Our jungle trek group!
Geared up, on our way down
Hey mom, I am back! :-D
We dropped around 2500 meters in all and passed through every climate inbetween. 5 layers at the top, one or none at the bottom. We then had a challenging mountain bike ride through hilly unpaved road and road construction to our destination, another 2 hours more. We arrived at a small town now a strange mix of farmers road construction workers and tourists. Machu picchu has changed many things here after the trek we were on gained popularity 4 years ago. I took a well deserved beer while anna went more extreme. She went white water rafting to satify her thrills.
The tour was well booked for us because we went directly through the agency that ran the tour. The way that it works in most of these places is that there is a few companies that run certain excursions and tours. they own the equipement and hire the guides. there are other agencies out there that only act as middle men. They book the tour through the tour company for you and take a cut in the meanwhile. Anna and I therefore slept peacefully in our private room while the rest were crammed into a 16 bed dormitory. Note for you: always try to book directly with the company, cheaper and better. We also knew what to bring, namely our passports, a requirement for the entrance to Machu Picchu.
Day 2
Hiking. Long, 7 hours, with breaks inbetween in villages and houses for shade and beverages.
Here we go! Closer and closer to Machu Picchu.
Hiking up and down...
Warriors
The view of the Sacred Valley
Papayas in the jungle
Cuy-traditional Peruvian dinner
Scott and his coffea. Dried in the sun by the locals.
On the manual cable car. FUN
We thought this would be our toughest day because of all the uphill and jungle humidity, however it was not so bad. Had time to take a dip in the river, take a nap in hammocks and eat a warm meal at a jungle restaurant. You know, the basic fare...creamy soup with one half a potato inside, second plate with rice, fried potatoes and some thinly sliced meat (sauce ocassionally included) to which i always added specially requested super spicy chilis to. The exception was our meal at the trout hatchery. Chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce. perfecto.
Along the way we crossed torrenting rivers by manual cable cars thankful to take this than the other option, swaying cable bridge. we also passed a previous residence of che guavara and a coca plantation. Coca is what makes cocaine, yes of course, but they use it here for other things like tea and for chewing, a habit i picked up during the trek. It gives you a small kick like a prolonged alertness and if you want to take it further, add a little byproduct of the chocolate making process and your tounge and surrounding areas go numb. That night we lived it up, already low on sleep, some of us went out for some good old gringo dancing. Anna and I tore it up until our bodies gave in and our reason demanded sleep.
Day 3
An early morning rise and off we went. Anna and I again went our separate ways. Anna seeking more thrills, went on a cross valley ziplining trip while I chose to walk along the river with the guide.
Ziplining! Yeah.
Going down. Ahhh..
This became the hardest day. With a full days hiking before, I was already a bit worn, and hiking in the direct sun for 3 hours didnt encourage me. but i couldnt help but awe at the high mountain waterfalls and deep valleys and wonder what wonders machu picchu may hold. We met up with anna and the zip lining crew at the hydroelectric plant and after a quick government checkpoint, we were off on a small jungle climb and then 4 more hours along the railroad track into aguas caliente, the city and hub below machu picchu along the river. Anna is alright, dont worry, but I should mention that the railroad tried to kill her. Just 1 and 1/2 hours away from our destination, a railroad tie on bridge got the best of her. Of course she didnt trip. The gaping holes inbetween the wooden planks pulled her two legs down below, with her left straddling the tie and nothing else holding her from the river below. There was some blood and some bruises, a few scratches and a deflated ego, but the medical attention from the well prepared Irish dentist and our peruvian guide, she survived.
The result of my fall, nothing serious.
Mean while I was up ahead ignorantly walking along only to find she go hurt only an hour later. Oh my. We stumbled slowly into aguas caliente (translation: hot springs; excepting that they were horrible and dirty) to find that we had no room in the hostel and Anna and I were booked in an unknown hotel somewhere in the town. After an hour of searching with our guide we came upon a light upon the hill. While the rest of the crew slept in a cramped inexpensive hostel, we were booked in a brand new luxury hotel with cable TV, free tea, hot water and giant comfortable beds. After dinner and a glass of wine, we fell asleep to the sounds of a procession down below for our beloved santa carmen. good night.
Day 4 - Machu Picchu
The magic begins. Machu Picchu at 4h30 am. We could hardly see the lost city of the Incas
Just after the sunrise at around 6 am.
It emerged from the clouds and appeared in front of us.
Breathtaking!
Me and the beautiful ruins. Behind: Huayna Picchu and the urban part of the city.
I can tell you that we arose at 4 am and that we were so tired we took the bus to the top of the hill for the 6am opening of the ruins of machu picchu. I can tell you it was foggy and chilly outside and there was a long line behind us to get in. I can also tell you that we stayed the full 11 hours at machu picchu and climbed a horrendously steep mountain and decended it later. I can even tell you that we saw both sunrise and sunset before walking the 1400+ steps back down to the town in twilight and walked the road in the dark back to town. We were tired. But I cannot tell you about machu picchu. It is indescribable.
So that is that.
Machu Picchu mountain and the garden house from which we watched the sunrise.
The urban part of Machu Picchu. You need to imagine these houses with thatched roofs.
Dancing time :D
The impressive architecture of the Temple del Sol. The Incas worshiped the mountains and therefore would never break a rock to make it fit better in their constructions
:-)
The amazing Machu Picchu built on the peak of the mountain
The view of Machu Picchu from Huayna Picchu, its sanctuary
The view from the famous Porta del Sol. The entrance to the site from the Inca Trail
We are now back in Cusco, still in amazement of what we experienced at Machu Picchu. A place we will never forget.
Today it is Saturday and we have already spent about one week in the capital of the Inkas. We also have been taking spanish for about one week and are amazed of the progress we have already made. It is very motivating. We are going to stay in Cusco till Tuesday and then we are going to head east to Puno,a small city located at the coast on the Lake Titicaca. Then we are going to cross the border and visit our last country on the list, Bolivia!
We are now in the middle of the south american winter so we are suffering from the very cold mornings and evenings. I got sick, so right now we are resting and taking it easy.
| In Cuzco, next to the 12 corner stone maintaining the old Inca Wall. | There are guards protecting it 24h/7 |
