Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Peru & The Inca Trail
Hi everyone, sorry for the delay in putting this up - its slightly out of date but never mind!
So, I flew from Quito to Cusco in Peru in order to met my tour group for the Inca trail. I arrived safe and happy - unfortunately my rucksack wasn't so lucky! Fortunately it was quickly located in Lima (where I had to change planes) unfortunately, it couldn't get to cusco until the following day - when my tour was due to leave! However, all was ok in the end, i took a taxi to the airport at 6.30am in order to hound them for my bag, and met a poor Argentinian man in the same situation desparately awaiting news of his. When my bag was wheeled past like royalty i felt quite sorry for him as i danced away after my bag - leaving him to wait alone for his! (you can probably imagine the situation, deep in conversation about something.. probably moaning about airlines or something, when i suddenly start saying "that's my bag" over and over, increasingly loudly!) anyway, i was very pleased to be back at the hotel in time for our 8.30am start and even in time fro breakfast!
The trip started with a tour of the sacred valley looking at various inca sites (and getting drenched) ending at a town called Ollayantaytambo where we stayed the night in a hotel - getting a good night of sleep before we started the trail!
The first day of the trail was relatively civilised - we left the hotel at 8, and were driven to the start of the trail. The first day was reasonably easy going, and we were fed a full on lunch in a tent and everything part way along! We all however were a bit shocked by what the porters had to carry. As we would be camping along the trail, the tour company employed locals to carry tents, our sleeping bags, and also a bag of our clothes as well as anything else needed - eg cooking equipment. The poor guys were totally loaded with all this stuff and would pretty much run the trail.. in sandals. it was quite shocking when all these western people were walking past in their designer walking boots to see how it all happens... Another shocker came at the campsite where the toilet was of a hole in the floor variety with no flush or light.... it was pretty disgusting in there!
The rest of the trail went pretty smoothly - with some very early starts! On the 2nd and 3rd days we were woken at 5.30am to leave at 7, and on the final day at 3.30 am in order to be first on the trail to Macchu Picchu at 5.30am when the gate to the campsite opened! The second day was by far the hardest, we climbed to 4,200m where the altitude really starts to affect you!
On the fourth day the walk to macchu picchu was pretty short and it felt great to arrive and see it... except that we couldn't! we'd got up so early because the sunrise over the site is supposed to be magical - but we couldn't see anything because of really heavy mist! it lifted later though and we got some great views (see photos) and then a guided tour of the place!
I spent the next couple of days chilling out with quite a few of the others who were in the group (we all booked the same hostel... it was the unlimited pancake breakfast that swayed it...) before heading off to New Zealand!
love to everyone! xx
- comments