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Been another amazing week!
We left Arequipa around 0800 in the morning and set off towards Colca.
En route we visited some Inca tombs set into the mountain side facing east, some small villages and some Llama farms.
We also stocked up on coca leaves, coca cookies and coca sweets for helping prevent altitude sickness. Also bought a sun hat and a warm hat for the cold, see pickies!
We travelled up to 4910m above sea level with great views of the volcanoes around us surrounding Arequipa stopping for some coca tea on the way.
We stayed the night in a lodge in the middle of nowhere, the first place I have stayed in since travelling that had heating!
Next day we drove to Colca Canyon, the canyon was formed over 7 million years ago by multiple earthquakes and at its deepest point is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon.
We took a short hike along the canyon to a place where viewing balconies were for seeing Condors, amazing birds watching them ride the thermals some times as many as 6 in the sky at once swooping
close by.
After Colca Canyon we took an 8 hour drive to Cusco (3300 m above sea level) stopping for pizza and rum on the way and watching 3 dvds including Avatar.
We spent 2 nights in Cusco and then were picked up at 5 in the morning to set off for the Inca trail hike.
Only 13 of the 18 were doing the inca trail either because they booked to late or opted for the easier Lares 3 day trek.
We carried day packs (water, waterproofs etc) and were allowed a maximum of 6kg in a dufflebag which the porters would carry.
It was a 2 hour drive to the Inca trail starting point where we met our 20 porters, cook, assistant cook and two guides, for 16 of us!
The first day we were covering 10km mainly flat but with several short but steep hikes but as the day went on it got a bit steeper. On the way we saw several Inca ruins.
Basically this area of the Andes has many Inca settlements built and linked by trails, or set out in specific directions and
distance apart and all (including the trail) built in the 100 years of their existence, pretty impressive for efficiency!
When we stopped for lunch we were all surprised to see the porters had set up a "dinner" tent for us with cutlery laid out and water bowls outside with hot water and soap to wash our hands! Lunch was two courses with a wrapped trout and rice!
After lunch we set off again but stopped around 1500 to where our campsite was, well a small field with the most disgusting toilets you can imagine! The porters had set up our tents and were preparing dinner.
As night drew in it got bloody cold and Chris had forgotten his sleeping bag so had to hire a blanket!
Next morning we were woken at 7 for a cup of tea/coffee and breakfast served around 0730 and set off before 0830. Today we were going to cover 13 km nine of which were up hill!
The morning hike was steep with some paths and some stone steps, again stopping for lunch and after lunch we had a massive uphill path of about 1
to 1 incline!
It was hard work climbing the steep incline escpecially as we were at high altitude at out of breath.
We headed to Dead Womans Pass (named after the mountain profile which looked lika a woman laying down) which was 4200m above sea level, we climbed 1200m that day.
It also started raining as we neared the top but we all made it and had group pickies at the top.
Once rested we then had to go down, sounds easy but on wet stone steps steep incline it was torture for your knees!
We reached the bottom around 1630 to be greeted by the porters and our tents with bags inside. That night we had some hot rum toddy after dinner to help sleep!
Next day our third hiking day we had three peaks to hike over and covering 16 km. The scenery was amazing again seeing mountains some covered in jungle some not, walking above cloud forests.
The trail weas amazing how much work was required in some parts having embankments built to hold the paths and steps.
This day was longer but easier on the
legs and lungs!
Again we saw other Inca ruins on the way some outposts some farming terraces.
The campsite tonight had showers and a bar so we all had a chance to chill before waking at 0400 the next day, waiting for 0530 when the checkpoint opened so we could set off to the sungate.
The sungate sits high above Machu Picchu on a mountain the sunrises from behind, it was a good hour hike to get to it. The view of Machu Picchu was amazing, couple of us had a cigar!
After watching the sun rise and shine onto the city we then walked down for a guided tour of the ruins, temples and sun dial before having the rest of the morning to walk around.
Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by an American, its real name is not actually known but was known as the old mountain by local farmers (Machu Picchu) and no one actually nows what it was built for but believed to be a spiritual place as built between ice capped mountains which represented life to the Incas.
The site was impressive
particularly the temple stonework, polished to produce a perfect fit. For me however it was more the location of the place which made it so amazing!
I have ried to show the amazing scenery and difficult paths but you have to do this yourself to really experience it!
We caught a bus into Machu Picchu town to have lunch and set off on the train later that day.
We had yo catch a bus for the last part of the trsain journey as the flodds and landslides earlier this year had wiped out some of the track, this just got us back to where we started the hike.
We then had a 2hr ride back to our hotel, all sore and tired!
We now have three days to ourselves to chill in Cusco before setting off on our next adventure, Lake Titicaca before leaving Peru to head into Bolivia.
Cant believe we have travelled practically the length of Peru.
Just heard this morning that the 61 yr old Canadian lady has been taken into hospital with life threatening altitude sickness! But she is ok but will have
to stay in hospital for 4 days to stabilise.
Larf
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Leila
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Wow!
Some amazing pics there Mark. You have definitely made me want to do the trail. Glad you are having such a cool time xx