August 16 Cusco to Mollepata to Soraypampa

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September 13th 2015
Our second day in Cusco we spent preparing for our five-day trek on the Salkantay trail, an alternate hiking route to Machu Picchu. Unlike its famous counterpart the Inca trail, no guide or permit is required to hike it. The Salkantay trail is established but rarely marked, and in our five days of hiking, we met only two other backpackers doing the trail without a tour group. Because the trail has ... read more

South America » Peru » Cusco » Salkantay Trail

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Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1... ... read more