Nearly everyone that visits Peru
is bound for the majestic mountain of Machu Picchu. There are a few options on getting there once you arrive in
Cuzco. You can hire a private car
or go with a shared van to take you there directly. But that misses the real adventure of experiencing the
wondrous nature that abounds. The
other option is to trek the many trails the end up at Machu Picchu - the most popular trail being the Inca Trail. I passed on the popular trail because it’s the most touristy way to trek and most expensive of the bunch. However popular the Inca Trail is, one
must reserve well in advance with a cash payment online, which may stifle your
flexibility when you want to go once you’re on the ground in Cuzco because the date is fixed.
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| Sacred Valley |
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| along the Incan Trail |
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| Quinoa fields |
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| Eucalyptus forest |
DAY ONE
The company's transport arrived early to my
hotel for a 6am pickup. After
scurrying around Cuzco picking up the other trekkers from their hotels, we were
about fifteen deep with two guides.
We drove about two hours or so to the start of our trek about two hours
away from Cuzco. We were going to
cover about sixty kilometers over five days. It doesn’t sound too challenging but when you factor in the
inclines and altitudes then it ends up being closer to about one hundred
kilometers of hiking.
We had breakfast at a lodge
nearby the starting point, and began the hike at about 2800 meters. It’s wintertime in the southern hemisphere at this time of year, but with a
cloudless sky, bright sun, and the green vegetation, it feels like spring. We ascended up and along the valley
with a deep gorge carved out by a running river below. The guide Carlos was super experienced and
knowledgeable, as he has been guiding this trail for years. He knew so much about the fauna and
history of the area that made the trek that much more engaging. After about six hours of hiking, we
arrived to our tents at the base of a ice peaked mountain. It was 4pm, and the climate had dropped
considerably. The terrain was now
void of all the green fauna, replaced with patches of dry brush and rock. We had ascended to about 4200 meters
and the incline was about to get nasty.
Energy spent and legs drained, you could just about call it a night, but
the real treat was the an extra two hour trek to the lake about 200 meters up a
steep rocky outcrop at the base of an the ice capped mountain. We all decided to push it, as the view
and topography was stunning. I
have to admit, most of the socializing stopped as we ascended the two hundred
or so meter to the lake. The cold
was pounding, but the view once we arrived to the lake was well worth it. Most people just recovered by the lake
taking selfies, but a few of us decided to keep climbing in order to get a
better view from above the lake.
My excitement of the prospects that lay ahead gave me a Red Bull energy
boost.
The view from above the lake was
stunning. Fog engulfed the icy mountaintop
but left the lake visible. Two
horses, barely noticed me, as they nibbled pockets of grass
nearby. It was a photographer’s
dream, as I snapped photos of the virgin terrain. As the night sky rolled in, I made my way down the base
of the mountain rapidly as the day turned to night. Hot tea, vegetable soup, and a much deserved all you can eat hot meal was waiting for us in the Spartan lodge. There was no complaining, just cold trekkers huddled around
a wooden table like it was the Last Supper.
We were spent, ready to hit the
sack by the end of the meal, but our guides insisted we take in the
star-studded night sky before bed.
There we were, gazing up into a million stars, ever so close that you
felt you could pick them with chopsticks.
The temperature was well below freezing. No convincing necessary that it was time for bed. We would have to awake before the
morning sun.
DAY TWO
This was the day that we were
warned about, as it was the most challenging. We had breakfast, and headed off from camp at daybreak. The terrain was rock and the
temperature freezing. The drizzle
of rain did not help. To keep a decent pace, I kept counting my steps in twenty step intervals, and then repeated. I found this technique kept me a a constant pace. Something I learned
from marching during my military days.
My legs and knees felt good as well. When it got steeper, I just pushed harder. After about six hours, the rain turned
to a light snow, and by the time we reached the highest point of our five-day
trek of 4600 meters it was snowing.
Unfortunately, the 6300-meter Salkantay peak was completely covered in
fog. We snacked behind some rocks
and rested a bit, as we still had another six hours until we hit camp.
Despite our descent, the weather
did not let up. No sun, just a
constant fog rolling in and out like ocean tides. It was colder with the constant drizzle. The tundra slowly gave way and
vegetation slowly returned. The
descent was rapid and the drizzle turned to a hard rain. The dry trail transformed to pockets of mud. The last thirty minutes, we entered a
completely different ecosystem. It
became subtropical, barren mountains transformed into lush green forests with
the occasional waterfall. We were
soaked from head to toe. Socks
soaked, bellies growling, and knees aching. Once we arrived to the camp, we were ready to kill for some
food. Luckily, the camp was well
stocked and chefs were cooking dinner, so we
dried our clothes over the hot coals, sipping tea until dinner was ready. Completely spent, after dinner we retired to our sleeping bags as the
rain pelted our tents.
DAY THREE
Day three began just as day two
ended with the rain steadily coming down.
We followed the rushing river at every bend. The scene reminded me of my hikes in South East Asia. The day was a breeze compared to the
first two and we arrived to our next campsite just after noon when the rain
let up. We had a light lunch and
just lounged in the hammocks until sunset. Nearby were three thermal baths, where we relaxed with other
groups of trekkers. Surrounded by
lush mountains, we sipped beers and stacked meditation stones from the poolside. Just after sunset, we returned to our
campsite for a grand spread of salad, pasta, and wine. The food disappeared quickly from our plates, but the wines kept flowing as we moved to the fire pit and some relaxation.
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| plants from my hike |
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| kisses from a Jaguar |
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| thermal pools |
DAY FOUR
I was excited about the day, as
we were going zip lining. This was
my first time doing such craziness, and what better place to do it than in the
Sacred Valley. The Valley is an
ecotourist’s dream. Five lines
extending over a ravine at over four-hundred feet. A canopy of trees far below. The longest line was over a kilometer
long! Secured and no tandem, this
was a chance to imitate one’s favorite super heroes. First impression was hanging Spider Man. Next was fist first Super Man pose. And the last three were GoPro Man… As
an added bonus, we walked across a wooden suspension bridge that extended
nearly three hundred feet between two ledges. Such an awesome way to get the adrenaline pumping before the last leg of our
trek to the base of Machu Picchu.
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| crossing a wood suspension bridge high above the rain forest below |
Once everyone finished, we took a
fifteen minute van ride to the train station, where we would walk the tracks to
the town of Aguas Calientes four hours away. There are only two ways to get to this town: train or by foot. It is too sacred to car by car. Like a bride walking down the
aisle, this was a special moment that needed to be absorbed through all senses slowly. It was a gorgeous day and we spread out a platoon in a Vietnamese jungle and followed the track one behind the other,
occasionally pulling over as the trains ushering commuters to and from Machu
Picchu – horn blaring just like in the the old black and white movies. By this
time, so many hikers were converging on the train tracks, making the epic pilgrimage
to the ancient Incan site. Everyone
had a pep in their step and a relieving grin for they were close to accomplishing a rite
of passage to enter this wonder of the world.
The best time to enter Machu
Picchu is before sunrise, so it was clear we would stay the evening in the town of Aguas
Calientes. Our guide arranged for
a nice Peruvian dinner at a local restaurant. It was a joyous occasion. We ate like kings and drank like
teenagers. However, this was not
going to be a late evening of debauchery, as we had to awake at 3am to begin our last ascent in
complete darkness of about two hours along the steep ancient stair case to the
entrance of Machu Picchu.
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| Aguas Calientes |
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| The line in the morning for Machu Picchu from Aguas Caliente |
DAY FIVE
Machu Picchu has a limit of 2500
visitors a day, so we were happy to be among the first fifty in line. The gates opened at 8am and we poured
in like sheep. Our energetic guide Carlos
gave us a personal tour of the history, site’s dry stonewall architecture, and expert
craftsmanship of the Incan masons.
The grass was kept trimmed by a crew of llamas, which was a nice picturesque treat. The site is beyond
impressive because of the natural setting that surrounded it. The site sits at around 2400 meters and
was built as a citadel resort on a rocky outcrop for the Incan kings; made flat
with terracing. These terraces
served as a sort of fresh market where it could feed the king and his entourage
when they were vacationing here.
The site is so well hidden that it remained hidden by the overgrowth of
vegetation for over three hundred years.
Fortunate that the Spanish never discovered it because they had a habit of
desecrating all Incan holy sites. Only a few locals knew of it's location until an
American scholar/adventurer “discovered” it when searching for the lost city of
Vilcabamba in 1911.
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| our group upon entering Machu Picchu |
After a million photos, I started
my descent one step at a time. Incredibly,
I had one more surprise, when I ran into my friend Mari from Miami, who was visiting
the site on the same day. Rarely do I
get the chance to share such a special moment with anyone except strangers when
I travel solo, so it was a real treat to share a moment with a friend from back home… even if
it was just for a few minutes.
The descent back to the town of
Aguas Caliente was about a thousand meters and my knees were pulsating with
pain with each step down. In total, I
hiked about one hundred kilometers, from 2800 meters, to 4600 meters, down to 2000
meters in five days. So glad I
book one more night before leaving by train the next morning back to
Cuzco because I needed a massage.
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| ran into my homegirl Mari from Miami |
The next morning my friend Mari
and I boarded the train back to Cuzco.
So relaxing to be in an old time train, taking in the surrounding
scenery without having to lift a finger.
We shared a last meal of guinea pig, a local Andean delicacy at an overpriced restaurant. It looked like a giant baked rat, meat
tasted like burnt chicken, with the labor of cracking crab legs. Some food experiences are just for the experience yo!
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| Guinea Pig |
Mari left by plane for Miami with
a short stop in Lima, where she met my friend Diego who showed her around. I decided to take a local bus to the
hippie town of Pisac and recover for about a week.
PISAC
Pisac is located within the
Sacred Valley about forty five minutes by local bus and is a magnet for tourists
who are drawn to it's Incan ruins on a mountainous outcrop over looking the town and their colorful local market. For backpackers, it’s a sort of spiritual retreat for those looking to do yoga, Aya, and San Pedro
ceremonies. I stayed for a week
and did nothing but relax, eat, stroll, and catch up on my writing.
Next stop… the Amazon.
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| solo spiritual ceremony on the side of a dirt road lol |
Very nice travelogue, thanx!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post man! Which company did you use for the tour?
ReplyDeleteSalkantay Tours
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