aguas Calientes considering which type of entrance ticket to Machu Picchu I should buy. Hiking up to Huayna Picchu, that big mountain that serves as the backdrop of those classic Machu Picchu photos, was highly recommended. I've never heard of Machu Picchu Mountain and was curious about it. And the ticket that only allows access to the main ruins was definitely cheaper. The guy behind the counter answered me in an annoyed tone when I asked him if it was possible to visit both Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu Mountain. He gave me a gruff no. In the end, I chose the ticket with Huayna Picchu and was told to be there before seven in the morning.

Machu Picchu in the early morning.

So there I was the next day, marveling at the view of Machu Picchu from the other side, where not everyone choose to go. I was rendered breathless by the beauty in front of me but mostly by the tough journey. It wasn't that easy to get there. It takes about an hour to reach the top of Huayna Picchu. The trail was a very steep, vertigo-inducing climb up hundreds of steps. Thankfully, they installed cables and railings to help the visitors climb and also for safety.

I hate that I don't recall how I made my way to the top of the mountain. Or maybe it was my brain's way of making me forget that terrifying ordeal. My memory would jump from taking photos of Machu Picchu from a viewpoint just at the foot of the ruins at the top of Huayna Picchu to that guy who told me that I had to either crawl beneath or climb over a huge rock. Then I was eating biscuits and drinking coke while seated at the backside because the best spot was already taken. Although only a maximum of 200 people are allowed at one time, the area was too small that it seemed very crowded.

Huayna Picchu

Technically speaking, eating is not allowed inside Machu Picchu. But I was so hungry because I haven't eaten anything that day so I broke the rule. I left the hostel in Aguas Calientes at about half past four at dawn. Instead of taking the bus, I chose to walk up to Machu Picchu in order to save a few dollars. I didn't expect it but there was about a hundred other people lining up for the walk. Again, it was a steep, one-hour climb to the entrance. But being there very early has a reward of seeing the place bathed with mist, giving it a magical feel. After taking a few shots, I rushed to the other side and joined the queue for the first group to Huayna Picchu. By the time I got to the top, I have already climbed more than 700m and it was just eight in the morning. And I wasn't prepared.

Moments later, I stood up from where I was munching, not sure what direction I wanted to take. At the checkpoint for Huayna Picchu, I snapped a photo of this poster showing other ruins that can be visited. Gran Caverna sounded interesting although it was located at the far side of the mountain. I followed the trail going to Gran Caverna and came across some people who were going back. I wasn't really keen on going. I was merely looking around.

I kept on walking a little more and saw this group of two guys and a girl. They were probably as undecided where to go as I was that time. The first thing she asked me was if I speak English. Uh-huh. And then if I knew where the trail was leading. It told her it said Gran Caverna and I had no idea what it was. I showed her the photo of the poster, even though the only information printed in it was the elevation and average walking time. Gran Caverna was even 200m lower than Machu Picchu itself. She asked if I was going. I just looked at her and smiled.

La Gran Caverna. No intiendo por que esto se llama gran. 

It has been an hour since we started the descent. The trail was steep but it was mostly steps carved on the slope. My knees were already aching and there wasn't even a  nice view to compensate for the pain. We were traversing a forest. At one point, the steps vanished and we had to climb down a long wooden ladder. I opted to go last and received an applause once I got down. It was THAT difficult, I guess. We continued walking until we reached a structure which could pass as a ruin, with plants clinging to or growing in it. Two teenage-looking boys were taking turns in taking pictures of each other on that spot. I got confused. That's what was waiting for us after all the difficulties we had to go through? And that was when I found myself asking that question: Is this it?

A few steps more and we saw an older couple sitting just outside a 'cave'. So that was really it. I entered, but only to sit and rest. The Temple of the Moon people are talking about, I inferred, was inside the Gran Caverna. Or maybe it was the same thing? It is little visited and there's very scant information about it. And the cave actually doesn't live up to its name. Grand.

Narrow trail and sheer drop. What more could you ask for?

We left after resting and shooting a few photos. Since we were descending most of the time to the cave, we had to go up on the way back. And it was also very steep. My knees started to hurt again and I told the girl that she could go ahead of me if she wanted to. She was so nice and chose to wait for me. Further ahead, the trail opened to the side of the mountain, giving us a grand view of Rio Urubamba. The trail was narrow with sheer drop to the valley floor but good thing was that there was railings. When we rejoined the main trail, we came across the second group of people who were going to the top of Huayna Picchu.

I never get to know those three who were the reason why I got to reach that part of the mountain, where I wouldn't go alone. But we shared some hair-raising adventure. We surely weren't impressed with Gran Caverna. But as always, it's not about the destination. And it gave me a story to tell. And if someone would ask me if I would recommend it, I'll tell him to just go and have some adventure.