Cusco, Capital of the Incas and the trek to Machu Picchu.

Firstly can I apologise for the number of photos on this blog. However I hope you enjoy looking at them.

We arrived in Cusco in a hail storm, wearing only shorts, t shirts and flip flops. However it soon dried out and warmed up. After a day to prepare we were off with a day bag and a small blue roller bag, on our 4 day trek to Machu Picchu, the highlight of our trip and the reason we came to Peru.

The first day was a gentle 6k trek to Zurite where we stayed in a hostel, but a cut in the water supply meant a smelly start to the next few days. The second day was a hard trek up to 4400m, up some steep bits and the altitude and difficulty made it very hard for some. Then a further couple of hours back down to our camp at 4200m.

The set up was that the 22 of us had three mountain guides, generally one at the front controlling the pace, one in the middle and one at the back giving encouragement to the stragglers . During the day we also had a porter and two horses for emergencies. In all there were 6 porters, 22 ponies, and 4 cooks plus the guides. 

Each evening when we arrived at our camp spot, high in the Andes, the sleeping tents were already up, along with the mess tent and the camp kitchen. 

Hot drink at 6pm and then a three course dinner at 7pm. All in bed wrapped up warm against the freezing over night temperatures by 8pm. Although we had brilliant down sleeping bags we both slept in socks, thermal tops and legging, a down gillet and a hat. Bloody cold outside but toasty in our bags.

In the morning we were woken up at 5.30 with hot coca tea and provided with a bowl of warm water to wash in. The cooks produced a hearty breakfast and we walked out of camp at 7.00 on the dot.

Each day we’d arrive at lunch time, in the middle of nowhere to find the mess tent up, and the camp kitchen producing soup and a hot  meal.

So the second day was the hardest with 9 hours of trekking and 1200m of ascent, after that it got a bit easier but still very remote. Here we are celebrating at the top.

The night before our visit to Machu Picchu we stayed in a lovely hotel in Olantaytambo. Then it was a train along the sacred valley and a bus up to Machu Picchu from Aguas Callientes. And then after the visit, the train and a coach back to Cusco for some celebrations. Finally got to bed at 4am…………..

You can’t fail to be impressed by the scale and position of Machu Picchu. Built high on a mountain and surrounded by cloud forest. It was undiscovered until 1911. We did the tour and then hiked up to the Inca Bridge and then the Sun Gate fir some stunning views.

After a days rest in Cusco were off next to Puna on the shores of Lake Titicaca.