Cuzco and the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

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We boarded the bus in high spirits, we were starting to get used to the altitude; we heard great things about Cusco and we were getting closer to another event we have been looking forward to for so long: the Lares trek to Machu Picchu. The bus journey was by far the most interesting one (with the San Ignacio-Buenos Aires one coming in close second). After about half an hour we stopped at the frontera, the border, between Bolivia and Peru. We had to get out of the bus and go into the Bolivia migration office to get our exit stamps on our passports. We then walked across the border to the Peruvian migration office where we got our entry stamps for Peru. The bus met us on the other side. We got back on the bus, hoping for a nap, but that didn't work out. Every few kilometres ladies were getting on the bus selling cheese, bread, cakes, jelly, all sorts. They came on shouting and calling, it was a bit mad! We bought a couple of cups of jelly of a young girl which were pretty tasty. We got to Puno bus station to wait for our transfer to Cusco, and we were glad we made the decision not to stay there. It definitely wasn't as nice as Copa!



When we arrived in Cusco bus station at about 7pm, it was crazy. We managed to battle our way to the taxi rank and get a cab to our hostel, Piccola Locanda. Our first impressions of Cusco were good ones – it’s a great, vibrant city with cobbled streets, loads of squares, fountains and churches. We got to our hostel and dropped our bags before heading down to the main square where a festival was in full swing. Due to the rainbow flags hanging everywhere, we thought it was gay pride, but we later learned that the Cusco flag is the same as the gay pride flag! We watched the show for a while in the square and then went to a cafe overlooking the square to get something to eat.



The next morning, we had a much-needed lie in and then went down to the main square to take a look around. We ended up just wandering around (Cusco is great for that) and took a few photos before getting something to eat. While we were eating, a pipe band set up and started playing in the restaurant. We bought their CD afterwards. That evening, at 7pm, we had a briefing at the offices of SAS, the company we booked the trek with. We met our guide, Freddie (who had just finished the Inca trail half an hour ago) and our group. There was an American couple, Zach and Sarah; and English couple, Chris and Fran; a German couple, Heinrich and Dorothy; and an Australian guy called Simon. Everyone was really excited about the trek. Freddie gave us a run down of what we will be doing over the next few days. This was when we found out we would be spending the last night of the trek in a hostel! The meeting took a bit longer than expected so we had to bail out with Q and A still ongoing so that we could collect our laundry before the launderette closed, because otherwise we would have been doing the trek in the nuddies! After successfully retrieving our clothes we went to a restaurant recommended by the Lonely Planet (or Lonely Liar as Freddie calls it...he can talk!) called Los Perros. It was a great restaurant, with a really nice, chilled out atmosphere with loads of Asian food. We headed back to our hostel early, as we had to be picked up from our hostel at 5:10 the next morning to start the trek. We packed our duffel bags to bring with us (only 5kg allowed!), which the horses would be carrying along the trek for us. We also packed our own bags we would be carrying. We knew we needed lots of warm clothes as we were camping at 3,800m above sea level, so our bags were full!



Up at 4:30 the next morning to be ready for our 5:10 pick up. 6am had rolled around by the time we were picked up but we didn't mind as we were excited about the trek. Simon was there when we were picked up (along with the co-ordinator) so we chatted to him on the walk down to the bus. We were the last of the group to get on the bus so after that we were on our way to the Lares trek starting point. We stopped at a village along the way called Calca. Here Freddie suggested we buy some sweets to hand out to the kids we inevitably come across along the trek so we bought a big bag of sweets as did the rest of the gang except for Fran & Chris who bought stickers, toys and glow sticks which was a great idea.



So when we'd all stocked up we were back on the bus and off to start the trek. At our starting point we met the porters and horsemen who Freddie introduced to us all and we all said a few words to introduce ourselves and there was "the best clap" for everyone. We then sat down for breakfast. The porters had set up a table and chairs with a decent spread of breads, fruit tea etc. for us to eat. We then started on day 1 of trekking where we reached a height of 4,200m at the highest pass before descending to 3,800m to camp for the night. The walk began with a 4 hour uphill trek to the 4,200m pass; the altitude really makes it tough as you constantly need to stop to catch your breath. The views of the Andes were spectacular and when we reached the path it made it all worth it as we got an amazing view of the valley and lakes below. All the way up the hill we had the co-ordinator with "Hercules" the horse who was there for anyone who needed a lift up the hill. We managed to get up there without his help but it was good to know he was there.



As we were taking photos etc. at the pass our porters and their horses passed us out and headed down towards the lake to set up for lunch - they had stayed behind to pack up after breakfast. It took us about an hour to get down to the lake and by that time everything was set up for lunch and the toilet tent had also been set up (this consisted of a hole dug in the ground with a tent around it for privacy - it was better than nothing!). There were basins of hot water and soap to wash our hands before lunch. The food and service was amazing as we all got tea handed out to us, soup for starters and a big main course where we all helped ourselves to as much as we liked - there was always more than enough. At this stage we'd been trekking together for 5 hours and had all gotten to know each other so we'd a good bit of banter over lunch before we all went out to lie in the sun as we were knackered!



After about a half an hour of snoozing, Freddie roused us to get going again. Another two hours of mainly downhill walking and we were at the campsite. Here we learned about Zach's love for cool-aid and got to sample its sugary goodness. During another great meal Freddie told us some of his 'super cool information' (some of which may have been true...) such as the City of Cusco being named so because it sounds like two rocks being banged together and Cusco is the city of stones...apparently. After dinner we all turned in for the night as we were going to be woken at 5.30am so that we would be on the trail again for 7am. Freddie had also told us that day 2 was going to be the toughest day with us ascending to 4,600m and walking 20km in total that day, this was the longest day of walking. So we hit the hay in our tents at 3,800m, it was absolutely freezing this night and it must have been -8/9 C at least. We had lots of layers on though and the sleeping bags are made for this kind of weather so it wasn't so bad really.



At 5.30 the next morning Freddie came around to our tents to get us up for breakfast. Again the staff had outdone themselves with an excellent spread of scrambled eggs, toast etc. The hot chocolate was going down well too. When we'd packed up all our stuff and shed a few layers Freddie told us about the walk for the day. It was going to be four hours of walking until lunch, then two hours up to the 4,600m pass and then two hours downhill on the other side to the campsite. About half an hour into the walk we met a couple of families and their children near a tiny church in the hills. It's amazing to see the people living there as it is so remote and there are no roads anywhere nearby at all. If you want to get to a town it's at least a four hour hike over the mountains, and that's if you're a local and used to the altitude - it would probably have taken us all day! Anyway, we all delved into our reserves of sweets and handed the out to the kids who were all delighted of course and Chris and Fran's toy car and stickers went down well as they went off to play with the car immediately.



We ran into a few groups of kids like this along the way and they were always delighted when we gave them a few sweets. We met one 10 year old girl who was walking over the mountains on her own, school had been cancelled that day for her as the teacher was sick so she was making her 4 hour hike back to her house! We also met some adults along the way and we gave them sweets to bring home to their kids. Also, every now and then we'd have been spotted on our way and some of the local women would set up with Alpaca wool clothes and soft drinks for sale. That morning we bought a bottle of 'Inca Cola' from a girl who'd set up shop beside a stream we were taking a rest at. Inca Cola is good, it's yellow, tastes like cream soda and provides a much needed sugar rush when hiking in the Andes! Zach sang "Rockytop" for a walking tune to keep the spirits up and it was an instant hit.



The first 3 and a half hours were tough, it was a steady incline and we had to take frequent breaks to catch our breath due to the altitude. Heinrich & Dorothy though put us youngsters to shame by powering ahead! After 3 and a half hours we reached a small pass and had an easy enough half hour walk on until lunch. Lunch that day was "Seviche" which is trout marinated in lemon juice and spices and it was absolutely gorgeous, it's a typical South American dish and highly recommendable! So after another fabulous meal we stretched out for half an hour of much needed rest, again the backdrop of the Andes was providing us with some amazing scenery. After lunch we started on the most difficult part of the trek, a 2 hour hike getting steadily steeper until you reach the 4,600m pass. We were lucky that we'd had so much exposure to the altitude from our time in La Paz and Lake Titicaca, Sara and Zach were not so lucky and had only had a day and a half in Cusco to acclimatise and so were suffering on this part of the trek. Luckily Hercules was on hand to help out! We really struggled up the last steep bit but managed to get up there in the end. Again our efforts were rewarded with an epic view of the valley below. We got some photos and congratulated each other on reaching the pass.



We then started on a very steep half hour descending into the valley below. It was much easier than on the way up but we had to be careful as it was very slippery on the gravel. After about half an hour the path levelled out and was a steadier downhill slope. Myself, Orlagh and Fran who had fallen behind managed to navigate our way down to the campsite over some more steep slopes. On arrival we were told we'd have an hour and a half to rest before we'd be awakened with coca tea and popcorn before dinner. So we all went to our tents for a much needed sleep. Sure enough an hour and a half later coca tea and popcorn was brought around to each of our tents. Freddie then came around to let us know dinner was ready. When he got to our tent we could hear him saying "Hermano Guinness... don't forget the rum!" I'd told him I'd brought a small bottle of rum to keep us all warm that night. "Hermano" means "brother" in Spanish and he'd made up nicknames for the lot of us at this stage, as a group we were "Pappies", I was "Hermano Guinness", Orlagh was "Orlita", Sara was "Sarita", Zach was "Zatch", Chris started off being called "Cristiano Ronaldo" and this was then refined to "David Beckham" (neither a bad nickname I suppose!), Fran drew the short straw being called "Frank", Simon was "Hermano Australia" and Heinrich was "Henry" with him and Dorothy collectively known as "Hermanos Germany".



Dinner that evening was amazing again and afterwards we had lemon and cinnamon bark tea which we all mixed a bit of Rum into for some heat. We were camping at 3,800m again but Freddie had told us it would be much colder in this valley than the previous night, he was right and accordingly he made sure he got a good share of the Rum!!



The next morning we awoke to find frost covering the outside of all of our tents. We had been allowed a bit of a lie in that morning and weren't up until 7am. The sun started hitting the field beside us which Fran immediately headed for and Orlagh quickly followed to warm up a bit. While we were hanging around just before breakfast we got a display of Zach's deadly Kung Fu skills... illegal in most countries he informed us. We also got the low down on the Kung Fu punch and the Wakey Elbow. For breakfast we got porridge with apple and cinnamon, there were pancakes too...great breakfast! After stuffing ourselves we had a 2 hour downhill trek (on an actual path!) singing a few renditions of Rocky Top. This was essentially the end of the trekking. The guys set up for lunch where we were to be picked up by the bus to bring us to 'Aguas Calientes'. There was a school right beside us and we all got rid of the last of our sweets/toys to a class full of kids! Freddie then sat us down and told us the plan form there on in and some more about the Inca's history. We then had our last lunch prepared by the team after which we all stood around and said thanks to the guys and gave them all 'the best clap' and a tip also. After a bit of hanging around it was time for the big football game. Running around at altitude is difficult so the game was not at the fastest pace but there were some epic performances on the day. Freddie was like Chilavert with his strong left peg but Simon was in top form in nets with some saves that Mark Bosnich would have been proud of, Hermanos Germany were a strong defensive barrier for our team while Chris and Fran were stubborn in defense on Freddie's side. Orlagh bagged herself a goal soon after subbing on. Zach took the plaudits for his goal celebration and Sarita was without doubt (Wo)Man of the Match or MVP as the Americans would say as she banged in a rake load of goals. The game must have gone on for a good hour before the bus arrived so we were all shattered by then!







The bus took us to Oyetetambo where we boarded a train to Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the town at the foot of the trail up to Machu Picchu. There are thermal springs there so we all made use of the hot baths, except for Orlita who was knackered and opted for a power nap instead. While we were up at the baths the electricity went out so we were in the dark for a while but the moon was bright enough for us to see. We had dinner together in the hotel where, after Freddie had disappeared, we agreed to buy Dorothy's walking poles off her as a gift for Freddie. We had a few beers and then hit the hay as we were up to get the bus at 6.30am the following morning.







So the next day was when we would finally get to see Machu Picchu. We caught the bus and arrived up to the entrance of Machu Picchu in time for the gates' opening. Freddie took us on an hour and a half tour of the ruins where he gave us the last of his 'Super Cool Information' about the Incas. We got some amazing photos and really enjoyed the tours and scenery on Machu Picchu. I'd go back there tomorrow, the place is amazing. After our tour, Henry presented Freddie with the walking poles and we said bye to him. Hermanos Germany went to walk to the summit of Machu Picchu mountain, so did Simon, Zach and Sara got a burger and chilled out in Machu Picchu and checked out some more of the ruins while myself, Orlagh, Fran and Chris took on the climb of Waina Picchu. This is an extremely steep climb to the top of the mountain beside Machu Picchu where you can get a great view of the ruins. The walk was tough with some very large and steep steps. No bother to David Beckham who raced up the hill while Me, Orlagh and Fran were gasping for air! As we got nearer the top it just got steeper and steeper with some pretty sheer drops off the edge. Needless to say Orlagh was really facing her fear of heights here! Fair play to her though, she battled on and made it to the top where there were some stunning views. The top of the mountain is a load of boulders leaning against each other with almost no flat surfaces to stand on, it gets quite busy too so we only stayed for about 15 minutes before we headed down. We made it back to the entrance to Machu Picchu just in time to catch the bus back to Aguas Calientes for lunch.







After lunch we packed up our stuff and got the train back to Oyetetambo. We had a few beers on the train and discussed how Sara sounds exactly like Cameron Diaz and Zach like Mathew McConaghey. After the train we jumped on the bus back to Cusco where we agreed to meet up for food and a few beers in the Irish bar that evening. Hermanos Germany didn't make it to the bar so this was where we said goodbye to them. We had good food, beer and craic in the bar that evening, Me and Orlagh shared a pizza but I was pretty jealous of the burgers the rest of the guys got! Zach and Sara were the first to leave as they had and early flight home the next day and didn't want to be in too bad shape as they had a wedding to go to when they got home! So we said goodbye to the Kung Fu/Cool aid king and his soccer star girlfriend. The rest of us stayed on for a few more beers and we arranged to meet Chris and Fran in the square the next evening to go for dinner in 'Los Perros'. We walked up the hill towards our hostel and said bye to Simon, we might yet see him again when we get to Melbourne.



We had a bit of a lie in the following morning in Piccola Locanda before we strolled back down to Paddy's bar to avail of their all day breakfast which was pretty good. We then paid a visit to the Inca museum where there were lots of pre-Inca artefacts, information about the Incas' conquests and Spanish conquests in the Incan empire. That evening we booked our 'direct' bus to La Paz where we were hoping to catch a tour bus to Uyuni and the salt flats. We then met Chris and Fran and headed across to 'Los Perros' where the food again was excellent. Chris and Fran did their automatic half-time switch of plates without even signalling each other, a tight routine they have there! We did on one occasion since notice another couple doing the same thing (in Cairns, Australia) so it must be catching on. We had a bottle of wine with dinner and played a game of Golf (card game) with some beers after. Fran and Chris then showed us their 'last card' game and we were getting towards the end of it when we were asked to leave as the restaurant was closing. Not satisfied that the night was over we went looking for a club or pub to go to. We were coaxed into a place near the square which was more like an old folks home if truth be told... we definitely brought the average age in the place down a few years. Needless to say it was a strange crowd but we did a bit of dancing and had the craic. So we said goodbye to Fran and Chris that evening as we were off to La Paz the next day and they were off to Arequipa. We were a little bit hung-over the next day but nothing too serious. Our bus wasn't leaving until 10pm so we spent the day hanging around in one of the Cafe bars in the square writing postcards (that we haven't sent yet!) and taking it easy. We visited the Starbucks one last time, skyped home and saw a bit of dancing going on in the square - there is always something happening in the Plaza de Armas. We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant that evening with a very strange waiter, the food was good though. We then grabbed a taxi from the hostel out to the bus terminal.










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Photos

The Lares Gang!
you can see our faces look funny, we're all chewing coca leaves

Llamas
You can't go to Peru and not see Llamas. They're everywhere. These guys were near our first summit of the trek.

Hercules
Our medicine horse, Hercules, was there to take us on his back if we weren't feeling well.

Orlagh and Dave
At the first summit of the trek. All that hard work paid off!

At the bottom of the valley
On the first day

Our campsite
It was soooo far away...

Dave looking fresh
At the start of the second day

Orlagh, Fran and Dorothy
We stopped by a little farm on our second day and had bought sweets for the kids. They hadn't eaten that day and were delighted with the sweets. The little boy even said thank you in english to us.

The sheep
At the farm, there was a little sheep pen and beside it was a hut where the farmer sleeps at night so he can keep an eye on them

Dorothy, Freddie and Zach
On the second day, this was the view from half way up the mountain. Our camp site from the previous night is way down in that valley, to the right of the snow capped peak.

The Lares Gang again!
L-R: Zach, Sarah, Orlagh, Dave, Fran, Chris, Simon, Dorothy and Heinrich

Lunch Time!
In the dining tent

Our campsite on the second day
It was soooo cold!

The last day of trekking
Sarah and Fran having a good natter on the way down! You can see its getting greener, it was getting warmer too.

More kiddies
These kids went to school across the road where we had set up for lunch on our last day of trekking. We gave them the rest of our sweets.

Great food
The food on the trip was amazing, this was our last lunch before the kitchen and porter staff left us.

Splitting Rocks
Freddie showing us how the Incas split rocks buy drilling holes in them and putting in planks of wood

Moonflower
Virgins used to be fed this; it was a halucinigenic, and then send up the mountains to die as a sacrifice to the sun god.

The sun dial
This was used to tell the time and the seasons. You can see Waina picchu in the background. Macchu Picchu means "old mountain" and Waina Picchu means "Young mountain"

The Lares Gang
L-R: Heinrich, Dorothy, Simon, Chris, Freddie, Fran, Zach, Sarah, Dave and Orlagh

Dave up Waina Picchu
You can see Machu Picchu behind

The support team!
Thanks guys!