Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru

One of our highlights of this trip, and the only real thing we had booked, was the 4 day Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu. It did not disappoint. After spending several days in Cusco checking out the Inca ruins around the city, we set off with our tour agency and 14 fellow trekkers in the early hours of Friday morning. It takes a couple of hours drive to the start of the trek where there is a bit of official paperwork required and passport stamping, and porter weigh ins. And then we were off for the first day of quite easy hiking. Spending several weeks at altitude and hiking the physically gruelling Colca Canyon had certainly improved out fitness levels and we cruised through the day passing Andean wilderness and other Inca sites along the way. The weather was perfect, warm during the day, cold at night but with an abundance of stars and a feast of food perpared for us the chaskis ...aka the fleet foot runners... who carry everything from the tents, food, chairs etc.
Day 2 was the toughest day with a mostly uphill climb covering 1200 ascending metres that day, and going through the pass known as Dead Womans Pass. It was hard going, but again, our new healthy bodies carried us through leading the group to the top. The campsite was at 4200m so it was a cold night but in such a beuatiful valley with high Andean mountains surrounding us.
Day 3 was the longest day but walking through cloud forest and several Inca sites was fantastic and we could walk at our own pace for the most part and so we often found ourselves alone to appreicate the stunning mountain scenery which at times verges on rainforest with varying degress of humidity.
Up early on the last day...4am...to join the line of other hikers waiting at the last checkpoint of the Machu Picchu National Park. On our way at 5.30am for the final hour or so hike to the famous Inca city...althougb it should be said that it is neither the biggest or the lost or the last city of the Incas. The biggest site is in the same general area although another good 5 or something days hike and not promoted well. The lost city is still lost and though to possibly be in the Amazon basin. But Machu Picchu is the most well known and were stoked to be there and so it was slightly disappointing to wake after 3 days of perfect weather hiking to discover rain and cloud and when we finally reached the Sun Gate for the ´postcard photo´ of Machu Picchu...there was nothing to see...thats right...nada. Continiuing on, we hiked down to the main centre and took a break and prayed to PachuMama ...Mother Earth in South America...for some clearance on the clouds...and it soon happened, yeah!!! and we set off to explore the site.
Machu Pichu is bigger than i expected and so perfectly preserved. The Incas really were smart guys as the buildings they made in the 15th century have withstood several earthquakes and remain today as an outstanding relic of architecture and workmanship. We learnt from our great guide David, and saw for ourselves that the Incas knew about toilets and drainages systems, we saw their lock systems and housing for the noble plus the villagers, watch towers and ceremonial rocks. It was so rewarding to be there, until the hoards of tourists started to arrive on the buses, and having been there since 6am and perhaps unfairly feeling like we deserved the place to be less packed after 4 days of hiking, we took in the site and retired down to the town of Aguas Calientes for lunch and then a soak in the hot springs with a pisco sour brought to us the pools. Ah...so well deserverd.
All up, we hiked 42km and by the 4th day, my body was feeling weary. The Inca Trail is well worn and for the most part fairly easy underfoot, however I enjoyed it more than i thought as I had a feeling there may be too many people on the trail. The Peruvian government has strictly limited numbers on the trail nowadays, however, they could do with limiting the numbers at Machu Picchu as well. But its a prime tourist attractrion and the cost of a coffee alone was an slap in the face reminder that they are raking it in here. Intersting to see what happens in the next few years as Machu Picchu is sinking at a rate of 1cm a year and there is talk of building viewing bridges around the site to prevent people walking on it. But if its cloudy like what intially happend to us, then you cant see anything til it lifts and you walk lower.
Anyways...we left very satisfyied and tired and I thoroughly enjoyed my massge the next day back in Cusco before taking an overnight bus to Lima the following night. The 18 hour bus trip was more than 22 hours but Lima is not really that nice a city and my bout of food poisoning was probably well timed as there is little we want to see here anyway. Feeling better now, but spent most of the day in bed except to venture out into the weird of blanket that coats this city, and book another bus ticket tommorrow night. Another 18 hours, but this time we get off close to the Ecuadorian border at a beach town called Mancora. No more mountains for awhile...should be a nice change.