Up a mountain and then down again

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Before we reach ollytaytambo we did a tour thru the sacred valley....whichis a very fertile valley here with a lot of incan ruins...and apparently 3000 types of potato...altho susupiciously no one i asked could name more than 4...

the main ruin in ollytaytambo is a sun temple...all the ruins here are in remarkably good condition...espcially since you are allowed to climb all over them....and there is nothing resembling a handrail anywhere...

then after a nights nap we headed out to the lares trek...

the lares trek is a 3 day trek thru the peruvian highlands...which basically consists of climbing a large mountain and then coming down the other side...it started off perfectly...amazing scenary, good lunch..but then we had to start walking...and let me tell you that walking up a mountain at altitude is not easy...not easy at all...

the first day was pretty tame...and the first campsite was great...next to a snowcapped mountain and it wasnt too cold...however day 2 was a different story...

the first five hours consisted of walking up the mountain at a very steep angle..and of course the higher we got the thinner the air got, so the harder it got to do....there were some amazing views but most of the time i was concentrating on keeping walking...

the summit was 4750m up..and when i reached it i dont think i have ever been so happy or quite so tired....but it was definitely worth doing...esp since once we had reached the summit we got to walk downwards from then on...

and walking down was easy...a bit dangerous due to some of the cliff faces..but a lot easier...

the second campsite was a bit colder..due to it being quite a lot higher...but still managed to sleep quite soundly after 8 hours of trekking...

the next day we finished..and ended up at a chicha house...chicha is the locla corn beer here...which tasted pretty good to me...

this morning we took the bus up to macchu picchu...and it is def. all it is made out to be...it is very well preserved, and all the reconstruction is done v well...unfortunately it pissed down the entire time so the views were only of clouds but it was still great...couldnt beleive just how big the entire site is...really glad that i have finally seen it...

am now back in cusco...and will be flying to arequipa tomorrow...no more altitude....

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