Yet another early morning to be had for the Salkantay trek, but at least our tour operator had the de
cency to pick us up from our hostel. It was a bit of a slow start to the day whilst we waited for several things to be put in order before we set off in earnest. On the way we were able to catch sight of the impressive Salkantay peak. We hoped that we would be blessed with such a great view once we were up close and personal.
Our minibus took us to a little town called Mollepata where we were to eat breakfast before starting our trek. Carlos, our tour guide, then told us that we would be catching some local transport for the first part of the walk. We were a bit disappointed by this as we were expecting to get cr
acking on our hike, but when the truck turned up it ended up being quite good fun. We bumped up and down on a very muddy track, trying our best to stay balanced and not fall over each other too much.
We were going along great guns until the truck became stuck in one particularly muddy part of the hill. He reversed and tried again a few times. I think we'd still be there trying if it wasn't for one of the group suggesting that we all jump out and try to line the path with branches and twig to give it a bit of traction. So, off we all went, gathering what we could find to throw in front of the truck. He tried again to roll over, but without succes
s. That's when it got serious and the machete came out. Suddenly the locals started chopping down huge chunks from the surrounding trees - the two Aussie boys Jules and Ollie also had a go with the blade. Eventually, when we had a small forest lining the path, the truck was able to pass through, accompanied by lots of whoops and cheers.
Finally we were set down, and started to walk for the first time. The mountains rose majestically either side of us as we walked through the valley. We knew we only had a couple of hundred metres to climb in around two hours, so it wouldn't be too strenuous that day. I think all the group felt pretty breathless after the first climb, but it soon flattened out to a muddy track. During the last half an hour it started to rain, so we were glad to see our campsite all set up and waiting for us; the horses and some of the staff had gone on ahead of us.
After drying off a little we sat down to a deliciously filling lunch. I noticed that Jen, the American girl in our group, was pretty quiet throughout. After lunch we were supposed to go for a short walk to a nearby lake, but due to the bad weather conditions this didn't happen. James and I went for a bit of a scout around anyway, but soon made our way back to camp when we saw a huge cloud quickly creeping across the valley floor towards us.
Unfortunately Jen didn't make it to dinner that night. She had started to have some altitude sickness, which wasn't good due to the fact that the next day was due to be the toughest. The rest of us had a hearty meal and got to bed pretty early in preparation for the hard slog.
DAY TWO
Another ridiculously early morning rise. We started the day packing our bellies with much needed fuel, and then packing our bags. We started walking at a decent pace, which we were able to keep up despite the start of a rapid climb. Whilst James was the constant pack leader, I just took things steady and constant. This enabled me to keep up for the most part with the Aussie lads, and leave the two 18 year old girls somewhat trailing behind! Jen took things at her own pace too, and did an amazing job of pretty much keeping up with the rest of us, despite still suffering with the altitude.
The morning's climb took us to the pass which was the highest point of
our trek at 4600m above sea level - the highest that either James or I had been in our lives. When I saw James standing next to the sign showing we had reached it I felt such a sense of achievement. It was here that we should have been able to see the beautiful peak of Salkantay, but the inclement weather would not allow it. Whilst it had by no means been a walk in the park, it was nowhere near the despairingly difficult climb that I had imagined. Apparently I had just missed Deb (our Aussie mate) who was also doing the Salkantay trek with another group.
We stopped briefly for photos, but couldn't stay too long. It had taken around three and a half hours to get there, and we had another couple of hours before we reached our lunch tent.
For the next two hours it was raining heavily as we started to drop back down, which meant that at times it was slippery. The lunch tent was a welcome sight, as we were all soaked through and tired. We had made the morning section of the trek in good time
, so we were eagar to get the afternoon section of the hike out of the way. We set off straight away after lunch, and Carlos told us that we had approximately five hours of descent ahead of us.
The path steeply swept below us, and we soon found our way into the jungle. Not only was there a difference in the scenery, which was lush and green, but we also felt a quick rise in temperature. We made camp in only four hours, which has got to be some kind of a record! The camp ground was incredibly impressive, as our tents were flanked by four green mountains - it was so picturesque. There were only around a dozen other people camped there, so that all added to the charm as well.
I think we all felt like we deserved a good feed that night, and was glad that the hot grub kept coming. We also celebrated with a few beers, which was perhaps not the best way to rehydrate from the day's exertions, but it felt good to let our hair down a bit. We also managed to get a campfire going, and the group talked and laughed over the flames. Megan and Deanna, the two young Canadian girls, got pretty drunk that night, which was entertaining in itself. James and I went to bed around 10pm, and left the young 'uns to enjoy themselves!
DAY THREE
This was the day of mud. We only had to walk around six hours, but t
his was a tough day, especially as I was feeling a little delicate from the beer the night before. Whole sections of the path were impassable and we needed to find alternative routes for much of the time. We would try to walk around the edge of a bog and I'd put down my walking stick for support, which would just squelch into the mud and keep sinking.
The walk took us further into the heart of the jungle, passing waterfalls and crossing over fast flowing rivers. There were also beautiful wild flowers, including orchids (my favourite blooms) and Cantutas, the national flower of Peru. We eventually reached a small town called La Playa, where we had lunch. It was here that we said goodbye to the horsemen, who had to return from the direction we came. We couldn't believe that they had to do it all over again the opposite way.
After saying our farewells we caught a minibus to another town called Santa Teresa where we would camp that night. Dropping off our things and grabbing our swim gear, we left almost immediately for the hotsprings that were just 10 mins drive away. Here we spent several hours relaxing our muscles in the warm waters. It was beautifully set in the bottom of a green valley, with the steep side of a cliff on one edge of the pool. As the sun set we began to see the twinkling stars above us, and I think we all felt pretty lucky to be able to enjoy the surroundings. Carlos somehow managed to drag us out of the pool to get us back to camp for dinner, which was as yummy as usual.
DAY FOUR
I think that we got "done" by our tour guide on this day. We were supposed to walk to a place called Hydroelectrica, where we should've caught the train to Aguas Callientes. Somehow we managed to get dropped off by minibus, and continued to walk for only an hour and a half to Hydroelectrica, where we had lunch.
After what seemed like forever, we found ourselves coming into Aguas Callientes. This was a real tourist town, as it's sole existence is down to it's proximity to Machu Picchu. We checked into our hostel like a group of drowned rats, but after a shower and a change we were back out again having a couple of cheeky pisco sours before dinner. The dinner at the hostel was a huge buffet, and the boys did us proud by scoffing several plateloads between them.
DAY FIVE - MACHU PICCHU
cency to pick us up from our hostel. It was a bit of a slow start to the day whilst we waited for several things to be put in order before we set off in earnest. On the way we were able to catch sight of the impressive Salkantay peak. We hoped that we would be blessed with such a great view once we were up close and personal.Our minibus took us to a little town called Mollepata where we were to eat breakfast before starting our trek. Carlos, our tour guide, then told us that we would be catching some local transport for the first part of the walk. We were a bit disappointed by this as we were expecting to get cr
acking on our hike, but when the truck turned up it ended up being quite good fun. We bumped up and down on a very muddy track, trying our best to stay balanced and not fall over each other too much.We were going along great guns until the truck became stuck in one particularly muddy part of the hill. He reversed and tried again a few times. I think we'd still be there trying if it wasn't for one of the group suggesting that we all jump out and try to line the path with branches and twig to give it a bit of traction. So, off we all went, gathering what we could find to throw in front of the truck. He tried again to roll over, but without succes
s. That's when it got serious and the machete came out. Suddenly the locals started chopping down huge chunks from the surrounding trees - the two Aussie boys Jules and Ollie also had a go with the blade. Eventually, when we had a small forest lining the path, the truck was able to pass through, accompanied by lots of whoops and cheers.Finally we were set down, and started to walk for the first time. The mountains rose majestically either side of us as we walked through the valley. We knew we only had a couple of hundred metres to climb in around two hours, so it wouldn't be too strenuous that day. I think all the group felt pretty breathless after the first climb, but it soon flattened out to a muddy track. During the last half an hour it started to rain, so we were glad to see our campsite all set up and waiting for us; the horses and some of the staff had gone on ahead of us.
After drying off a little we sat down to a deliciously filling lunch. I noticed that Jen, the American girl in our group, was pretty quiet throughout. After lunch we were supposed to go for a short walk to a nearby lake, but due to the bad weather conditions this didn't happen. James and I went for a bit of a scout around anyway, but soon made our way back to camp when we saw a huge cloud quickly creeping across the valley floor towards us.
Unfortunately Jen didn't make it to dinner that night. She had started to have some altitude sickness, which wasn't good due to the fact that the next day was due to be the toughest. The rest of us had a hearty meal and got to bed pretty early in preparation for the hard slog.DAY TWO
Another ridiculously early morning rise. We started the day packing our bellies with much needed fuel, and then packing our bags. We started walking at a decent pace, which we were able to keep up despite the start of a rapid climb. Whilst James was the constant pack leader, I just took things steady and constant. This enabled me to keep up for the most part with the Aussie lads, and leave the two 18 year old girls somewhat trailing behind! Jen took things at her own pace too, and did an amazing job of pretty much keeping up with the rest of us, despite still suffering with the altitude.
The morning's climb took us to the pass which was the highest point of
our trek at 4600m above sea level - the highest that either James or I had been in our lives. When I saw James standing next to the sign showing we had reached it I felt such a sense of achievement. It was here that we should have been able to see the beautiful peak of Salkantay, but the inclement weather would not allow it. Whilst it had by no means been a walk in the park, it was nowhere near the despairingly difficult climb that I had imagined. Apparently I had just missed Deb (our Aussie mate) who was also doing the Salkantay trek with another group.We stopped briefly for photos, but couldn't stay too long. It had taken around three and a half hours to get there, and we had another couple of hours before we reached our lunch tent.
For the next two hours it was raining heavily as we started to drop back down, which meant that at times it was slippery. The lunch tent was a welcome sight, as we were all soaked through and tired. We had made the morning section of the trek in good time
, so we were eagar to get the afternoon section of the hike out of the way. We set off straight away after lunch, and Carlos told us that we had approximately five hours of descent ahead of us.The path steeply swept below us, and we soon found our way into the jungle. Not only was there a difference in the scenery, which was lush and green, but we also felt a quick rise in temperature. We made camp in only four hours, which has got to be some kind of a record! The camp ground was incredibly impressive, as our tents were flanked by four green mountains - it was so picturesque. There were only around a dozen other people camped there, so that all added to the charm as well.
I think we all felt like we deserved a good feed that night, and was glad that the hot grub kept coming. We also celebrated with a few beers, which was perhaps not the best way to rehydrate from the day's exertions, but it felt good to let our hair down a bit. We also managed to get a campfire going, and the group talked and laughed over the flames. Megan and Deanna, the two young Canadian girls, got pretty drunk that night, which was entertaining in itself. James and I went to bed around 10pm, and left the young 'uns to enjoy themselves!DAY THREE
This was the day of mud. We only had to walk around six hours, but t
his was a tough day, especially as I was feeling a little delicate from the beer the night before. Whole sections of the path were impassable and we needed to find alternative routes for much of the time. We would try to walk around the edge of a bog and I'd put down my walking stick for support, which would just squelch into the mud and keep sinking.The walk took us further into the heart of the jungle, passing waterfalls and crossing over fast flowing rivers. There were also beautiful wild flowers, including orchids (my favourite blooms) and Cantutas, the national flower of Peru. We eventually reached a small town called La Playa, where we had lunch. It was here that we said goodbye to the horsemen, who had to return from the direction we came. We couldn't believe that they had to do it all over again the opposite way.
After saying our farewells we caught a minibus to another town called Santa Teresa where we would camp that night. Dropping off our things and grabbing our swim gear, we left almost immediately for the hotsprings that were just 10 mins drive away. Here we spent several hours relaxing our muscles in the warm waters. It was beautifully set in the bottom of a green valley, with the steep side of a cliff on one edge of the pool. As the sun set we began to see the twinkling stars above us, and I think we all felt pretty lucky to be able to enjoy the surroundings. Carlos somehow managed to drag us out of the pool to get us back to camp for dinner, which was as yummy as usual.
DAY FOUR
I think that we got "done" by our tour guide on this day. We were supposed to walk to a place called Hydroelectrica, where we should've caught the train to Aguas Callientes. Somehow we managed to get dropped off by minibus, and continued to walk for only an hour and a half to Hydroelectrica, where we had lunch. In the afternoon we then walked for a boring 3 hours along the traintracks in the pouring rain. Whilst there was lovely scenery around us, none of us could really look at it as we had to concentrate on balancing on the slippery sleepers, which were not even at a consistent distance from one another. The boys made a bit of sport for themselves and took to throwing rocks at signs and posts along the way. Who would've thought something so simple could create so much amusement?
After what seemed like forever, we found ourselves coming into Aguas Callientes. This was a real tourist town, as it's sole existence is down to it's proximity to Machu Picchu. We checked into our hostel like a group of drowned rats, but after a shower and a change we were back out again having a couple of cheeky pisco sours before dinner. The dinner at the hostel was a huge buffet, and the boys did us proud by scoffing several plateloads between them.DAY FIVE - MACHU PICCHU
We had asked Carlos the night before what time we'd need to get up and out to make sure that we were on the first bus at 5:30am to Machu Picchu, as he was adamant that we shouldn't walk up there. He assured us that because it was off peak season that we'd be OK to get in line at 5:15am. How wrong he was. When we arrived the queue was already ginormous, and our hearts sank. It was impor
tant for us to get up there quickly, as they only allow 400 people up Wanyu Picchu, which affords a birds eye view of the whole of the lost city. It was hopeless.
tant for us to get up there quickly, as they only allow 400 people up Wanyu Picchu, which affords a birds eye view of the whole of the lost city. It was hopeless.Luckily Ollie spotted someone near the front of the queue who he knew. I'm ashamed to say it, but all seven of us pushed in. It's not something that any of us would normally do, but we felt so cheated by our guides bad advice, plus we figured this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, that we felt it necessary to be brutal. This meant that we found ourselves on the second bus going up, which in t
urn meant that we were near the front, waiting for the Park's gates to open.
urn meant that we were near the front, waiting for the Park's gates to open. As soon as they did we wasted no time in marching straight to the other end of the city, only pausing briefly for a few snaps, where we queued for the Wanyu Picchu tickets. We managed to get entrance tickets for after 10am. This was perfect as we were able to explore the rest of the site before other tourists (e.g. from the Inca Trail and the tour buses) got 
there, and this also gave the clouds a chance to lift.
there, and this also gave the clouds a chance to lift. We were taken around the city by Carlos to a few different sites, and he explained the historical context. We managed to get up to the guardtower, which is a lookout point over the city (this is the view that is found on most postcards). It was then time for us to climb up to Wanya Picchu, which we had been told would take around an hour.
Surprise, surprise, James managed to steam ahead of us, and then Jools and Ollie left us girls behind too. Even taking it steady, the rest of us managed it in around 45 mins, but it was a steep climb and quite slippery at times. Once we got up there we had fabulous views across the whole of Machu Picchu, and it really gave us the sense of the sheer size of the place. We stayed up there for around 15 mins, but it started to rain so we started the clamber down. If we thought going up was difficult, the descent was even trickier, but we all just about made it in one piece!
We'd arleady been up there for about 6 hours, so we were all a bit Inca-ruined-out, so we sauntered back through the city to the exit. We just hadn't done enough walking over the five days, so we thought we'd top it off with a walk back down into town, which only took us around an hour and a quarter. We finished off the day with another massive buffet lunch before getting a train and a bus back into Cuzco. Although we were all relatively tired, we agreed to meet up that night for a few drinks to celebrate Jen's 30th birthday (which was the day after), as well as finishing the trek.
After a much needed hot shower and a change out of our muddy trekking clothes, we trotted out to town to grab something to eat before meeting up with the rest of the group. We got Jen's party started by lining up the drinks for her, and Deanna and Megan were sweet enough to buy her some apple pie, which was the closest thing to cake they could find, with a candle. Even our mate Deb was in the bar with a couple of people from her trek. We were having a really nice night, but after only a couple of drinks I started to feel dodgy. We had to leave pretty quickly thereafter, and the walk home wasn't pleasant. I was feeling extremely nauseous with crippling stomach cramps.
We got back and went to bed, but between the pain and visits to the bathroom I didn't sleep a wink. Needless to say that the next day we were unable to make it to the other Inca ruins as planned. I spent the next couple of days in bed recovering, whilst James tried his best to look after me.
I was eventually able to get up and have something to eat, which felt really good. I was thankful that it had only been short spell and not too serious - we had heard absolute horror stories from other travellers who had needed to take antibiotics to recover from their upset stomachs. We caught the over night bus back to Arequipa that night, but this time went with a reputable bus company. We certainly appreciated the difference, and it felt like sheer luxury to be able to travel without hats and extra layers on!
Brilliant experience for both of you
ReplyDelete