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We arrived in cuzco slightly apprehensive as it meant the inca trail was only two days away. After catching a quick glimpse of the royal wedding at the hotel we headed into town and wittnessed a large colourful parade in the plaza. Julio took us to one of Cuzco´s top restaurants for breakfast, Jack's cafe which served the most delicious food and even rivalled our Leeds favourtie Cafe on Campus. Walking through the streets clearly demonstrated that Cuzco was to be our most enjoyable city yet. Not only does it have layers of history but it was a lovely relaxing place with excellent facilities, a perfect spot to prepare ourselves for the challenge ahead.. Machu Picchu!
During the afternoon, we took a city tour around Cuzco´s famous four archeological sights; Sacsayhuaman, The Temple of the Sun, Tambomachay and Pukapukara. Upon reaching the fourth sight, we climbed to the white figure of Christ on top of the hill and admired the incredible view over the city. That evening, the whole group visited a local pizzeria with stone baked ovens to stock up on carbohydrates before returning back to the hotel up a rather large hill. Thinking the climb was preparation for the inca trail, our shortness of breath upon reaching the top highlighted a slight lack of fitness. This hill infact was nothing and little did we know how tough the following days would be.
The following morning the group visited the Planetaria project sponsored by GAP, situated high in the mountains up a terrifying windy road, where the bus drove a little too close to the edge at times. The local woman demonstrated how they transformed four different types of wool; sheep, alpaca, baby alpaca and llama into a magnificent array of items such as jumpers, scarfs, bracelets and bags. The explanation was rudely interrupted by two llamas noisely expressing their love for one another. Wedge bought us all a bracelet, as all money spent at this local Market is fed directly back into the project to help the local families.
Ollanaytambo was our next port of call, which is located in the Sacred Valley. Like so many inca constructions, Ollanaytambo functioned as both a temple and a fortress. It was built deep into a sheer mountain side, using massive stones to form terraces. Jose our new guide gave us a tour of the ruins and pointed out the famous face on the side of the mountain. After a busy day the group opted to dine at a Mexican restaurant. Laura and Amy continued their tradition of sharing two meals enabling them to get the best of both worlds. However, Wedge went for the healthy choice of chicken caesar salad which drastically backfired on her she was served a large plate of lettuce with raw chicken which lacked it's main ingredient, the caesar dressing. After an enjoyable meal, except for Wedge, everyone headed back to hotel for the last chance to grab a hot shower, wash our hair and use the that most "essential" backpackers item - hair straighteners. We prepared ourselves for the lack of electricity by charging all cameras and phones before packing our bags and settling down for an early night which would be our last opportunity to sleep in a comfy bed for a while.
Day one of the inca trail began with a stamp in our passports and a big group photo in front of the famous sign. It started much easier than anticipated as the group set off in high spirits eager to conquer one of the new wonders of the world! Here we got our first glimpse of the porters and the shear weight they carried on their backs, running ahead in bare feet or flimsy sandals without any moaning to be heard. Lunchtime was calling and upon crossing a stream the whole group were utterly suprised by what we saw. Expecting to sit on the grass and eat some kind of picnic food, we were astonished when we were greeted by all of the porters standing in line and clapping each and every one of us through the gate. We were then shown to our own bowls to wash our hands before taking a seat in the food tent and being served with asparagus soup to start, followed by fresh rainbow trout, rice and salad. After lunch the heavens opened allowing us to make use of our ponchos! Wet and soggy on day one.. Great!
Upon reaching the campsite we tested out our tents and were not impressed with the not so horizontal angle at which they were placed. After sliding to the bottom of the tent on regular occurrences we expressed a slight hatred for camping at this point, however we were soon cheered up by the porters providing us all with hot chocolate, popcorn and honey!The s***head card competition then commenced for the rest of the night which would continue for the rest of the trek and become very serious indeed. A quick midnight trip to the not so clean toilets gave us a shock when Wedge bumped into her old school friend Alex before we retired to the tent to bed.
The next day was upon us, and the spirits in camp were low due to the constant rain fall the night before. Word of mouth from fellow travellers had educated us about the second day and left the group feeling apprehensive about the hardest climb and our biggest challenge yet. Panting due to the lack of oxygen, one by one we followed a mass of ponchos uphill, stepping endlessly. Dead Woman's Pass was visible for miles, constantly in the distance and seemed a lifetime away. No matter how hard you strided up the steps, it never grew closer. As we climbed higher, Amy took a dizzy turn near the top due to the altitude and sat for a moment, catching her breath and topping up on array of tablets. The feeling when reaching the highest point of 4,900m with Dead Woman`s Pass begind us was one of triumph. Our emotions were further enhanced by the sporadic clapping of trekkers taking a rest at the summit and awaiting the arrival of their friends. After taking in the stunning scenery, a wave of relief swept over us as we remembered it was downhill from here. It was the peak of the hike and very cold at the top, therefore we descended quickly, eagerly awaiting the familiar old man that welcomed us at base Camp. The second and most challenging day was complete and as a result we washed and cooled ourselves in the river, much to the suprise of the porters.
There was an early 5.30am start to day three of trekking. Today was the longest at 17km, however it was a little easier due to the majority of the trail being downhill. HOORAH! The day was enjoyable due to finally feeling acclimatised to the altitude and the group's morale was high. Along the trek, there were many smiles and sing-alongs, knowing we had hot showers to look forward to once arriving at our final camp. The afternoon had spectacular views where the group ''attempted'' pyramids and several imaginative shapes for what we thought might create impressive photos. After looking at the photographic evidence we were soon to discover that our gymnastical ability may need a little more practise than we originally first thought. Once arriving at base, the showers were a must, however the word HOT was only wishful thinking for some. Oh-so-lucky Amy had a piping hot shower, yet Laura and Wedge´s was everything but. Due to the water's stone cold temperature, Laura's operatics could be heard from outside the shower block!
After freshening up, the group wanted to reward themselves with an alcoholic beverage for their well-deserved efforts so far. However, the group were yet to discover that the chef had drank one and a half bottles of their Pisco as he and the porters thought it was so called ''complementary''. Therefore the group resorted to the bar for a celebratory drink (or two) instead! As the drinks were flowing, the games were growing and the group shared stories and endless giggles until the sun went down. After dinner the chef brought out a HUGE cake, with beaming smiles on everyone´s faces - especially Laura's! Bedtime arose and the group rested their heads on their pillows for one last time, knowing they were soon to conquer Machu Picchu the following day!
The final day arrived and the group were unwillingly awoken by the porters tapping on our tents at 3am. Despite this ungodly hour, the adrenaline of reaching the end of our hike helped us to crawl out of our sleeping bags and start walking once again. Laura's "oh-so-cool" head torch definitely came in handy during the early hours, as her and Amy strolled ahead to discover Wedge scrambling behind in the pitch black. As the sun rose Jose lead everyone to the original entrance known as the Sun Gate where we were disappointed by the cold misty weather that confronted us. It was a one hour descent from there so we kept our fingers crossed hoping the sky would clear. Around 7.30am we arrived at the summit and it was as if we were amongst the clouds. It was impossible to see more than a couple of metres in front of us. We sat down with mixed emotions, the excitement was overwhelming but the exhaustion and disappointment at the lack of visibility was evident. Jose told us to hold tight and blow away the clouds and within five minutes the view was out of this world.
The three of us had completed the most famous trek in South America in it's 100th year of discovery, a total distance of 45km. The ancient trail laid by the incas which wound it's way up, down and around the mountains, snaking over three high passes en route. The views of snowy peaks and cloud forest were stupendous. Walking from one cliff-hugging ruin to the next was a mystical and unforgettable experience and without a doubt the highlight of our trip so far!
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