Countdown to the Inca Trail

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We left Puno on 22nd March and embarked on a short 7 and a half hour bus ride ride through flooded farmland and lush green valleys to Cuzco, former capital to the Incas and now a mecca for the gringos. Cuzco is dripping with Inca history, but the main draw is its proximity to Machu Picchu, an Inca city rediscovered in 1911 after centuries lost in the Peruvian highlands.

On our first evening in Cuzco we received a short briefing about the Inca Trail, the four day hike we would be undertaking to reach Machu Picchu. A man explained the route we would take, trying his best to keep the 13 of us (one girl had to pull out early due to a knee problem) feeling positive about what we all thought would be a grueling trek. The two of us were fairly confident though; by this time we had done plenty of walks already (as you have probably seen!) and had been told the Inca Trail wasn't too strenuous. The only thing we were worried about was the altitude, but we already had 3 weeks above 3000m under our belts, so what could there to stress about?!

We thought it best to do a bit of Inca homework before the trail so the next day we explored Cuzco's historical parts, visiting the Inca Museum and the Temple of the Sun, a very impressive Inca building. We then went to a fine handicraft market where everything could be cheaper than advertised. Haggling is the most enjoyable thing about shopping in Peru!

Cuzco turned out to be one of our favourite towns in South America and it is easy to see why it so popular with tourists. It has everything: culture, good restaurants and hotels, colourful markets...luckily we would be returning there after the trail for some well earned R&R!

The following day we drove two hours through the spectacular Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, the gateway to the start of the Inca Trail and our last proper bed for 4 nights. The Inca ruins of Pinkuilluno overlook this spectacularly set town; Carina and the rest of the group climbed to the top for a pre-trail appetizer. The views from here were fantastic, displaying Ollantaytambo's glorious valley setting perfectly. Unfortunately Chris missed it as he was ill in bed but a quick trip to the local hospital, a prescription for antibiotics and a good nights sleep and we were both ready to start the trail.

After meeting Effe, our guide for the entirety of the hike, at 7am we had a 45 minute bus ride to KM82, the start of the classic Inca Trail. We handed over our tickets (only 500 people are allowed to start the walk every day), got our passports stamped (though some brainbox accidently stamped it for the 25th January instead of March!) and we were on our way.

Somewhere, lost among the mountains, forest and cloud was our goal: Machu Picchu - a shrine to a civilization lost in time, 48km and hundreds of years away...

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Photos

Cuzco
The view from our hotel room.

The Sacred Valley
On the way to Ollantaytambo.

A view of Ollantaytambo
On the walk to Pinkuilluna.