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Published: June 20th 2007
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Another early morning start, up at 4am to begin our next 5 days of hiking out to the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu. We had a nice small group of 6, a young american couple on there honeymoon, a argentinian guy Pablo and a canadian girl. Then our guide Ivan and our cook and horseman. Yep our own chef!! Doing it in style just once! The food was not just camping food either. It was restaurant quality. Usually soup, then main and even sometimes dessert. And pancakes for breakfast!!
The hike was really beautiful. We did the Salkantay trek, instead of the well known Inca Trail because it was booked out 3 months in advance. Each day was totally different and knowing that at the end we would be in Machu Picchu was very exciting. The first day was a nice easy walk above a valley. In the distance was a massive snowcapped mountain. After 7 hours of walking we had reached the bottom of the mountain where we found our horseman had set up our tents and there was hot tea and coffee waiting for us in the dining tent!! These guys were amazing.
Each morning
The group at the start of the hike
Ben, Em, Heather, Pablo,paul, Sarah, after our group started hiking they would tear down our campsite and run past us to the lunch spot where they would prepare a nice hot lunch for us. At 3000m above sea level running is not a easy task. We were huffing and puffing walking up the slightest hills.
The second day was the real challange. We had to walk up up up over the Inkachiriasca pass. We reached a hight of 4800m. While i had trouble finding any air near the top Ben had rushed ahead and was up there 20 min before anyone else. One girl didnt make it and had to catch a lift with a horse. When we did finally reach the top it was well worth it. We were treated to spectacular veiws of the Salkantay snowcapped mountain 6271m above sea level.
The third day was a nice walk following a river through the valley. Strangly different from the day before as now we were walking through jungle. After lunch we were picked up by a local truck where we all jumped in the back and were taken along a bumpy and very narrow ridge road to our next campsite. We were
Poor horse
All of our gear goes past on one of the horses. all very happy when we visited some hot springs nearby.
The fourth day we walked through a little village called Santa Maria and down towards a river. Crossing the river was fun. We were put in a little basket thing above the river and pushed across on a cable. After treking through some more jungle we then followed a train line to Aguas Caliente, The town at the bottom of Machu Picchu. As we reached a big dark train tunnel I was looking for the path around the tunnel. I was a little stunned when our guide said we better hurry up as he didnt know when the train was expected to come and the only way was through the narrow tunnel. Two trains had already past us earlier. I ran through the tunnel and seriously about 1 minute later the train came flying through aswell. I took a few moments to appreciate life!!
Then for the highlight of the trip. Not just the highlight of the hike but of the whole South America trip so far. On the fifth day we woke up at 4am had breakfast and then started the last part of the Hike in
the dark up to the lost Inca City of Machu Picchu. We walked for an hour and a half with our head touches and reached the top just as it was becoming light. It was very quite as not many people were there yet, everything was covered in cloud but just as Ben and I gained our breath the clouds slowly cleared and there right in front of us was the most breathtaking site I have seen. To me Machu Picchu was even more stunning to see than in the photos. Situated high up on a mountain ridge 2000 feet vertically above the river which we had walked along the previous day it is surrounded by spectacularly steep and even higher mountains. It is thought it was a spiritual place for the Incas and it is still used as a spiritual place today. I can understand why. It would be hard to sit overlooking the the city with the many stone houses, temples and terraces, the deep valley below and the steep mountains of Machu picchu and huayna Picchu in the background and not feel the true beauty and magic of this place.
We spent the day exploring this
Lunch by the river.....
This beats a five star restauant any day!! city that was built centuries ago. It is completly invisibly from below and so far into the jungle and mountains that the Spanish never ever found it to destroy it when they invaded. It was completly self sufficient with many levels of agriculture terraces to feed the population and natual springs that provide water to the city through fountains and pipes carved into the stone of the city. There are about 150 remains of houses, temples, house of the king, even a rock shaped and positioned to indicate the presise day of the two equinoxes. The city is full of really intresting features. It impossible to imagine how the Incas built this city so high up with the weight of the rocks.
We wandered up the mountain in the back ground of most Machu Picchu pictures and also to the inca bridge. The sheer drops of the side of these trails was straight down and made you feel a little scared of heights at times.
At the end of the day we boarded our train back to Cusco. The whole five days were totally amazing. I would love to do it all again one day!!
Oh yeah
I forgot to mention Cameron Diaz walked past me in cusco too.
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jessica
non-member comment
funny
that is so funny that you saw Cameron Diaz. she has been in all the mags back here for carring a funny bag while at Machu Picchu. very small world i should look back at the mags and see if i can see either of you :)