When most relationships become serious couples talk about getting married and having babies. At that stage of our relationship the discussions were about getting married and hiking the Inca trail to the Machu Picchu. Our four day and three night trek was the first thing we booked for our big South American adventure and our expectations were sky high. With the help of some beautiful weather, an awesome group of fellow trekkers and the most universally impressive tour company we've encountered anywhere in our world travels (Alpaca expeditions), the trek blew away even our expectations. More on all of that later...
We arrived in Cuzco several days before our trek commenced to allow plenty of time to explore the beautiful city and acclimatize to the high altitude of the region. Cuzco was the centre of the Incan empire (in-fact the name Cuzco derives from an indigenous word cosq´o meaning the naval of the earth), and still features plenty of Incan walls and streets. During the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors took over the city and began reshaping it to suit themselves. The Spaniards tore down 80% of the Incan site of Saqsaywanan to build their own houses. They also put the locals to work, building large catholic churches across the city.
As a result, Cuzco features an interesting mix of Incan and Colonial architecture, both beautiful and impressive in their own way. One example of this is Qorikancha, which was originally the most important temple in the Incan empire before the Spaniards looted it and built a Church on top.
One of the main attractions in Cuzco is its Cathedral (and adjoining churches of Jesus Maria and El Triunfo), which sits prominantly at the head of the Plaza de Armas and houses some of the most valuable and interesting artworks in Peru. As our tour guide pointed out, the Incan builders, painters and sculptors who worked on the cathedral were forced to do so and didn't necessarily understand, or agree with, the Catholic faith they were tasked with celebrating. The scene of the last supper, for example, was somewhat lost in translation as the Incan painter included cuy (guinea pig) as the main dish. Our favorites were the cheeky signs of defiance, with Incan religious figures very carefully disguised in otherwise overtly Catholic paintings and sculptures.
As most visitors do, we used Cuzco as a base to explore nearby archiological sites, including Saqsaywaman, Q´enqo, Tambomachay and Pukapukara. Despite being a shadow of its former self, Saqsaywaman was our favourite, not only because the name sounds a lot like sexy woman, but also because it features a 125 tonne rock that we imagine would have taken an army of people to move into place. We also toured the nearby Sacred Valley, visiting the Pisac and Ollantaytambo archiological sites, as well as the Pisac markets and the beautiful small town of Chinchero.
One of the advantages of Cuzco drawing crowds from all over the world is that some foreigners stay and open up nice restaurants. While in Cuzco we enjoyed some really nice crepes, pizza and american-style sandwiches. However, the highlight was still the Peruvian food, and in particular a really nicely cooked piece of alpaca tenderloin.
We arrived in Cuzco several days before our trek commenced to allow plenty of time to explore the beautiful city and acclimatize to the high altitude of the region. Cuzco was the centre of the Incan empire (in-fact the name Cuzco derives from an indigenous word cosq´o meaning the naval of the earth), and still features plenty of Incan walls and streets. During the 16th century, Spanish conquistadors took over the city and began reshaping it to suit themselves. The Spaniards tore down 80% of the Incan site of Saqsaywanan to build their own houses. They also put the locals to work, building large catholic churches across the city.
As a result, Cuzco features an interesting mix of Incan and Colonial architecture, both beautiful and impressive in their own way. One example of this is Qorikancha, which was originally the most important temple in the Incan empire before the Spaniards looted it and built a Church on top.
One of the main attractions in Cuzco is its Cathedral (and adjoining churches of Jesus Maria and El Triunfo), which sits prominantly at the head of the Plaza de Armas and houses some of the most valuable and interesting artworks in Peru. As our tour guide pointed out, the Incan builders, painters and sculptors who worked on the cathedral were forced to do so and didn't necessarily understand, or agree with, the Catholic faith they were tasked with celebrating. The scene of the last supper, for example, was somewhat lost in translation as the Incan painter included cuy (guinea pig) as the main dish. Our favorites were the cheeky signs of defiance, with Incan religious figures very carefully disguised in otherwise overtly Catholic paintings and sculptures.
As most visitors do, we used Cuzco as a base to explore nearby archiological sites, including Saqsaywaman, Q´enqo, Tambomachay and Pukapukara. Despite being a shadow of its former self, Saqsaywaman was our favourite, not only because the name sounds a lot like sexy woman, but also because it features a 125 tonne rock that we imagine would have taken an army of people to move into place. We also toured the nearby Sacred Valley, visiting the Pisac and Ollantaytambo archiological sites, as well as the Pisac markets and the beautiful small town of Chinchero.
One of the advantages of Cuzco drawing crowds from all over the world is that some foreigners stay and open up nice restaurants. While in Cuzco we enjoyed some really nice crepes, pizza and american-style sandwiches. However, the highlight was still the Peruvian food, and in particular a really nicely cooked piece of alpaca tenderloin.
On the morning of our hike we were picked up at 4:20 and driven to kilometer 82, the starting point for the inca trail. At that stage most of the trekkers in our group were a little nervous, but those nerves turned to excitement as we started the relatively flat 14km walk to our first campsite. Along the way we saw the first archeological site, Llactapata, and enjoyed views of the snow capped mount Verónica. Our campsite was a couple of kilometers uphill from most others, and as a result we enjoyed seeing the sun set over the beautiful valley below. At dinner our guides assured us that the most scenic part of the trek was still ahead of us, which was good news since nobody had been disappointed with he scenery on day one.
Day two was the toughest, featuring a steep climb to Warmiwañuska (or dead woman's pass), the highest point on the trail (at 4200 meters), followed by an equally steep descent. We had lunch where most trekkers camp, then took on a second climb to a false summit at 4000 meters. We arrived at our camp site just before sunset having covered 18 tricky kilometers on a long day. Although we were all tired, we were proud that we'd all made it in one piece and that nobody had succumbed to altitude sickness. The weather on day two was generally foggy and we got a little bit of rain, but if anything it probably helped that we couldn't see any more than 50 meters of the daunting trail ahead.
Our reward for covering so much territory in the first two days was that our hike on day three was at a relatively relaxed pace. On a beautiful sunny morning we enjoyed stunning views from the third pass and the nearby ruin of Phuyupatamarka. From there we descended steeply, shedding layers as we watched the vegetation change to match the lowering altitude. We arrived at our third campsite in time for a late lunch, hot shower (not a typo) and short nap. Just before sunset we visited the nearby ruin labelled 'the mini Machu Picchu', where our porters handed each of us t-shirts to congratulate us for making it. At the end of what was our favorite day on the trek we enjoyed one final dinner with our guides and fellow trekkers, who we'd become good friends with by then.
Day four started at 3am as we quickly packed our bags and rushed down to the nearby checkpoint to ensure we were one of the first groups let through at sun rise. After a steep climb we arrived at the sun gate and got our first view of the Machu Picchu. The weather was again kind to us, and one of our enduring memories of the trek will be watching the sun rise over the Machu Picchu. Having descended to join thousands of other, more nicely dressed, tourists, our guides gave us a tour of the lost city. Next, a few of us climbed Wayna Picchu (the mountain you see behind the Machu Picchu in all the postcard photos) to see the condor shaped city from a different angle. We met up with the rest of our group for lunch in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes before boarding the train and bus back to Cuzco. After a nice hot shower we met up with our new friends in Cuzco for dinner before saying goodbye.
Day two was the toughest, featuring a steep climb to Warmiwañuska (or dead woman's pass), the highest point on the trail (at 4200 meters), followed by an equally steep descent. We had lunch where most trekkers camp, then took on a second climb to a false summit at 4000 meters. We arrived at our camp site just before sunset having covered 18 tricky kilometers on a long day. Although we were all tired, we were proud that we'd all made it in one piece and that nobody had succumbed to altitude sickness. The weather on day two was generally foggy and we got a little bit of rain, but if anything it probably helped that we couldn't see any more than 50 meters of the daunting trail ahead.
Our reward for covering so much territory in the first two days was that our hike on day three was at a relatively relaxed pace. On a beautiful sunny morning we enjoyed stunning views from the third pass and the nearby ruin of Phuyupatamarka. From there we descended steeply, shedding layers as we watched the vegetation change to match the lowering altitude. We arrived at our third campsite in time for a late lunch, hot shower (not a typo) and short nap. Just before sunset we visited the nearby ruin labelled 'the mini Machu Picchu', where our porters handed each of us t-shirts to congratulate us for making it. At the end of what was our favorite day on the trek we enjoyed one final dinner with our guides and fellow trekkers, who we'd become good friends with by then.
Day four started at 3am as we quickly packed our bags and rushed down to the nearby checkpoint to ensure we were one of the first groups let through at sun rise. After a steep climb we arrived at the sun gate and got our first view of the Machu Picchu. The weather was again kind to us, and one of our enduring memories of the trek will be watching the sun rise over the Machu Picchu. Having descended to join thousands of other, more nicely dressed, tourists, our guides gave us a tour of the lost city. Next, a few of us climbed Wayna Picchu (the mountain you see behind the Machu Picchu in all the postcard photos) to see the condor shaped city from a different angle. We met up with the rest of our group for lunch in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes before boarding the train and bus back to Cuzco. After a nice hot shower we met up with our new friends in Cuzco for dinner before saying goodbye.
We usually try not to fill our blog posts with detailed reviews of tour companies (we figure that's what tripadvisor is for) but we'll make one brief, worthy, exception for Alpaca expeditions. In short, they ensured we always had the best of everything. Our guides were informative at the sites, direct when they needed to be (to make sure we stayed ahead of the crowds) and hilarious and friendly all the rest of the time. The chef consistently produced multi-course meals that you'd be happy to get from a fully equipped permanent kitchen. We were also the only trekkers to get some much welcomed creature comforts, including coca tea at the top of dead woman's pass and a warm shower on day three. Best of all, the company, which is owned by a former porter, looked after it's porters better than any other (including kitting them out with North Face equipment). When asked to provide suggestions for improvement on our feedback form it really was impossible to think of anything.
Anyone thinking about doing the inca trail should definitely give Alpaca serious consideration. You should also try to do it as soon as possible. Unfortunately we saw many signs that tourism is starting to swallow up the whole Cuzco region (even though we deliberately came during the quieter period between the wet and dry seasons). For example, each day 5,000 tourists pay 20 US dollars to visit the Cathedral which, in smaller crowds, we're sure would be a much more impressive and tranquil place. Climbing Wayna Picchu already attracts a large fee and, we think, an unsafe mass of people who are prepared to pay it (but in many cases not physically prepared for the steep climb and descent).
We're told there was a small window of opportunity a little over a decade ago, after the Peruvian government had got terrorism under control but before the crowds really started rushing in, when Cuzco and the inca trail were probably at their best. That's when Sam's grandparents, lifelong travelers and professional travel writers who put us to shame, came to the region. But that's in the past - our best advice now is come as soon as you can get a hold of an inca trail permit. In the next couple of years a new international airport will open and tickets to the Machu Picchu will have a time limit on them.
Some places are supposed to be busy, like nightclubs and theme parks. However, Incan religion, architecture and culture was always focussed on nature, and the reality is that every train-catching, coke-sipping and selfie-snapping day tourist dilutes every other tourist's ability to fully appreciate the Machu Picchu, sun gate, sacred valley and other ruins. The real advantage of doing the inca trail is that it's the only archeological experience in the region with a head count limit. For this reason (together with choosing a tour company that kept us ahead of the pack) in many ways the ruins we enjoyed and appreciated most were those that we saw between kilometer 82 and the sun gate.
Anyone thinking about doing the inca trail should definitely give Alpaca serious consideration. You should also try to do it as soon as possible. Unfortunately we saw many signs that tourism is starting to swallow up the whole Cuzco region (even though we deliberately came during the quieter period between the wet and dry seasons). For example, each day 5,000 tourists pay 20 US dollars to visit the Cathedral which, in smaller crowds, we're sure would be a much more impressive and tranquil place. Climbing Wayna Picchu already attracts a large fee and, we think, an unsafe mass of people who are prepared to pay it (but in many cases not physically prepared for the steep climb and descent).
We're told there was a small window of opportunity a little over a decade ago, after the Peruvian government had got terrorism under control but before the crowds really started rushing in, when Cuzco and the inca trail were probably at their best. That's when Sam's grandparents, lifelong travelers and professional travel writers who put us to shame, came to the region. But that's in the past - our best advice now is come as soon as you can get a hold of an inca trail permit. In the next couple of years a new international airport will open and tickets to the Machu Picchu will have a time limit on them.
Some places are supposed to be busy, like nightclubs and theme parks. However, Incan religion, architecture and culture was always focussed on nature, and the reality is that every train-catching, coke-sipping and selfie-snapping day tourist dilutes every other tourist's ability to fully appreciate the Machu Picchu, sun gate, sacred valley and other ruins. The real advantage of doing the inca trail is that it's the only archeological experience in the region with a head count limit. For this reason (together with choosing a tour company that kept us ahead of the pack) in many ways the ruins we enjoyed and appreciated most were those that we saw between kilometer 82 and the sun gate.
