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Published: October 3rd 2008
Salkantay in the morning
Our camp was on the lower left of this photo.Some of you I know watch the HBO Comedy Flight of the Conchords. It is a hilarious show about two musicians from New Zealand living in NYC and they frequently break out into ridiculous songs about virtually nothing. On their first show, the first song they sung was about a pretty girl at a party, titled
"The Most Beautiful Girl In the Room." The lyrics described how this girl, who was so pretty she could have "been an air hostess in the sixties" is the most beautiful girl in the room, and could be in the top three most beautiful women on the street, "depending on the street." She could be a model, but only a "part time model" that would probably need to keep a day job. The point to this rambling you ask? The Salkantay Trail is absolutely amazing, as is Machu Picchu. Salkantay is the most beautiful hike Ive been on, except for the top of Kili, and Machu Picchu is the most amazing ruins Ive ever seen, except for Tah Prohm in Angkor Wat. I can just hear my brother Darren asking, "Whats your point Walter?" "My point, dude..." is that, while Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley are criticized, and with good
reason, by some, it is one of the most fantastic experiences Ive had on the trip...
Anyway, this is a really long blog, but its a good one. Lots of great photos and a few good stories.
The Salkantay Trail goes through the Andean Mountains in the Machu Picchu Sancutary and is considered an alternative trek to the Inca Trail (which you need to book several months in advance). We booked the trip two days before we left with a company called Llama Path. (To travelers coming this way, I highly recommend them, the guides are great, they take great care of the porters, they actually picked up trash on the trail as they walked, and the food, tents, etc. were fantastic.) We left early in the morning and got a ride over to a town called Mollepata, which is at 2,900 meters. From here we headed up hill for the next day and half through the Andes. It was stunning. We hiked beneath enormous mountains and through ever changing terrain. Just when you thought you were in the middle of no where, you come across some random farmer who just happens to live several hours from the
nearest city and his family has lived there for centuries. That night we camped at Soraypampa, at 3,850 meters. The campground was at the base of the 5,902 meter Humantay Mountain, and just down the valley you can see Salkantay (which means The Savage) Mountain. (Eric´s edit: This mountain reminded me of some of my college roommates... they know who they are and why it reminds me of them). At 6,271 meters, it is the biggest mountain I have ever seen.
The next morning we woke up early, a common theme throughout the trek, and headed up a high, near barren, Andean Valley to the Salkantay pass. We peaked out at 15,500 meters. It was fairly cold, and breathing was a bit labored, but the views along the way were stunning. At the top the weather was cloudy, so we didnt get a great view, but it was an amazing experience nonetheless. From there the hike was down hill for the next two days. This wasnt what you would call fun and took a toll on our legs. However, again the scenery more than made up for it. The top area of the mountain is near desolate, but as
Circular Rainbow
This rainbow formed a perfect circle around the sun. you descend you enter enormous cloud forests with large trees and an enormous amount of flowers. The rocks had a high concentration of iron in them, and when combined with the constant 100% humidity, the rocks were actually covered in rust! (Im amused easily.) We kept descending into the valley, but the river below us descended at a nearly identical pace. It seriously felt like we werent making any progress. We kept going down, the walls kept getting bigger over us, but the river below us never got closer! It was a bit depressing, but after hiking 18 kilometers that day we finally made it to camp at Collpapampa at 2,900 meters.
The next day was easier (Eric´s edit: easier on the lungs... harder on the knees), only 12 kilometers, and it kept going down hill. This time we stayed pretty close to the river, and only descended 500 meters to La Playa. It was an easier day, but our legs had started to get tired. We made it to camp early, partied with the other people in our group (more on that later) and enjoyed a leisurely day and our last night camping. The next day we set
Horses in the Andes
First day of the hike out for Llactapata, an Incan ruin at 2,650 which sits across the valley from Machu Picchu. It was built after Machu Picchu was abandoned to continue the religious ceremonies of the deserted, much larger, more famous, neighbor. It was a good view, and a fun hike, but we were happy to make it down and jump on a train which took us to Aguas Calientes, the city below Machu Picchu.
All in all, the hike was a phenomenal experience. Our group was fantastic, there were four other Americans, two Aussies, and two Brits. We got along great, which always makes a hike that much better. At the first lunch Eric introduced the game Bang Bang and from there we got into a habit of getting into riddles and playing games that messed with one anothers mind. Another interesting experience was chewing coca leaves. I had been fascinated with the process since I had read about it a few years ago and was looking forward to trying it. Counter to what the U.S. governments War On Drugs spin machine would tell you, Coca is a medicinal plant full of proteins and beneficial properties. The Andean people have been using it
Eric in the Andes
This was at about 3,400 meters. for centuries to treat various ailments. It helps greatly with altitude sickness and eases quesy stomachs. It isnt addictive and gives you no more of a boost than a cup of coffee. Of course the U.S. government tries to get local governments to ban farmers from growing it as it can be mixed with gasoline to produce cocaine without realizing the traditional, nonharmful uses of the plant, but that could get me into a long tirade on the War On Drugs and my opinions on it, as if you cant tell where I stand already. While Im on a soap box, another sad aspect of the hike was the environmental damage caused by global warming. There were obvious areas on mountainsides where snow used to be, but now are completely bare. Our guide mentioned that not five years ago they were covered in snow, and that at this rate, all the snow in the Andes is supposed to melt in seventeen years. Unfortunately this has been a constant theme during my travels. Needless to say, I wasnt impressed by a certain U.S. Vice Presidential candidates comments on global warming during the VP debate on the evening I returned to Cusco,
but that is getting into politics. Ill get back to travelling for now...
So, we made it to Machu Picchu on the fifth day of the hike. For those not familiar with the site, basically the Incan Empire stretched from Equador to Argentina and from the coast into Bolivia. The Spanish invaded, and with the aide of small pox, proceeded to wipe out the civilization. The Incans left Machu Picchu, retreated into the jungle, and the city was never discovered by the Spanish. In 1911, an American scholar was searching for the Lost City of the Incas and was shown the ruins by a local 9 year old boy (humorously, you could consider the little kid the first guide at the site.) Anyway, the government cleared the jungle from the area and began restoring the ruins. Much of it is original, but a lot of it has been reconstructed. In my opinion, it looks almost a little too manicured. The romanticism of ruins covered in jungle appeals to me, but thats just one persons opinion.
We got up there at six thirty or so in the morning and there was already a line at least a city block
Humantay Mountain
We slept at the base of this bad boy. The mountain on the right used to be covered in snow five years ago... long to get in. There are people everywhere, and it is hard to get a shot of the ruins without someone being in your way. While that is what you encounter upon entering, the natural beauty of the ruins is still overwhelming. It sits on the saddle of a ridgeline between two mountains and drops down a few hundred feet into the valley on both sides, like a piece of laundry on a clothes line. Everywhere you look around you are enormous mountains, ones just like Salkantay which we had just passed under, and the vistas are like no where else Ive seen. The sheer natural beauty of the place, not to mention the amazing ruins you are standing in, are overpowering.
As with Cusco, I was once again mesmerized by the stones used to make the site. They are enormous and fit perfectly together. The site itself is rather large, given its location, and contains several different areas. There are terraces for agriculture, there is an industrial sector, there is a quarry for getting building materials, there is housing for the people that lived there, including the royal family, and, of course, several temples to the various dieties.
Humming Bird
Saw plenty of lil hummin birds along the way. The way the stones fit at the Earth Temple was just otherworldly, and their intricate knowledge of the suns path was astounding. I always find ancient civilizations knowledge of the world around, and how they built those concepts into their buildings fascinating. The Temple of the Three Windows and how it shines light on the nearby Andean Cross, the accuracy in the placement of the Sun Dial at the top of the ruins, the way they placed the Temples of the Earth, Wind, Water, and Sun, and all the other simple intricacies you see along the way are simply amazing.
We did the standard tour with our guide, which was extremely informative and a must if you make it there as there is so much you simply wouldnt understand otherwise. Then I took some time to hike to a few out of the way areas below most of the ruins. It was nice, and provided a quiet respite among seldom visited ruins with great vistas to the surrounding mountains. Then, we decided to get up top and find a good view from above. We started hiking towards the Sun Gate, but found a ruin along the way where we
The first days hike
This is the valley we hiked up the first day. could lay out, enjoy a great view, and not be bothered by many people. (That, and our legs were exhausted and we didnt feel like hiking another forty five minutes.)
Anyway, it was a fantastic experience. Some people complain about how many people there are, and it is seriously a problem as scientists have shown that the site is sinking due to the excessive number of tourists. Also, some idiots dont respect the sanctity of the site and I saw a few tourists "miterating" upon the bushes near the ruins. The stupidity of some people never ceases to amaze me. However, the site is still stunning and worth the visit. It is one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world, the ruins are mesmerizing, and, if you can trust a neo-hippy from Hawaii (i.e. Eric), it "has amazing energy." (Eric´s edit: I encourage you to not trust me and go see for yourself.)
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Don't call me Becky !
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Fantastic (capital G)
Extremely impressed with your informative, creative, and entertaining blog dude. Rock on Eric's friend Kyle. PS. Nice Half lotus Swami Eric...keep that "traditional method' going " )! Peace to the Middle East... on the determined wings of hummingbirds and honey bees! ...? Joie de vivre!