Days 6 – 11 – Inca-redible Scenes

It was an early pick up to fly into Cusco but the flight was great and the views were great. I managed to survive the drive to Cusco from the airport with the mental taxi driver thankfully and was met by a Tucan Travel guy. Hotel looked really decent and I had an orientation where the Tucan guy walked me around showing me the place. I went to La Feria for lunch which was amazing, the local dish Lomo Saltado which is amazing steak pieces, fried egg, veg in a ginger sauce with half n half rice chips, all served in the pan in which it was made. I ended up having a second orientation after the others arrived back from the jungle and the whole group seem really tidy. In the evening I went watch Peru Chile in the pub with some expensive but much needed Weston’s cider. The Peruvian fans are crazy, they get excited when the ball is anywhere near the half way line, pretty stressful. Final third is understandable but you’re on your phone, then place erupts and you look up to see they’re approaching half way with 8 Chilean players to pass before through on goal. Chile won 2-1 because Peru strikers couldn’t finish a bag of crisps. Back to hotel to bed for the start of the Inca festivities.

It was time for the most exciting and challenging time of the trip to start, the 5 days making our way through the Sacred Valley of the Incas and then to trek for four days to Machu Picchu.

The group was altogether today and at the end of day one the trekkers would split from the non trekkers and embark on the historic challenge. We started by visiting the Awana Kancha Llama Alpaca Vicuña farm where we saw all the different types of Alpaca and Llamas, and saw how the women make the world famous textiles by hand and using insects on Cactus mixed with the crops to colour the wool.

We then headed to Pisac ruins on a pretty ropey bus ride. The sun was blazing and was a pretty special site. It was really our first taste of the Inca terraces and the site was pretty spectacular but we were told nothing compared to what we would see and experience on the Inca Trail Trek. It was amazing how even though there are a significant amount of people there, there’s always a quiet spot you can grab and it is totally peaceful.

After Pisac ruins we headed to Pisac town for lunch. Our guide Santiago took us to get some Empanadas in the market and then I went hunting for my weird purchase of Peru. I had looked in Lima and Cusco and so far nothing had stood out but I liked the idea of a traditional Quena flute. I had seen a couple I liked but wanted to lean on the local guide to make sure I’m buying the real deal.

Anyway, when I got to the market, I spotted a Quena with two bone Toucans that looked the business. I knew I wanted it but wasn’t going to be cheap so operation haggle started. She was having none of it given it was a proper full on, hardcore Quena but after several trips and utilising our Tour Leader and his local ,ate, we managed to get it 25 quid less. My main purchase for Peru was sorted and now I just had to make sure that I could transport it successfully through the rest of the trip and back home.

After lunch we were back on the bus and headed to Ollantaytambo ruins for a tour and this is where we would split from other half of the group and stay over in the night. The ruins were seriously steep but again amazing views. After the tour me, Natalie and Jamie checked into our hotel at Ollantaytambo town all packed for our 4 trek and camping en route to Machu Picchu.

We had an amazing last supper at El Albergue in Ollantaytambo town where I had amazing Alpaca skewers and Steak for main. We decided to head somewhere else for dessert and I ran into the Polish girl from London who I’d met in Lima and she had unfortunately had to drop out on day 1 of the trek due to illness. Felt really bad for her because she was buzzing for it, but she said she ended up collapsing so it was a no brainer. Knowing what I know now typing this post Trek, she made the right choice!!

Then it was to bed, hopefully for a good nights sleep given we would be camping along the Inca trail for the next 4 nights.

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Up bright and early and we were all a little unsure of what we were getting ourselves in for. The trekkers were Jamie, Natalie (from Aus), Maciej (from Poland but lives in England), me and our guide Santiago. We would also soon be joined by porters who carry 25kg each for the four days and a chef, unbelievable really (more so after completing the trek).

We started with a train ride to the control point where we had to show our permits and passports. The first day was absolutely roasting but we were fresh, excited and ready for it.

Thankfully, I hadn’t got touched much at all from altitude sickness at Cusco and into day one on the trek so it was purely the heat and the distance I had to contend with. We clocked up 12km on day one with some tough climbs but we all had been told that day two is the killer. On day one there are still locals who ave little stalls with bottled water and ice lollies etc so some of the stops were good for that. We had our first experience of the super human porters and chef today, they power through with 25kg on their backs somehow and always get to the lunch or camp before us. When we stopped for lunch, they had carried a huge tent, tables, stools the whole lot. We were absolutely amazed when we ate like kings for lunch, appetisers, main and desserts. The quality of food was absolutely incredible and if this was going to be how we ate for the four days then I could handle it for more! When we arrived to camp on the night of day one, I was pretty confident for the rest as I felt pretty good at the tail end of the day. We had ended the day at 3000 metres above sea level and still no altitude sickness so, so far so good.

On the night of day one we stayed in a local family’s garden which they double up as a campsite. We once again ate like Kings and Queens and had a good laugh with the other people on the trek. Natalie had felt the altitude on day one and was nervous about day two, she and Jamie were a great laugh so I was trying to get her to be more positive given actually, she’d aced day one. Our tents were set up for us and we got to bed pretty early, I have only been camping once before in my life and I remember hating it. That opinion didn’t change, I can’t stand camping and I got no sleep. The tents were great don’t get me wrong but I just can’t be dealing with it. Also, there was no chance on me getting up in middle of the night to walk to the toilet so my 1.5 litre bottle got utilised in a different way through the night. We also had a downpour around 2:30am which wasn’t ideal, I could do without it smashing down with rain as well as battling camping.

We had our wake up call from the porters for day 2 and were again greeted with an amazing breakfast and hot drinks. It was going to be a tough day today and the weather didn’t seem great either. We set off and a short time into the Trek Natalie was struggling on our first steep hill. She was wheezing the night before and had stopped with Jamie and Santiago on the hill. I was a bit further ahead with Maciej but my first worry was if they both go back it wouldn’t be as much fun as they’re both wicked. I didn’t want to go back and chip in though so Santiago told us to continue onto the next meeting point and meet them there

When we got there we’d had the bad news Natalie had decided to go back, but Jamie thankfully continued. Again in hindsight, Natalie absolutely made the right choice because day was brutal. On day 2 the weather was cloudy with rain along the way, something at the end of day 2 we were grateful for.

Day 2 was definitely a fitness challenge, we hiked 11km, around 7km of which was steep inclines and brutally big rocky steps. There wasn’t as much banter and jokes on this day because it was super tough. My line throughout was that it was challenging but not horrific though, I think my 3 PT sessions per week were certainly paying off.

Saw some pretty cool changing landscapes on day 2 but it wasn’t a day for the camera in general not just due to the weather but the fact it was just so gruelling, there were also no ancient sites to stop at. The climb to dead woman’s pass which is at 4215m about sea level was the most challenging but rewarding part of the whole thing. Even though the trek is for Machu Picchu, hitting that top sign at 4215 was mega. We then had some extreme downhill which was very grim on my knees to get to where we stayed for the night, at Pacallymuay camp site (3600m above sea level).

After walking 11km today with some extreme inclines, I really needed a good sleep. Safe to say I didn’t get one, despite having the same amazing dinner and drinks etc, I made the fatal error of getting my fleece damp throughout the day and given the altitude and location, night two was always supposed to be colder. So wet, cold and knackered, I endured another absolutely nightmare night camping. The good news was that day 2 was the toughest so it should be ok from here.

On day 3, I mustered some amazing mountain power in the legs where I really felt good and was able to frog march through most of it. We trekked the most today, around 15.5km. We saw the sleeping lady in the valley which is a landscape formation basically and the had another hour walk to the second pass at 3820m before heading to the first historical site Ruancunallay which was relatively small compared to the ones that followed.

We saw three lakes during day 3, one of the, being an upside down map of Australia. The view of that lake was so peaceful and beautiful, it was hard to believe it could get better. We then stormed to the second archaeological site 3600m at Sayacmarc, which was pretty impressive and a fair size.

The weather was pretty brill on day 3, and we headed into Chuckycocha at 3550m after heading through some cloudy forest. After lunch it was an hour and a half Trek to the third pass at 3680m and through the 20m long Inca Tunnel which they made by hand to make the trek in Inca times more sensible to Machu Picchu and the associated ancient sites en route. They also made a sky light in the Inca Tunnel to provide light when they were transporting goods and making the trek to Machu Picchu.

Then we had some more serious downhill action to the historical site Phuyupatamarca historical site 3600m, the sites at this point were getting more impressive which was by design in the Inca Times as they were all leading to Machu Picchu. The last long downhill was through the jungle to Intipata historical site which had some amazing views of the whole valley. This is also where we were camping for our third and final night woo hoo. The toilets in this place were a horror show and will be etched in my memory for ages, think Milan away. After another amazing dinner where somehow this chef bakes and decorates a chocolate cake, we went to see a site called Yunaywayna (little Machu Picchu) historical site. True to form I got zero sleep on the third night but we were now all buzzing to see Machu Picchu tomorrow but not so buzzing for the 3:30am start so we could get to Sun gate to see Machu Picchu before the non trekking tourists swarm to Machu Picchu on the day trips.

Before I crack on with the final day where we see Machu Picchu, it’s worth saying how amazing meeting people and chatting to people along the way was. We also had a great laugh along the way with our guide Santiago and thank God Jamie cracked on because I would have gone mad if he wasn’t on the trip. Our guide also gave us Coca Leaves, the raw ingredient for bloody cocaine to help with altitude but as mentioned I didn’t get touched much by it so the leaves were rank… no mountain power for me!

On the final day we were greeted at tents with hot drinks at 3:30am and we were in the queue for the trek at 4:00am. The reason we were up this early is to get to Sun Gate and subsequently the postcard Machu Picchu photograph. Was chatting to some legends from Alaska in the queue which made the time pass really quickly and then we were off, the last bit of brutal Trek before seeing the prize, Machu Picchu. I had same energy as yesterday and romper stomped to sun get where we had amazing clear views of Machu Picchu. Then all that was left for us to do was to make the final steps to the postcard view of Machu Picchu and descend into the historical site for a tour and to meet the girls who had got on the train.

The trek, views and experience was something I reckon everybody should do but it is a challenge! The views, the peace and quiet, the history and the achievement is amazing. We ended by heading into the enormous site, and you do feel a bit weird heading into civilisation again as swarms of day trip tourists are then entering Machu Picchu, remember there’s only five hundred permits per day on Inca trek including porters chefs etc. Jamie and I did feel a bit cheated seeing clean, fresh people wandering around Machu Picchu as we struggled up any step or hill at the historical site. There were acknowledging nods for any trekkers you recognised in the site and it was pretty easy to tell or smell the ones who had done the hike.

We had a 2 hour tour of Machu Picchu with our guide Santiago with the girls which was amazing, the Machu Picchu site is hard to describe really but is mind blowing good. After finishing the tour, had options to roam around but Jamie and I couldn’t face another step so headed into the town for some alcohol and food. As soon as got to a bus station I cornered a guy to find out the Arsenal score from day before versus Swansea so that set me up for a decent day and end to an amazing 4/5 days.

I would say I look forward to sharing my photos with you but there is a depressing story which I’ll need to type for the coming days after these… stay tuned!