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The last few days have been extremely busy so this may be a very long blog. The last time I updated you was when I was last in Cusco and about to head to the Sacred valley.
evening 6th Jan: Had a visit from the doctor who told me I had had Salmonella poisoning! Got some pills and before long was feeling much better!
7th Jan: Had to get all my things ready for Inca Trail this morning before getting onto our private bus for a tour around the sacred valley. We went to a few inca ruins and saw where around 300 mummies were found in the side of a cliff. We went to an animal sanctuary for animals that are injured. Saw alpaca, llama, deer, turtles, peruvian dog, macaws, geese, ducks, and the best part three Condors! they wereso huge! about half as big as me! The group was trying to think of names for the male condor when the keeper called out "here Condor" so it was decided the condors name was Condor!
We then went for a HUGE buffet lunch at this really yummy restaurant in the middle of nowhere. Ate way too much!
After lunch we went to a pub and tried this corn drink. It was quite gross. We then played some pub games and then headed to our hotel in Ollantaytambo before seeing another Inca ruin and having a coffee at "Incabucks".
For dinner I had an amazing burrito at a restaurant called Blue Puppy. Was better than Sweet Mothers Kitchen! We all got an early night ready for Inca Trail the next day.
8th Jan: Up at 7 to pack for Inca Trail and get the bus out to the start of the trail, here we had about 20 photos and then had to wait in line for about half an hour to actually start the trail. Once we had checked in we headed off for about three hours of walking with a few little breaks. I made a few animal friends on the way by feeding them biscuits. When we arrived at lunch at 1:30 all the porters clapped and had a 2 course cooked lunch ready for us (even though they had started the trail after us and were carrying 25kgs each including all the cooking equipment, tents, and our 6kg duffel bags). We had 20 porters, 2 cooks, and two giudes for the 15 of us.
After lunch we walked for about 2 hours and when we arrived at our campsite all our tents were set up for us. The whole day it had been dry and about an hour after we arrived it started pourring. We played games for about an hour, creating what fun we could out of a ball and a hat. We got afternnon tea at 4pm. Dinner was a three course affair (chocolate pudding!) with the porters waiting outside in the rain untill we had finished. The porters all slept in the meal tent.
9th Jan: Had a great night sleep then awake at 5:30 am for 6am breakfast (two courses) and leaving the campsite at 7am after officially meeting our whole team of porters and cooks.
Day two was phyisically the most tiring with about 6 hours of uphill and 6000 steps to the 4215m peak (Dead Womans Pass) then 2 hours downhill with a heap of steps. In the morning one of the guys was experiencing altitude sickness and chose to turn around and walk back to the start with his wife and the assistant guide. They spent two days in Ollantaytambo. I was fourth to the top and 5th to campsite. With the last 20 minutes in torrential rain! The last person got to camp an hour after me. We then had lunch and spent the afternoon napping and waiting for dinner. For dessert the cooks had made a cake for us to celebrate the Dead Womas Pass! After dinner most of us went to sleep.
10th Jan: Woke at the same time, caramel pancakes for breakfast and headed off for a tiring walk up and down hills all day. This was the worst day for my knees. Looked at some ruins and walked a beautiful part of the trail (mostly in torrential rain unfortunately). So glad to get to campsite where there were hot showers for 5sols. Enjoyed that but by this stage most of my clothes were wet so wasnt too pleasant. A few people drank some beers before our yummy tea and bed early again.
11th Jan: Last day on the Inca Trail. Awake at 3:50 am!! got to the SUn gate around 7am and got a brief glimpse of Machu Picchu (was very foggy/cloudy and raining again.)
By the time we got down the mountain the cloud was begginning to clear and Machu Picchu was AMAZING!!!! Took a million postcard photos and two of the boys climbed WayñaPicchu (the big mountain behind the ruins). Had a two hour tour of the main parts of the Lost City (sun dial, sun temple etc). Left at 11am to meet in Machu Picchu city for lunch (woodfired pizza) and to get the train back to Ollantaytambo and bus back to Cusco.
Went out to dinner after we all had a chance to shower. Food was yummy! Then we went to a Salsa club and to two night clubs. They were pumping even though it was a monday night. Got home at 1am (21hours awake)
12th Jan: Have had a realxing day sorting and doing washing and thats about it!
Was planning on seeing some of the city but it decided to rain and I was not keen on being wet (again!)
Two more days in Cusco to explore.
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