We have had the most amazing 4 days! The Inca trail was hard work but totally worth it!

Day 1 was fine and we were done by just after lunch but day 2 was an absolute killer - climbing 1200 metres in 5 km to over 4000 m. Talk about altitude issues and just being plain old knackered!!! We did it though despite the pain. Day 3 was relatively easy in comparison even if it was longer taking us through the cloud forest and eventually down to our last camp about 6 km from Machu Picchu.

On day 4 we woke at 3am to beat the hoards of people waiting to pass the last control point. V English!!! We did a good job at queing about an hour before everyone else got there! It did mean we were first to the sungate afyter a 4 mile run! It was all soooo worth it though. The view was amazing and there is nothing like the feeling of 4 days of no showering and constant hiking (minus 2 beer breaks) to finaly see the end. It really is beautiful.

The porters we had on the trek were abosultely amazing! Even though they cheered us into camp or lunch everyday they´d already run past us 4 hours previously (including on day 2) to either get lunch set up or the tents set up - including bags all in the right tents and mats rolled out. They were absolute stars and on the last night even made us a cake on a one ring hob!!! They did an amazing job and we def couldn´t have done it without them.

We are both relatively unscathed from the trek only minor aches and blisters and went on a horse ride today to see some other sites around Cusco which was lovely. The particular highlight was Sacsaywaman, absolutley enormous despite only being 20% of what it once was (plus we got photos next to the sign!!!)

I think I´ve been a bit brief about our trek but it´s difficult to put into words what we saw.

Off to the jungle tomorrow though and some chicken spiders, snakes and monkeys!! Oh and not forgetting the ticks that apprently fall out of the trees!! Joy!!

XX