Machu Picchu

Russ attacking the trail
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Sunday morning had finally arrived and we set off at 7am from Cusco where we would be dropped off at the check point to the Inca Trail.  All of us had been waiting for this day and most of us were quite nervous about what the next 4 days would entail.  There were 22 of us in our group and 24 porters to carry all our bags, food and tents.   These guys are amazing!  They carry 25kg on their backs and run ahead (in flimsy sandals) and make sure camp is set up with food prepared by the time the gringos come in puffing and wheezing.  Full respect to them.

Russ at the peak of the trail - 4,200m
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Day 1 was good.  Not too taxing as it was over moderate terrain with only short bursts of uphill.   By the time we got to camp we were all exhausted though and welcomed the quinoa soup and popcorn that was waiting for us.

Day 2 was a killer.  We faced a constant uphill climb to the highest point of the trek, Dead Woman´s Pass at 4,800m.   Russ had reached the summit in good time, but Suse was about an hour behind, so by the time she had reached the pass, hailstones were pelting down and a mist had settled in so that the views were obscured.   It was then a downhill trek for a further hour to camp.  The rain never let up for the rest of the day (the campsite was above the cloudline) so we huddled in the dining tent and played numerous rounds of various card games until it was an acceptable time to go to bed, i.e 8pm.

Suse at the drying out Machu Picchu
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Day 3, Suse wakes up to severe stomach cramps and a bout of vomitting.  Other than that this was a really good day´s walk.  We passed several Inca ruins that would have been posts for people travelling to Machu Picchu.  The landscape also changed quite dramatically so walked past hummingbirds and orchids as the path winded its way through jungle type surroundings.   We reached our final campsite at 5pm that night.  This was our first opportunity to have a hot (luke warm) shower before an early night ready for the big day.

Day 4 and we were packed up and ready to leave by 4.30am.  Dawn was not quite breaking as we passed the final check point and unfortunately the rain that had started in the early hours still hadn´t lifted so it was a very wet walk through the last section of the Inca trail that led us down to Machu Picchu.    It was 7am when we finally saw the city spread out beneath us.  No amount of rain could dampen our spirits and seeing this mystical place and the magic of its surroundings was breathtaking.   No previous images or written description of Machu Picchu actually prepares you for how you feel when you see the place for the first time. We spent the rest of the morning exploring the ruins and taking photo after photo as the clouds began to lift and the misty veil removed.

Totally amazing.  Going to say - best part of our trip so far.  Every bit of pain getting there was worth it.  We felt very self righteous after our 4 days of endurance when walking past the fat tourists who had just rocked up on a coach that morning.  They never experienced the real thing!