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Hello from Cusco.
We just returned from our jont on the Inca Trail today and I must say it was quite a chanllenge but we both managed to complete it with our ginormous packs on our backs! The Inca Trail was amazing and all the hard work was well worth it in the end!
The first day was relatively easy (in comparison to the others) but they kept warning us about what was to come on day 2. We were woken up each morning around 530 and they even brought tea to our tents, we never though we would get room service while camping! The second day was a killer. Right from the get go it was uphill and continued to be that way for about 5 hours! I've realised just how out of shape I really am but Michael awas nice enough to stick with me even when I was going slower than molasses up the Dead Womans Pass. In my defence I must say we did climb 1100 meteres that day! Once we finally reached the top we were told that we have to go another 2 hours downhill to reach our camp and by the time we made it there I thought my knees were going to fall off! But we made it!
The third day was much easier than the second and involved a lot more up and down instead of straight up and then straight down and it was also made easier by stopping at many archaeological sites along the way. We were very fortunate to have a guide who spoke great English and was actually quite funny (Alison I think we had the same guide as you...Oscar?). The fourth day we woke at 4 am to make it to the Sun Gate above Macchu Picchu for sunrise. Our guide promised us there would be a surprise waiting for us about 10 minutes before we got there...little did we know that it wass a set of the steepest stairs you ever saw in your life. Your literally had to scramble up them using your hands...we were all cursing him when we realised that this was in fact the surprise he had been talking about!
Macchu Picchu was amazing to see and explore and we are very thankful that we took the Inca Trail to get there. Macchu Picchu is a structure that was devoted to the priestly or upper class Incans (including the King). During their time it is believed that the vast majority of the population were unaware of its existence. When the Spanish came it was not discovered by them and as a result it most of the religious and ceremonial structures remain intact. The archaeological sites in the surrounding Sacred Valley act as administrative centres as well as agricultural areas meant to serve Macchu Picchu.
We are back in Cusco today and trying to heal our aching muscles. Tomorrow we head to Nazca and hope to catch a flight over the mysterious Nazca lines.
Thinking of you all.
Kristy and Micheal
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