Sacred Valley and the Inca Trail

Walking the Inca Trail
see all photos »

Left Cuzco and headed just outside to Sacsayhuaman (pronounced Sexy Woman), an Inca site overlooking Cuzco.  The site has zigzag walls thought to signify a puma´s teeth and was a fort overlooking the town with the stones for the walls brought from other areas of Peru.  Next we moved on to Pisaq (in the Sacred Valley), another Inca ruin where we then walked down an original Inca trail into the market town of Pisaq.  Here we stopped at a bakery for Empandas (sort of like small Cornish pasties) to see these being made and then having some for lunch. The bakery also had a guinea pig pen, with live guinea pigs and then some offered up cooked.  We haggled and shopped for the afternoon before to a Cicheria (a house with a red plastic bag outside to signify that you could buy Chicha here) for a demostration of making Chicha beer and Sapo, a frog and coin game that is traditionally Peruvian. We then headed to Tambo Machay, arriving too late to visit the Inca ruins.  We were staying in this little town for the night with local families.  I stayed at Doris´ house where we later had a home cooked dinner of Pumpkin soup, chicken, salad, rice, fries, coconut cake and tea.  The house itself is large but basic and we had to share a bathroom.  There was also the frog game!  After dinner headed to the village and a pub for a quick drink, getting kicked out at closing time at 9:30pm.

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
see all photos »

The following morning was an early start and after a quick look around the ruins and buying supplies for the next few days, including walking sticks we headed off to KM82 and the start of the 4 day Inca trail trek to Machu Picchu. The drive involved driving through streams and literally next to the train track.  At KM82 we met our porters (all 36 of them) who would be looking after us over the next few days and carrying all our stuff excluding our day bags.

At the first checkpoint and the first stamp in the passport we headed over a wooden bridge and started the trek at 10am.  The first part was relatively flat and easy and for the first part we followed a basic trail where people on horses, bikes and foot passed us (including the military which were apparently on there on holiday).  The scenery was incredible with high snow capped mountains, streams and the occasional ruin.  Saw a small brown snake on the route, which I was later told could be the most poisonous snake in South America! We stopped and then there was some steep terrain but we continued on, reaching our campsite, Wayllabamba at 3000m at 1:20pm, way ahead of the original estimated time after walking 11km.  After a cold beer it was lunch at the site, complete with food tent, tables, chairs and everything.  Some of the lads then challenged the porters to a game of football, where the pitch was situation next to Inca ruins and in a little village.  All the villages came out to watch and there were kids running around everywhere as well a pigs, chickens, cats, dogs, donkeys and turkeys.  Some after we had afternoon tea followed by dinner and an early night. Most people were Ok with the day, although Kerian and Pete struggled and Pete planned to head back on horseback the following morning.

Our porters
see all photos »

The next day was the described as one of the toughest, the notorious Dead Woman´s Pass.  After a restless night of thunderstorms and breakfast including birthday cake (it was the assistant cooks birthday) we started our climb.  We past the checkpoint at 9am and headed up the steep trail with many steps and slopes passing through the rainforest and over streams and wooden bridges.  We stopped at Llulluchyoc for lunch, with me arriving at 10:45, some 1.25 hours earlier than the original plan and 715m higher.  After lunch it was the very steep climb to Dead Woman´s Pass at 4215m and the highest point of the trail before heading down to the campsite.  This is completed in between 1hr 20 and 4 hours in total.  The slope was tough and the top was covered in cloud but the best way was to keep going and we stopped for photos at the top and to admire the distance we had travelled.  It was then straight down on rocky steps and walking through cloud and rain.  It was quite a nice walk but not as good as the morning with all the waterfalls and streams.  The views were good but again the clouds part hid them.  I arrived at the campsite (Pacaymayo) in 1 hour 34 completing each part in 48 minutes.  There were showers here but cold was not the word.  Ice cold would be more like it.  Greg had bought some rum which he shared and we all had cuba libres to celebrate the days achievement.  After dreading this day it certainly wasn´t as bad as I though it would be. 

Llamas do exist at Machu Picchu
see all photos »

The following day was a 6am start and I didn´t sleep well as I had a migrane.  The weather was pretty bad as it had been raining for a lot of the night and was still raining when we woke up.  With waterproofs on we headed out into the clouds and the 2nd pass, Runquracay at 3860m, not managing to get a stamp as they checkpoint officials were on holiday! It was fairly steep at this point and there were a few ruins on the way and on the original Inca Trail.  This was a nice trail although the stones were uneven but it was straight and pretty with bridges, streams, caves and forest.  Stopped for lunch at a campsite which was slightly cloudly but got worse as we stayed there.  So much so that you couldn´t see the path ahead that we would be taking.  Rain again at lunch and headed out afterwards descending the Inca Trail and the numerous steps on the way.  This was quite tiring on the knees and we brieftly stopped at an Inca sight were we got the first views of Machu Picchu mountain, which again could sometimes be hidden in cloud.  Continued on and visited another Inca ruin before arriving at the campsite of Winaywayna.  We were promised hot showers but the electricity went just as we arrived so once again these were cold.  However, there was cold beer and chocolate.  We gave our afternoon tea to the porters that afternoon and at dinner handed over there tip money.  They deserved every penny of it for the amount of stuff there had to carry and the work they did for us all.  After dinner headed back into the bar for a few more beers.

After 4 days and about 30K Machu Picchu
see all photos »

The following day was the big day and after a 4am wake up call, we had a quick breakfast and headed down to the last checkpoint and another stamp for the final trek to Machu Picchu.  This was a fairly easy path but went up and down and at one point, just before the sun gate, had a very steep climb of steps, more like a ladder than a staircase.  Machu Picchu was unfortunately covered in cloud so we couldn´t get the initial first sighting.  However this cleared and we could get a glimpse through the clouds.  We then moved on through the trail, and just before arriving saw loads of llama grazing in the ruins.  We then arrived in the classic photo area, and had a photo stop.  Amazing sight especially as it was empty. It´s hard to describe the feeling of seeing Machu Picchu after the 39Km and 4 days it took us to arrive. It was then down to through control, another stamp, and to breakfast before our tour of Machu Picchu itself.  More people arrived on the bus and it got a bit crowded.  Machu Picchu was never finished and hence didn´t have the gold the Spanish were seeking, thus is still relatively intact and only 100 people lived there at any one time.

Sucsayhuaman
see all photos »

After this moved onto Aguas Calientes (Hot Water) the small village outside Machu Picchu.  There are hot springs here as well although I didn´t go in them because of blisters. After lunch and a trip to the market it was time to board the train for Cuzco.  Was quite impressed with this as there were clean toilet and even a buffet serfvice serving cold beer!  Transferred to the bus, which in hindsight may not have been a good idea due to burning electrics, smoking tyres, open windows and near crashes.  After arriving back headed to Paddy´s and Mama Africa´s for the night, completing the 24 hour challenge as I got in around 5am.