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8th March 2006 - Day 342
Picked up from our hostel at 6:20 to start our first day of four to Machu Picchu. Stopped off at Ollantaytambo to pick up some last minute supplies i.e. cocoa candy (good for altitude sickness) and a walking stick for myself. Set off from Patallacta KM82 the walk was pretty easy we stopped after 1 hour or so for some lunch and two hours later got walking again - so pretty relaxed (on this day anyway). Camped at Wayllabamba at about 3 pm.
9th March 2007 - Day 343
Set out early after a wakeup call at 5:45 with some hot coca tea. Today we were told was the toughest and oh my god was it tough. Our guide Willy said it was just a few hours up to 4200 m, five hours later we finally reached the top.!! It was damn hard work (and by the way for anyone reading this diary entry we had to carry all of our own stuff, unlike some slackers we saw all along the track, carrying just some water and a jacket!!) The view from the top was pretty spectacular as was the walk down to the camp site in the next valley located in the "valley of the clouds". The evening meals were eventful, with popcorn and biscuits at 5:00pm then dinner including soup and a main at 7:00pm with the Argies and the Danes fighting over the food. We met some nice people including "flash waters" the welsh boy (obviously his real name Eirian, my god we can´t even spell it !), the Colombian/Swiss/Spanish/English/American Natasha from London of all places!, a Dane couple Anne and Anders and believe it of not a likeable American called Anita. (Even thou we did come across some really annoying yankee 'Brads' on the Inca trek, from another group luckily!!)
10th March 2007- Day 344
Day three started at 5:45 again, this day was wet and long and by far the hardest!! We had almost 8 or 9 hours walking in the soaking wet, with our very attractive ponchos and no view what so ever as we stomped though the jungle. We arrived at the last campsite around 5:30pm, had a hot shower and some well earned rest. (and some really dodgy food that made everyone sick for a few days)
11th March 2007 - Day 345
Final day started with a race to the sun gate, which involved waking at 3:45, breakfast at 4:00 at the starting gate at 4:30-5:00, marching though the dark for 2 hours with torches. At one point during the walk you come across 50 steep steps which you race up assuming your at the top, but oh no, that would be too easy yet another 30 mins from there to the actual top!! Once you finally reach the top wow, overlooking Machu Picchu after 4 days of walking well what can I say the pictures will reveal all !!! After a very informative 2 hour tour of the ruins we decided to head to Aguas Calientes Hot Springs for a well deserved soak!!
12th March 2007 - Day 346
Decided to have a long lie in, well deserved may I add, then went for a slow stroll around the centre of Cuzco. This place is definately worth a visit, its so impressive. Stopped off at the Santa Domingo Catherdral and the Museo Archealogical, lots of very interesting Inca remains. Didn't do much else other than relaxing of course.
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