By Caitlin

While chit chatting with our new friends, we pondered whether these train tracks were still in use. We figured they must be abandoned tracks, but quickly realized we were mistaken when a large train came speeding past us and we had to jump up against the rock wall face to our side to avoid being hit. It was not long after that we came to a long, dark, narrow tunnel. since a train had just passed us two minutes before the tunnel, we rationalized that surely another one would not pass so soon after. We stopped just before entering the tunnel to discuss. We could barely see the opening on the other side. It was difficult to gauge how long it was and the track curved right after the tunnel so you couldn't see past the opening. If we were going to go through, we would have to do it as quickly as possible.
Any doubt about whether or not a train was coming was soon answered when I looked over my shoulder to make sure the others had all made it out and a train appeared in the tunnel blocking all light. Steam bellowing out and horn blaring, we literally ran for our lives out the other side of the tunnel. When we finally got past the opening, we scrambled to find a space where we would be out of the way. I was terrified about Dan and the others on the other end of the tunnel. I looked around for Jed and found him in a Jed-sized hole in the ground, from which he was climbing out! So much adrenaline ran through our bodies he barely even noticed he had fallen in a narrow 5 foot hole!
Knowing my brother, I assumed this terrifying incident would not deter him from wanting to continue down the tracks. He told us that another tunnel, one that curved around the side of the mountain making it impossible to see the end, was not far ahead of the tunnel we had just escaped from. The whole incident had sufficiently spooked us all, so we all turned back and headed to town. Luckily, we found an alternate path that skipped this harrowing stretch of rail, and eventually found our way to the waterfall. Unfortunately, it was absolutely pouring rain on us the whole way there and back. With no umbrellas, our clothes and shoes were wet for days. Although highly memorable, the waterfall was probably not worth the terror or soak, and it left us exhausted before embarking on the real reason we were there in the first place, to see Machu Picchu.