Cusco, Round 2

We arrived back in Cusco around 10:30, after our long 4 day trek and a 4 hour journey. We were pretty exhausted, but still found the energy to find somewhere to eat before heading back to the hostel for a much needed shower and sleep. 

The next day was spent not doing a great deal. We went back to the vegan restaurant for lunch as a birthday meal for Emily as we were unable to the day before. The food was as good as it had been on our previous visit. In the evening we met up with Lucy and Martin, friends we had made during our Bolivia trip to the salt flats. We enjoyed drinks in an Irish bar, an English pub and a Peruvian night club so was a little varied but good. 

On our last whole day in Cusco we found a nice cafe to have lunch and spent the rest of the day having a last wander around the city and looking in the gift shops.

Thursday (17th) was our last morning in Cusco. We decided it was one of our favourite cities we have visited, and spent the most time in, so were a little sad to be leaving. Nevertheless we headed to the airport to catch a plane to our last stop in South America, Lima. 

A few photos of Machu Picchu!

Machu picchu! !

 This is what the company we went with (peru treks) did as a standard itinerary :-)
Skip to the end for our brief summary ;-)

Inca Trail 4 day Trek Itinerary

Inca Trail 4 day Trek to Machu Picchu - Trek Itinerary

  
The first day of the trek is relatively easy and serves as training for the days to follow. Travellers are collected early from their hotels (5:30 - 6:00am) and travel by bus, past the picturesque villages of Chinchero, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, for the 2½ hour scenic trip to kilometre 82 (the start of the trail). Buses normally stop at the town of Urubamba or Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley for about an hour to give people the opportunity to have breakfast.
Having arrived at km 82 hikers cross the Vilcanota River and follow the trail to the right as it climbs steeply up from the river. After passing through a small village, the ruins of the Inca hillfort of Huillca Raccay come into view high above the mouth of the river Cusichaca ('happy bridge'). The Incas, when they conquered the area, built a fort here since the site commanded an excellent view up and down the Urubamba valley and controlled the entrance to the Cusichaca valley. It is a simple descent down to the Cusichaca river. From parts of this trail there are great views of the Cordillera Urubamba (Urubamba mountain range) and the snow capped peak of Veronica 5860m. 
  
You'll also get a good view over the extensive Inca ruins of Llactapata (also known as Patallacta on some maps). Llactapata means 'upper town' in Quechua and was first discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 and was primarily an agricultural station used to supply Machu Picchu with maize, the staple crop of the Incas. The settlement comprised over one hundred buildings, houses for the workers and soldiers, including five baths. 
For a further 7 km the path follows the left bank of the river up to the small village of Wayllabamba (3,000m). The name in Quechua means 'grassy plain'. We will probably spend the night here depending on the speed of the group. This is the last place along the trek that you can buy snacks and drinks.
  

 

Climbing up from Wayllabamba following the left bank of the Llulluchayoc river for about 1 hour brings you to 'Tres Piedres' (three stones) and a small bridge over the Huayruro river. There is a small campsite here toilet facilities. The stream is named after the Huayruro which is an ornamental tree. It's seeds are red and black. Many of the porters from the Ollantaytambo district are also known as Huayruros because of their traditional red and black ponchos! A little further on you'll enter a beautiful cloud forest passing a waterfall. 
  
A further three hours trek through steepening woods and increasingly spectacular terrain brings you to the treeline and a meadow known as Llulluchapampa (3,680m). It is another 1½ hours climb to the first and highest pass of the trail (Abra de Huarmihuañusca or 'Dead Woman's Pass) at 4,200m. During this part of the trail hikers are exposed to the Andean elements: first scorching sun and then, closer to the pass, freezing winds. Once at the top hikers can celebrate having completed the most difficult section of the trail.     
The decent from the pass is steep although not difficult, following the trail on the left side of the valley to the valley floor and to the 2nd night's campsite at Pacamayo (3,600m). There are toilet facilities here.
   

 

From Pacamayo it takes about an hour to climb up to the ruins of Runkuracay. These small circular ruins occupy a commanding position overlooking the Pacamayo valley below. 
Another 45 minute hike will bring you to the top of the second pass: Abra de Runkuracay (4,000m). At last you'll feel that you are walking along the trail of the Incas with paving, for the most part, being original. The descent down the steps from the pass is steep so take care. This section of the trail, up until the 3rd pass, is particularly beautiful as the path crosses high stone embankments and skirts deep precipices. After about 1 hour from the 2nd pass you'll arrive at Sayacmarca by way of a superbly designed stone staircase. The name Sayacmarca means 'Inaccessible Town' and describes the position of the ruins perfectly, protected on three sides by sheer cliffs. No one knows the exact purpose of these ruins.  
    
You have to backtrack a little to rejoin the trail as it passes Conchamarca, a small Inca dwelling situated in the shadows of Sayacmarca, which was probably a tambo for weary travellers on their way to Machu Picchu. From then on the path descends into magnificent cloud-forest full of orchids, hanging mosses, tree ferns and flowers, passing through an impressive Inca tunnel, carved into the rock, on the way.
  
The trail then climbs up to the 3rd pass (3,700m). The view from the pass offers excellent views of several snow-capped peaks including Salkantay (6,180m) and Veronica (5,750m). A few minutes after the pass is Phuyupatamarca, the most impressive Inca ruin so far. The name means 'Town in the Clouds'. Access to the ruins is down a steep flight of stairs passing six 'Inca Baths' probably used for the ritual worship of water.
Leaving the site via an impressive Inca staircase leading from the west side of the ruins (the far end from the baths) you descend a thousand or so steps. Be careful with your knees which will feel the strain by the end of the day.     
After about an hour of walking through cloud-forest you may just be able to see the tin roof of the Trekkers Hostal at Wiñay Wayna, although it probably won't be for another 2 hours until you arrive.
Wiñay Wayna is the last official campsite before Machu Picchu. 
 
A short trail leaves from the southern end of the hostal to the ruins of Wiñay Wayna. The name in Quechua means 'forever young' and is named after a variety of pink orchid which grows here. The ruins comprise magnificent agricultural terraces set in an impressive location. There are also many buildings of good quality stonework and a sequence of 10 baths, suggesting that the site was probably a religious centre associated with the worship of water. Ritual cleansing may have taken place here for pilgrims on the final leg of the trail to Machu Picchu.
     
 
  

The trail from the hostal to Machu Picchu is clearly marked and takes about 1½ hours. We'll wake early at 3.45am, have breakfast and set off on the trail again by 5.30am to get to Machu Picchu before sunrise. The sky starts getting light by 5:30am and the first rays of the sun reach Machu Picchu at about 7am. The trail contours a mountainside and drops into cloud forest before coming to an almost vertical flight of 50 steps leading up to the final pass at Intipunku (Sun Gate). Suddenly the whole of Machu Picchu is spread out before you in all its glory - a fantastic sight for all.

When you arrive at the ruins you'll have plenty of time to take photos of Machu Picchu from the classic view point'. When the group is back together again we descend to the main entrance where you can safely leave your large backpacks. You can also go to the toilet and have a quick coffee in the restaurant just outside the entrance. The group will re-enter the ruins with the same guide for a complete tour of the major sectors. The tour takes about 2 hours so by about 11:00 you'll have free time to explore the ruins alone. For information about climbing Huayna Picchu (optional) please see our frequently asked questions page.
  
The train back to Cusco departs from Aguas Calientes which is the nearest village to the ruins of Machu Picchu. The train departs at approximately 18:45pm (time can vary subject to ticket availability) and you'll arrive back in Cusco for about 22:30pm. Included in our standard service is the tourist bus from Machu Picchu down to Aguas Calientes, return on the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo where you will be collected and taken by bus back to Cusco. 

  
The food we had on the trek was amazing. Considering the porters had to carry everything from including tables,  chairs, tents, food etc. Their maximum weight limit was 25kg and they did the same trek as we did, but they ran it in sandals. We were told they once ran the trek and did it in marathon time (the treks the same length as a marathon). We were all amazed.

The penultimate day (13th) they made me a birthday cake (no idea how!) as it was my 22nd birthday on the last day.

The trek itself was very hard and challenging in different aspects each day. On the second day we climbed a huge way up at altitude in the heat which was very tiring and a massive challenge for us. The third day we climbed about 1000m downhill on steep stone steps called "gringo killer".

The last day was amazing though when we finally saw machu picchu. We reached the sun gate however it was so foggy the whole thing was impossible to see. However at around 10am ish we saw it and the four day of trekking was 100% worth it. We wandered around absolutely stinking for lack of showers for days while tourists in dresses and bright white shoes distinguished the trekkers from the "lazy gringos".

The best experience of the trip...so far...
 

Cusco

Our bus arrived in Cusco around 4pm and we wandered to our hostel from the station just beating a rainstorm. The hostel is pretty big with a lot of people staying there and so has a good atmosphere. After reading about an English pub which had marmite and real tea, we decided to brave the rain and go look for it for food. After about 45 minutes of walking up and down the same street in the pouring rain and asking numerous people where we could find it, it became apparent that it had in fact closed down, so we went back to the hostel and ate in the restaurant there before chilling out and going to bed. 

The next day was spent just walking around and exploring the city. Our hostel is in the historic centre and there's plenty to see. In the evening the hostel was hosting a neon party which we were more than happy to attend. We were all given free hats, glow sticks and paint and also shots. It was a very good night. 

The next day we were feeling a little fragile to say the least. However we both had a cooked breakfast and went for walk. We didn't do much else except chill out at the hostel and watch tv. In the evening we went to the BBQ the hostel was doing, which was very nice. 

Our main task for the Monday was to sort out paying the rest we owed for our Inca trek. This turned out to be a little more difficult than we had hoped as the ATMs only allowed you to withdraw a limited amount and we also had a limit on the amount of withdrawals we can make in 4 days on our cash card. However once we sorted it, we then headed to Peru Treks to pay and receive a briefing from one of the guides about what the trek would involve. It became clear that the trek was going to be quite a challenge and made us regret not hiring a personal porter, although we were reassured that it was still doable. The rest of the day was spent looking around for a decent supermarket and relaxing at the hostel. 

The Tuesday was a little more productive as we decided to walk up to the Christ statue which overlooks the city. After walking up some pretty steep streets, we were stopped by some guys, who were nice at first, but then it became clear that they just wanted to sell us a horse riding tour. A little further up the road we came to the entrance of the national park. We successfully convinced the guard that we only wanted to visit the statue, which was free, and he let us on our way. The path up the hill was cobbled and it too was steep with plenty of steps. Some good practice for our trek. We eventually reached the top where the statue stands, after venturing through fields and over a wall, avoiding llamas, to get there. The view was impressive and made the journey worthwhile. 

After the workout of the walk, we found a vegan restaurant to have lunch. The food there was ridiculously good, even for a meat eater. The evening was similar to the last where we just chilled at the hostel. 

We decided to take part in the walking tour on Wednesday. It was quite good, although they seemed to miss a lot of what the leaflet said they'd cover. However it was still interesting and we saw some nice areas of the city as well as stopping in the chocolate museum. 

Our last day before our trek was spent sorting our stuff and picking up any last bits and pieces we thought we might need or were recommended to get. These included a waterproof poncho, which were stupidly big, and snacks. We managed to find a shop that sold dairy milk chocolate, twix and skittles so we were all set. So after packing all our things and ensuring we had all we needed, we had an early night as we were due up at 4:45 ready to be picked up between 5:20 and 6:00, to start our 4 day trek to Machu Picchu. 

Puno

After 7 or so hours on a mini bus we arrived in Puno which was much bigger than we thought it would be. We were staying in a hotel for a few nights as it was just as cheap as the hostels so we made our way there. It was 7 pm by the time we got to the hotel so we decided just to eat at the hotel as we were both tired from the journey.
The next day was spent wandering around the large town/city and figuring out how to get to Uros, the floating islands made from reed. We had a lovely dinner of lasagne (veggie one for me) overlooking Plaza Da Armas which is the main square.
We got onto the boat at 10ish the next morning. The boat looked very old and we weren't convinced it would make it. This was supported by the fact they had to balance a small spanner to keep the engine running which they took the lid off. One of the sailors also kept sucking water out of a pipe. However the boat kept cutting out and we ended up the the long reeds several times.
We eventually arrived at Uros without capsizing. The islands were very surreal with everything made out of reed; the floors, houses,  seats and boats. They keep having to rebuilt their islands to stop them rotting away. After an explanation in Spanish on how they make everything we were encouraged to buy some reedy souvenirs however we felt they wouldn't last the journey back to England. We were then taken to another island which had a reed restaurant and a reed post office as well as more houses and gifts stalls. It seemed it was more set up for tourists rather than for people to live there. You could stay the night if you wanted! We then headed back to Puno only stopping a couple of times to restart the engine.
We spent the rest of the day wandering around the city and having a nap. We ate at a little pizza place as staying in a hotel,  you can't really cook your own food.
The next day (4th april) we headed to cusco on another 7 hour bus. This one was pretty luxurious though with massive seats. Cusco is our second to last stop in south america and it is getting very near to us coming back to England for the week! Time flies....

Our first taste of Peru

Our day started with a stroll to the bus station around 9:30. It was very busy as apparently a lot of Chileans hop over to Peru at the weekends. After getting on a bus and giving our passports to some bloke to sort paperwork, we were on our way to the final country of our South American trip. 

We made it through passport control with little fuss and after another 20 minutes on the bus we arrived in the border town of Tacna, two hours behind Chilean time. Our first impressions of both Tacna and Peru were not great at this point. As soon as we got off the bus we were being hassled by people. One guy in particular asked if we needed a bus and, as we did, we said yes. He then insisted that we follow him. As we couldn't speak Spanish and he couldn't speak English, we couldn't get rid of him and had little choice but to follow him over the road to the bus terminal, where he led us to a desk to buy tickets for a bus to Arequipa. The next two hours were spent in the bus station waiting to leave. Here we continued to be hassled by restaurant owners and people selling random tosh like jewellery and watches. 

The bus journey took around 7 hours to get to Arequipa. This involved driving up, down and around some mountains, which was a little nerve racking to say the least, driving close to the edge and, as we were at the front on top, we had a good view of the drop the other side of the barriers. 

Thankfully we arrived in Arequipa safe and sound around 8:30. We got a taxi to our hostel, dropped our bags off and walked into town to find something to eat. Luckily our impressions of Peru soon changed from what we had first felt earlier. Arequipa has a good feeling about it and everyone seems really nice. 

Our next day mainly consisted of relaxing, eating and wandering around, following 14 hours of travelling the previous day. On the second day in the city we went on the walking tour. This one was a little different to others, as we stopped in a number of restaurants and cafes, for samples of food and drink, and also saw some llamas and alpacas in a local place where they made clothes from the wool. It was very interesting. After this we ate, and then watched a movie in the evening. 

Today (1st April) we head to Puno to see Lake Titcaca, the highest navigable body of water in the world. 

Arica

We arrived in Arica just before 6 in the morning. As we had arranged with our hostel to check in around 6:30 we waited around the bus station for half an hour. After walking to the hostel, and apparently waking up the owner, we had a nap, breakfast and decided to go and explore as we were only there for one day before moving on. We went on a walk towards the city centre where there was a pretty cool little square and then made our way back through the high street, which was very busy. On our way back to the hostel we decided to go via the beach. It was pretty massive and was completely empty which was a little odd. However we stopped for some lunch at a cool little restaurant and then went back to the hostel. The rest of the day was spent chilling out, napping and eating before our long day travelling which was to follow.