Monday was the start of my journey to visit the famous inca ruins of Machu Picchu. To get there requires 4 days of hiking, although before the hiking we had a day visiting a few archaeological sites. After breakfast we met the group for a 7am departure. There were 3 different packages on offer to visit Machu Picchu, the classic trek, the wild andes trek, or a train based package to avoid the trekking. I'm doing the classic trek package which effectively is the most popular route to hike and also the only trek which walks directly into Machu Picchu. The only downside is that it is very touristy and apparently has a lot of steps!
First stop of the day was the ancient ruins of Sacsayhuaman which were some ruins of these old temples. We got a good viewpoint up here to see the Cusco skyline and there were also a lot of Llamas. It was amazing how the Incas constructed this site. We then drove into the Sacred Valley, stopping en route for pictures. We then soon arrived the old market town of Pisac, heading up to the nearby ruins to learn about the Incas farming techniques amongst other things. It was a very picturesque area. After looking round we headed into Pisac to look round the market which sold local handicrafts, before continuing on for lunch at this buffet restaurant which had a massive array of food!
After lunch we continued onto the town of Ollantaytambo to explore another archaeological site which once again showcased the Incas farming techniques as well more ruins. There was even a man's face carved on the mountain side. We arrived at our hotel for the night by 4 where I just relaxed as they had wifi. I met a couple of others for dinner at 7, although we had a massive thunderstorm which meant we delayed going out for a bit as the rain was lashing it down! I eventually got chicken tacos for dinner, and after dinner went back to the hotel where I had an early night.
As a group we opted for a later start in the morning, leaving at 9 with the theory being if we left later we would allow all the other groups a head start. 500 people a day can walk the Inca trail, about 200 tourists and 300 guides/porters. Our group has 17 people (7 Amber, 10 Gus), 3 guides and a lot of porters. After breakfast, we caught the bus to Piscaycuscho and the start of the Classic Inca Trek - the railroad KM82 marker (at 2,700m altitude). Breakfast was basically fruits and eggs, and the road to the start was very narrow and bumpy which made it both uncomfortable and difficult to pass other vehicles.
When arriving at the start we unloaded and our porters packed all our kit, food, and tents amongst other things to carry. The porters were absolute machines and carried about 25kg each, some even wearing sandals whilst we just carried a day pack! To put into context the classic inca trail is about the length of a marathon. It's taking us 4 days to walk it. The record is 3 hours 45 minutes! After going through passport control and showing our permits, we crossed the bridge over the River Urubamba and followed a trail along the left-hand shore of the river, enjoying stunning views of the snow-capped Mount Veronica (5,830m), eventually arriving at the Incan archaeological remains at Llactapata.
We stopped in this village for lunch where our porters who had gone ahead had made up soup, followed by sandwiches and this potato thing. We then continued through lush farmland and woodland, gradually climbing to our first campsite at Wayllabamba at about 3000m. We were permitted to go our own pace after lunch as it had started spitting, so I went on ahead with the porters and arrived at camp before it rained. I arrived about half 4, with most the others arriving just after 5, and after relaxing for a while we went into the dining tent for biscuits and drinks to keep warm as it was quite cold. Dinner was at about 8 where we had soup, followed by chicken, and then some purple corn based dessert which was like some warm syrup. It was a nice evening including the guitar being dished out, although we did all have an early night as it was raining quite badly.
The second day of the trek was described to us as the toughest day as it basically involved 1200m of height gain. We were woken up at half 5 with coco leaves and hot water, and after waking up we had breakfast which was bacon, eggs, and cereals. We unfortunately lost 2 people though in the morning due to a chest infection. We left our campsite at about 7 and basically started climbing from the off, soon stopping at a checkpoint where they had to check our permits to continue. We ascended a long steep path through Andean cloud forest and highland puna to reach the highest point of our trek, Warmiwañusca (meaning "Dead Woman's Pass") at a height of 4,200m. During the ascent, we frequently stopped to learn about the wide variety of plant, flower and bird species around us.
On reaching the pass, we were rewarded with a panoramic view of the Vilcanota and Vilcabamba mountain ranges. The cloud however rapidly came in and made visibility poor and it soon started raining. Luckily as I was first one at the top I got some good pictures before I really set in. From the top we descended into the Pacaymayo Valley (3,650m altitude) and to our
second campsite. As it was raining we were allowed to go our own pace so I tanked it down despite the slippery cobbled path and arrived at camp by half 1, with the rest of the group coming in around 2 to half 2ish.
Lunch was at camp which was a soup again, followed by pasta, cauliflower cheese, and a salad. We were then given the afternoon as free time although we were in the middle of nowhere, with the only optional activity a hike, which wasn't very tempting with the heavy rain. I instead just spent the afternoon relaxing in my tent. Dinner was again soup, followed by a beef stew, and then chocolate pudding. We then played cards for a bit before having an early night ready for the longest day in terms of distance the following day.
Thursday was a 5am wake up call with a 6.30am departure. Breakfast was pancakes and after leaving camp we were immediately climbing up what was quite a steep hill. The previous evening the rain had stopped, although there was heavy rain in the night. The weather in the morning was amazing though, blue skies and sun. About half way up the hill we stopped at Runkurakay to see the ruins, accompanied by pretty spectacular views. This didn't last long however as the clouds quickly decended in and it started raining, creating poor visibility. We continued to top of the hill at about 3900m.
The rain calmed down a bit at this point although we were still in the clouds which made the air very moist. Eversince going over the dead woman's pass we have followed an ancient stone path built by the Incas, and we decended down a very steep and slippery set of this steps which needed a lot of respect! We soon arrived at the ruins of Sayacmarca where we stopped to learn about the history, as well as getting a brief break from the cloud and a stunning view of the valley before it came back again. Soon after we arrived for lunch which was soup, followed by chicken fried rice, beetroot salad, and vegetables. Luckily it stopped raining prior to lunch.
After lunch it started raining again and the visibility was nothing, although we continued along the cobbled path, passing through Inca tunnels towards our next inca site at Phuyupatamarca. We stayed a short while here before heading down an initially very steep section, which soon came a more gradual decline towards our next campsite. When arriving at Wiñay Wayna at 2650m for a final night, the rain typically stopped although the clouds were still obscuring what were meant to be spectacular panoramic views.
By dinner it had stopped raining, and prior to this we had some pisco based drink with popcorn and cheese things. Dinner was soup, followed by pasta, and after dinner we had our farewall speeches by our guides who have been really good. We also had a short ceremony with our porters who have been amazing. They have literally carried our tents, overnight bags, food, etc. They have cooked for us, tidied up for us, set up camp for us. And each morning after leaving camp they would break camp, then shortly after run past us with their heavy packs, some wearing sandals, have a hot lunch waiting us further on, then tidy up again and run past us again where we would arrive in camp already set up. They were literally absolute machines. Apparently they race each other to the campsites! Afterwards I had an early night ready for the last days hiking.
On the last day we had a 3am wake up call, with a 4am departure. Breakfast was just toast and we left campsite ready to trek to our final destination in the the dark. When we arrived at the final checkpoint we had to wait until half 5, where a large queue of people formed before they finally opened the gates. Leaving Wiñay Wayna, we descended gradually further through the highland
jungle towards Intupunku (the "Sun Gate") which leads into Machu Picchu. Prior to this is started raining but luckily it cleared and we got a breathtaking view as we climbed up through the sun gate and got our first view of the ruins.
After a while at the sun gate we headed down into Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is a world-famous 15th-Century Inca citadel perched 2,430m
above sea level on a mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley. The ruins weren't discovered until 1911, after being undiscovered during the Spanish conquest, and have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983 and was voted on of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. We were given a short amount of time to get some pictures before leaving the site as we had to go through passport control and get stamped in.
When getting stamped in we had a guided tour of the site which was very interesting, before getting some free time. I went for an additional hike to this inca bridge, as well as heading up to get some more photos. By about 1 we headed down to Aguas Calientes where we all met in a restaurant for lunch before taking the train back to Ollantaytambo for a connecting bus to Cuzco. After showering I went out and had McDonald's as we got back quite late, meeting some others in the english pub after. We were challenged to stay up 24 hours and I managed that, going to the club after which was fun!
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