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Salkantay
This photo was taken from my tent. A nice view to wake up to.In the last two weeks I've been based out of Cusco Peru where I've done some amazing things including;
* Trekking the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu (4 days trekking, then the 5th day at Machui Picchu )
* Exploring Machu Picchu and climbing Waynu Picchu ( that mountain you always see in the background of the Machu Picchu photos.)
* Exploring many other Inca ruins around Cusco
* Enjoying the many festivals in Cusco
Attending a cooking class on how to prepare your own chocolate from scratch, the actual beans. Silly me thought we were just melting chocolate and putting it in moulds, that's how mum taught me to make chocolate!
* Trying many of Cusco's vegetarian restaurants with my new found Perth friend, also another public servant on long service leave. (Did I mention I'm a veggo now? It's only temporary, ill explain shortly)
* Having way to many massages, but at $7 an hour, it was cheaper to get a rub down then eat!! Don't worry, I still ate, geez, I'm a Brauman...... As if I'd stop eating!
Salkantay trek The Salkantay trek is one of the longer treks to
Salkantay pass
The sign should say 4,700 metres. It's looking over the cloud forest Machu Picchu. It's 5 days and 4 nights, 72 kms, and that includes the day in Machu Picchu. The original Inca trail is 4 days 3 nights. Of course to do the Inca you need to book 6 months in advance, I was never going to be that organised and my preference was to do a different trek rather than the more popular one.
There were 7 of us tourists in total on the trek. 2 Americans, a Welshman, a Pom and a Dutch couple. Our entourage included 1 guide, 2 chefs, 2 porters and about 6 mules. 1 of these mules was a spare incase we got tired or injured and needed a ride.
Lets face it, this is luxury trekking, not the kind i usually do. The mules carry your pack, you only carry your day pack. All meals are prepared for you, 3 course meals and are served to you in a special dinning tent they set up. Each night when you get into camp your tent is already set up and waiting. And the next day, the pack it all up for you. So really, all you have to do is the actual walking
from one site to the next!
Day 1 was a tough day, hiking up to 4,400 metres. The altitude had taken its toll on more than half of us and it was a very slow walk in. But the views were amazing and we camped right near Salkantay. That night it was FREEZING! I had all my layers on and still it was cold. The guide said it got down to -4 to -7. The worst part of the night was having to get up to wee, way to cold to get out. INTERESTING FACT We had to wee in a special place ( not near our tents) because the wild cows like to eat the grass where you wee because of the salt. Now nobody wants to wake to the sound of a cow chewing near your tent, especially when you know what they are chewing!
Day 2 and we hit the highest point, 4,700 metres! Here we had great views of Mt Salkantay and could see the cloud forest which was where we were to walk for the rest of the day. This was a long yet beautiful day hiking. The cloud forest here
Machu Picchu
Before the sun come up. Btw, that's Waynu Picchu in the background. is the highest in the world. The good thing about this day was we dropped down in altitude a lot by the end of the day and sleeping that night only required normal layers of clothing.
Day 3 we were up early and did lots of trekking in a more jungle like setting. We ended at a beautiful place where we could go to the hot springs. The hot springs were great for the muscles!
Day 4 One of our group opted out due to injury and knowing that we had a massive walk up, then down, she made a good choice. Even though we were a lot lower than day 1 I could still feel the affects of altitude. Every step up was painful, but not so much my body, just the fact it felt like someone was sitting on my lungs!! Once we walked the thousand or so metres we got to see our first sighting of Machu Picchu in the distance. Wow, that was a highlight for sure. The Incas sure knew how to pick a special place. At this point we were also shown more ruins on the mountain where we were which our
Machu Picchu
Another angle as the sun is coming up guide said could be as big as Machu Picchu once they are all uncovered. INTERESTING FACT: did you know that Michu Picchu is the name of the mountain next to the ruins? No one actually knows the name of the ruins or the city. Each day the more they learn about Machu Pucchu, the more they realise they don't know.
Day 5 Machu Picchu day!!! Wow, what a place! The history is amazing, so much stuff is still unknown. There are so many steps!! Omg, and by this stage each step was one to many. There are so many mind baffling things about this place. Even the fact that back in the 1500's when it was built they made the design earth quake proof. The city itself looks like it could have housed around 1.000 people, however the water flow that goes into the city was only enough to support 200 people a day. So what were all the rooms for?
The city itself was unfinished, you can see places where they had started building, but for an unknown reason stopped and left. Even some of the buildings standing were made beautifully for say the first
Machu Picchu
From the ground 1.5 metres of bricks, then after that it looked like they rushed to finished as the workmanship was really different. What were they trying to finish before?
I could go on, but it's a place of so many mysteries and I'd love to go back again in another 10 years to find out what else they have learnt. Only 4 months ago they discovered another inca trail the leads to a mountain opposite. They believe there is another city at the top. This place has to be visited more than once.
Waynu Picchu Now when I booked the tour I wanted to be one of the only 400 people to climb Waynu Picchu each day ( the mountain you see in the background) to see the city from the other side. I was number 361 to go up, you have to book these tickets in advance. The mountain looked steep and hard and after the past 4 days of trekking I actually questioned if I had the energy to do it. Only myself and two others from the tour got tickets. Our guide said he would go up with us because its very steep and dangerous (
oh goody).
To understand my experience of climbing Waynu Picchu, please replace the word 'butterflies' with a swear word of choice, in my head, it's the 'f' bomb. I'm trying to write nicely, I know mum and dad are reading this...
We get to the bottom of Waynu Picchu and register to go up for the 2 hour return trip. There are lots of people trying to get in, but you can only go if you hold a ticket. I'm really not looking forward to the climb, but know id regret it if I didn't do it. Our guide goes to me " Señorita Belinda, it will be a walk in the park". In my head I'm like "butterflies!!! There are no butterfly parks like this in Australia!"
It's a steep and difficult ascent, due to altitude I sound like a panting dog, due to the heat, I've become my own natural wonder with free flowing sweat waterfalls travelling down my back.
We over take many people on the way, it's like watching tortoises race really, very slow over taking, no talking, just panting! What were the stupid butterfly Incas thinking?? If they were so smart
I'm sure they would have put a butterfly cafe at the top! What point is a view without a good coffee?
After about 45 butterfly minutes, the butterfly waterfall running down my back is grossing me out. I know I have about 15 minutes to go, while I can see the top, I can see all the steep ledges with steal cables to support climbing and prevent any butterfly people taking a fall off the edge.
I've also been hearing the whispers of crawling through a butterfly cave near the top from the people coming down! Butterflies, butterflies, butterflies!
If one more darn person tells me I only have a little way to go I may just push the butterfly off the edge. Don't tell me I've got 2 butterfly minutes to go when it's at least 10 butterfly minutes! How butterfly violent do I get in my head? Ha, you should hear my butterfly thoughts at work!
After the final steep butterfly climb, on my butterfly hands and knees through a butterfly cave and wondering why no one has invented butterfly eye windscreen wipers to remove all the butterfly sweat from getting in my eyes,
The whole of Cusco comes to town
It's some religious celebration. If you look closely you can see them carrying big religious status around the square that make their way into the church. i finally reach the top!!!!
HOLLY BUTTERFLIES!!! Check out the view!!! I take all those butterflies back, it was totally worth it. FYI, no cafe at the top, minor disappointment. Obviously they didn't build the track up there for a coffee shop then, so why did they you may ask? Excellent question, I asked the guide the same thing. Apparently it was part of a test regarding an incas manhood to climb to the top. I must admit, after conquering this butterfly mountain I probably look and smell a lot more like a bloke. Mission accomplished.
Oh, and the way down took just as long as the way up as it was so steep. So rather than drag the story out let's just end it with.... My butterfly knees hated the way down, but 1hr later, me and my waterfalls made it! Whooooooo!
And that, my friends, was my day at Machu Picchu! Amazing, do it, while you can still walk!
The rest of my time in Cusco is pretty much the dot points above and a few of the pics give you a taste.
Now where to next? Tomorrow I am flying out
Celebrating Cusco
Locals dancing in traditional costume into the Peruvian jungle to a meditation and yoga retreat for 10 days. Thought it might be nice to take some time to relax and reflect on life. It's going to be an interesting experience, I've never done meditation or yoga and part of the prep for this retreat was to not eat meat for a month before hand as they only serve a vegan diet.
I even just bought "Eat Pray Love" to read while I'm there!
Don't be alarmed if i come back with a nose piercing, dreads, and be totally like in touch with my inner self!
Catch ya on the flip side hippies!
B
X
Ps. Feel free to share my blog with others to make them jealous, I mean, share with them my adventures!
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Simone
non-member comment
Amazeballs
Hey Bee, loving the blog - way to make the rest of us insanely jealous! Pictures are amazing, well done. I don't mind if you come back with dreads, just a long us you are maintaining your body hair!! Enjoy x