Mexico - Cancun

Today was another lazy day spent wandering around Cancun and then lazing by the pool. It was nice to relax and enjoy some heat before heading to the snow of Colorado for Christmas.

Tonight we also met our new group of 15 who we will join and travel through Belize and Guatemala with. In this group we have 3 from South Africa, 1 from NZ, 2 from Scotland, 1 from Wales, and the rest are from Oz. Seemingly another great group all around our age which should make the final week of hard core travel fun!

Mexico - Cancun

After a fabulous sleep in our kingsize bed we rose and went out to discover a little of what Cancun has to offer. We wandered down the main avenue and found ourselves at a rather large shopping complex and well, we went shopping :-). Although, thankfully we had left most of the money and the credit card at the hotel so we couldn’t spend much in the fantastic variety of clothes shops.

Exhausted we headed back to the hotel keen for a swim and lazy afternoon by the pool but as the weather cooled down a little we found ourselves watching movies instead. Then, for dinner we ventured out to La Parilla, a Mexican restaurant that was recommended to us by the hotel staff. Unfortunately it was a little too touristic but we enjoyed some traditional Mexican fare and the Mariachi.

Ecuador - Quito

This morning we wandered around a little more of Quito that we hadn’t really explored yet, enjoyed a nice coffee, and did a little shopping. We then made our way to the airport for our flight to Cancun, Mexico.

Ecuador - Cotopaxi

We departed Banos this morning to the low pitched grumbles of Tungurahua and a lot of ash still in the air. A short way along the road out of Banos we stopped for one last look at the volcano and what do you know, she erupted again!! Because it was daylight we could not see the glow of the lava but the smoke and ash plumes were going very high into the air. It was very cool to see in daylight as well!

Our route back to Quito took us along the Pan American highway which is known in these parts as “The Avenue of Volcanoes” as it is lined on either side by the East and West Andes which consists of many volcanoes, quite a number of which are still active, but not erupting at this moment. We got to see remnants of partly buried towns and villages which in the past have been devastated by these volcanoes and also saw where some of the roads used to be, approximately 10m below the current road. 

On our way back we passed through Atambo and Latacunga, capitals of their respective provinces, and we stopped at Yambo Lake and Cotopaxi National Park. Cotopaxi National Park is named after Cotopaxi Volcano whose crater sits at 5897m, is no longer active, and is the main attraction. We viewed the museum and then drove up to the parking area for base camp at 4500m. We were planning on walking up to base camp and then on to the snow line but the parking area was already in the snow, the track had been snowed over, and the visibility was terrible so we decided to abort that idea. We returned down to 3800m to Lake Limpiopungo for lunch.

After lunch we made our way to Quito where we said our goodbyes to our driver, George, and tour guide, Alexandro, and then enjoyed our last group dinner.

Ecuador - Banos

Firstly this morning we and two other couples from our group rented some Dune Buggies to cruise the surrounding area of Banos. We travelled out of town and along some small country roads, it was quite a fun morning until everyone else’s buggies started to break.... thankfully nothing too serious so we all returned safely. After lunch we enjoyed a massage and did some shopping. 

We then joined up with the rest of our group and drove up to a lookout called ‘The Tree House’ from where we could get a great view of Tungurahua Volcano which is the active volcano that overlooks Banos.  At the lookout there is a station which is manned by Carlos, a volunteer who monitors the activity of the volcano and has done for the last 10 years. The Tree House is actually a small carved out area in the trunk of a large tree on top of the mountain that acts as a shelter for Carlos when the volcano erupts. All day the volcano had been grumbling and there was a fair amount of ash in the air but this was nothing compared with what we were about to witness on top of the mountain just 2.5km from the crater of the volcano. Carlos gave us a little talk about the volcano, its previous eruptions, and the complex system of monitoring its activity, as well the towns evacuation plans and then we went outside to watch this magnificent mountain as her rumbles were becoming more frequent. With our eyes fixed, the thundering noises became louder and then she erupted. The bright red hot molten lava came exploding out of the top and through some of the smaller cracks in the side of the volcano. It was brief but absolutely awesome, yet another amazing experience for this year... and Jack got his birthday wish!

Ecuador - Banos

We departed the jungle this morning and drove towards Banos. On the way we stopped at Rio Verde to view the magnificent Pailon Di Diablo (“Pot of the Devil”) waterfall. It was spectacular! After viewing it fromt he suspension bridge we climbed up the side of the mountain to view it from a different vantage point and then crawled in under some rocks, along the path, to stand behind it. This was fantastic, if not a little wet :-). The sheer volume of water passing over the rocks was amazing and the noise was deafening. 

After lunch we had a short, fast, and slightly scary ride in a cable car across a gorge just outside Banos. The cable car was not quite what we imagine when we hear cable car... but it took us across the gorge to see another waterfall, Manto de Lanovia, and brought us back in one piece, so I guess it can’t have been too bad can it?!

Ecuador - Amazon Jungle

Following breakfast this morning we went for a 2 hour walk through the Jungle to the rescue centre. Although we didn’t see any exciting wildlife, the walk was interesting, we were also very glad we all had Wellington Boots on as the mud in some places was a little deep. 

The rescue centre, however, had lots of interesting wildlife including Toucans, Green and Blue Headed Parrots, Capybara, Ocelots, Spider Monkeys, White Capuchins, Caymans, Turtles, and some others. 

To return to our lodge we rode tubes down the river which was refreshing and relaxing, if not a little slow. 

After lunch we went across the river to a local village where we visited a lady in her home and watched a demonstration on how to make Chicha (a Latin American beer type drink) from Cassava. We were also taught how to shoot an arrow through a traditional blow gun but all failed to hit the target :-). Next we went across the Napo River to Napo where we watched a demonstration on the local ceramic art which is made form the very fine clay of the river bed. 

Ecuador - Amazon Jungle

We left Quito via the old road towards the Jungle which let us see another part of the historic side of Quito. The road we travelled along took us between the Cayamba-Coco and the Antisana National Park, both named after the volcanoes that feature in them. About mid morning we stopped in a town called Papallacta which is famous for its thermal springs. Whilst some of the group went for a dip, we enjoyed a nice warm drink in the adjacent hotel. After this we all went for a walk through the nearby rainforest and along the river. It was absolutely stunning except that about 10 minutes in it decided to rain quite heavily which made it not so enjoyable. 

After lunch we drove to our lodge in the Amazon which sits in the Napo Valley on a tributary off the Napo River. The lodge was set up by a Swiss couple in conjunction with the Native people and runs an animal rescue centre, Amazoonicas, and a school for the local children. 

Ecuador - Otovalo

Today we drove to Otavalo, a small city approximately 84km through the Andes from Quito. On the way we crossed the Equator, and stopped at a lookout. The lookout was to view the snow capped Cayamba Volcano, the valley and the river that runs from the volcano.

Otavalo is famous for its market which extends in multiple directions from one of the town squares. It is huge. Walking around we were able to see the difference in the artisanal styles from Peru and Bolivia as well as see a lot of women dressed in their traditional dress. Otavalo is one of the few towns left that still dress widely in their traditional clothes, for the women it is hand embroidered blouses and the men in ponchos with long braids. This is because the government has financially encouraged the indigenous people to live and dress in a way that maintains their culture.

On the way to lunch we stopped at a second view point which was in Cotocachi-Cayapa Ecological Reserve and overlooks an absolutely stunning crater lake in Cotocachi Volcano. 

We stopped for lunch in Cotachi village and decided it was time to try the Latin American Speciality of Guinea Pig. Once we got over the fact that we were eating Guinea Pig we decided that it really wasn’t anything special. It tasted like the thigh meat from chicken and was quite oily but at least we tried it. Cotachi Village is famous for its leather production and goods so after lunch we of course went shopping! 

We returned to Quito for the night and got ourselves ready to head to the Amazon Jungle again tomorrow, this time from the Ecuador side. 

Ecuador - Quito

This morning our guide took us to the old centre of Quito and showed us around. The trip on the local bus was an experience. It took us three buses to actually get onto the bus because they were so full and one literally had to push past the poor people that were trying to get off in order to get on before the doors closed. It was a challenge.

On our tour we learnt a little about the history of Ecuador and the colonial Spanish occupation as well the revolution to independence in the early 1800’s. We visited some of the old city’s many churches, including the Basilica in which we climbed up to the very top of one of its spires for a spectacular view over the city, the Iglesia De La Compania de Jesus which is famous for its almost entire gold leaf interior architecture and art, and San Francisco Cathedral, where apparently an Incan Palace stood before the Spanish Invasion. After lunch we also briefly went up El Panecillo which is a small hill that also allows you to see a great panoramic view over the city and has a 30m high statue of La Virgen de Quito.

Once we finished this tour we visited the National Museum which has a fantastic collection of artefacts and information about the history of Ecuador from over 6000 years ago. It was a good way to get an understanding of the complex history of this little country.

Todays photo is another from the Galapagos.

Ecuador - Galapagos Islands

Up early this morning to make our shore landing on Seymour Island. While we were waiting to board our tender there were a couple of Sharks cruising around the back of our boat. On the island, which is the well known nesting and breeding ground for Frigate Birds and Blue Footed Boobies, we walked observing the mating calls and dances of these birds. Male Frigates are particularly impressive during the mating season as they have what looks like a bright red piece of skin on their throat which they inflate when they are trying to attract a mate. The juvenile Frigates were very cute as they were trying to learn to fly and they were playing with sticks to teach themselves how to pick up fish. The Blue Footed Boobie chicks were also beautiful balls of white fluffy feathers.  On our way back to the boat we saw a brand new Sea Lion with its mother and father (who was sleeping), so new that it still had its umbilical cord and the mother still had remnants of the placenta near her. The miracle of nature and child birth is touching no matter what the species. 

After this fabulous start to the day we motored to Baltra to catch our transfer to the airport, unfortunately our trip to the Galapagos had come to an end. We said our good byes to our great crew and travelled to the airport.

Our flight back was uneventful and our afternoon in Quito was also pretty lazy. Tonight, though, we met our new guide for the Ecuador part of our trip and two new additions to our group.

Ecuador - Galapagos Islands

This morning we went ashore on Bartolome Island and climbed to the summit of the volcano for an amazing view over the Galapagos. We then went on a short walk to South Beach along the golden sands and saw a giant Turtle on the beach and some white tipped reef sharks in the shallows. On the way to the beach in our tender we also saw some Galapagos Penguins which are the second smallest penguin in the world behind Australia’s Fairy Penguin. After our walk we were taken around the point on our tender and snorkelled back to the beach. The snorkelling again was gorgeous, we saw heaps of different brightly coloured fish as well as a Flounder hiding in the sand, and a Stingray.

We motored to Sombrero Chino which is an island that from a distance looks like a Chinaman’s hat. We went for an afternoon snorkel which was our last snorkel in the Galapagos and was an amazing finale! This afternoon we watched Marine Iguanas graze on the algae on the rocks, three Sharks, lots of fish, and... to finish we swam along side some Penguins! Brilliant! 

Again after a hot shower to warm up we went ashore. Sombrero Chino beach reminded us of home, the sand was white and the water was blue. We learnt that white beaches are the result of thousands of years of breakdown of coral and other organic materials. It was just a short walk around to the other side of the island in which we saw two Hawks, baby Sea Lions, and Marine Iguana’s. On each of our walks in the last couple of days we have also seen a couple of snakes and plenty of endemic Lizards, as well as quite a number of different birds.

Late this afternoon we motored to Seymour Island. It was pretty rough motoring, the swell was massive. The highlight of the trip and a nice break to take our mind off the rolling motion of the boat was a pod of Common Dolphins playing in the distance and a few playful Bottle-nosed Dolphins playing in the bow wave of the boat. They were very cute. 

Once we anchored we enjoyed a Pisco Sour with the crew of the boat to say our thank you’s, and then enjoyed our last delicious dinner of the cruise.

Ecuador - Galapagos Islands

After a fairly average nights sleep thanks to the rough seas we woke at our new destination, Rabida Island.

We went ashore and our guide, Rafael, took us for a walk around the Island to explore the environment. Each island has unique features, for example Rabida has red sand secondary to the Iron oxide content of the volcanic rock that has broken down to form the sand. It also has no land Iguanas or Tortoises therefore is the only island in the Galapagos that has cactuses with soft spines. All cactuses in the entire archipelago are endemic to the Galapagos which means they are found no where else in the world. Some of our group went for a snorkel off the beach but the water was a subarctic temperature so we just hung out on the beach.

After getting back on the boat we motored to Santiago Island and anchored in James Bay to enjoy lunch. We braved the cold water after lunch and went snorkelling in James Bay. It was an awesome experience to swim with Sea Lions, and a Galapagos Green Turtle, as well as many beautiful fish. There was one particular juvenile Sea Lion that was very playful and was swimming with us, sometimes straight at us, and flipping a sea urchin on its nose. She was very cute! We returned to the boat warmed up with a hot shower and then went ashore for a walk. 

James Bay is a black beach owing to the lava flows that constitute its make up. The bays landscape was extremely picturesque. The lava flow patterns combined with erosion from wind and the sea have formed some amazing natural rock formations. James Bay is also the home of the Galapagos Fur Seal and we enjoyed watching a large colony on the rocks. We also saw a huge number of Marine Iguanas, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, and a few different birds including the Yellow Warble, and the American Oyster Catcher. 

This afternoon we motored to Bartolome Island. On the way we passed some beautiful scenery and rocks including Buccaneer bay which is so named because it was a place where pirates used to hide their ships, Elephant Rock, and Monk Rock.  

Ecuador - Galapagos Islands

We finally met our guide this morning at 0600 on our way to the airport to fly to the Galapagos Islands but she was only there to ensure we got checked in on the right plane and got through security, after that it was up to us to get to Baltra Island and find our local guide at the airport.

The flight was 2 hours to Baltra and relatively uneventful until we were landing when saw our first Land Iguana who was sunning himself on the edge of the runway - welcome to the Galapagos! We were met at the airport by our local guide and made our way by bus and ferry to Santa Cruz Island, the second largest but most heavily populated island of the archipelago with 20,000 inhabitants. From Santa Cruz we boarded our boat “Yate Darwin” and enjoyed a scrumptious lunch.

After lunch we visited the Darwin Research centre which is the main centre for research into the conservation of the Galapagos as well as breeding programs to ensure the continuation of species that were once near extinction. During the afternoon we were fortunate to see many Giant Galapagos Tortoises which were the first animals seen by the explorers. These tortoises have 2 different shell shapes but the one the explorers saw was saddle shaped and Galapagos means saddle in Spanish so the Islands were named Galapagos. We also saw the famous “Lonesome George” who is the only Tortoise of his kind left and was found on Pinta Island all alone, hence the name.  The other animals we saw included baby tortoises at varying stages of development which will later be released back to their home island, as well as land Iguanas. It was a very interesting afternoon and great insight into the dangers and threats that the islands face.

We had a brief look around the centre of the town before boarding our boat again to get settled into our rooms and have dinner.

In bed relatively early as we knew that our sleep would not be the best as the boat was due to set sail from about midnight bound for Rabida Island. 

Ecuador-Quito

After a very lazy morning we wandered toward the historical colonial centre of Quito. We were amazed at how many people were out and about on bikes and wandering through the beautiful parks. It was a lovely site. As we reached the colonial centre we realised it must be a special day as there were performances in each of the main squares of local dancing and music. We simply just explored the streets and absorbed the atmosphere as we return to Quito a couple of times before leaving Ecuador.

It was no more than a couple of hours after we started exploring when the sky decided to open so we made our way back to the hotel and watched a movie before heading to our next “pre-departure” meeting to meet our new group and guide! Unfortunately this didn’t happen as our guide called in sick.

Ecuador-Quito

We arrived in Quito around 3pm this afternoon and after settling into our hotel we set out to explore the area around it. The hotel is seemingly located in the new central area of Quito... or at least that is the impression the map gives. Being a Saturday afternoon not much was happening but we did manage to find a gorgeous big park with some local markets in it to explore :-). We then found a supermarket and bought some essentials before heading back to the hotel as it started to rain.

Peru - Lima

This morning we had a little sleep in and then met for breakfast with the rest of our group so we could say good bye to our guide. It has been a really fun 35 days but all good things come to and end.

The five of us wandered into see the changing of the guard at the presidential palace but instead we witnessed the comings and goings of a few foreign diplomats and the ceremony that accompanied them. We then found the Museum of Inquisition which unfortunately was all in Spanish but as it is in the building that was the home to the Inquisition between 1570 to 1820 it was still interesting to see.

We then made our way to the Monastery of San Francisco and its Catacombs. The Church was completed in 1774 and still stands despite being on fault lines. It has survived many earth quakes because it was constructed with bamboo and mud so is flexible. The library was absolutely amazing and holds books from the late 1400’s. The catacombs were also really interesting and were the only public cemetery of that time so have the remains of an estimated 70,000 people including the 3000-5000 people who were executed during the inquisition.

After finishing at the monastery we made our way back to our hotel wandering through some artisan’s markets and different streets of Lima and then chilled out for the rest of the day before bidding farewell to Jess, the first of our group to depart. 

Peru - Ballesta Islands

We took a boat ride this morning out through the Ballesta Islands which are a picturesque group of Islands in the Paracas Bay off Peru’s coast. They are the home to many different bird species, including Humboldt Penguins, Pelicans, Cormorants, and Boobies, as well as a large Sea Lion colony. The Islands are also the source of ‘guano’ or bird droppings which is collected and exported to Europe as fertiliser. On our trip we encountered a number of Dolphins which were in the bay waiting for the fish waste from the trawlers. 

We then enjoyed an early lunch of fresh fish before catching a bus to Peru’s capital Lima.

Before dinner our guide took us to the ‘Circuito Magico del Agua’ which means the Magical Circuit of Water and is a park in the city which is full of fountains of all shapes and sizes and also puts on light show within one of the fountains. It was very cool and is a nice example of how with the right direction a city can change its image (our tour guides words). Our group then enjoyed its last dinner together followed by a Pisco Sour (cocktail) at the hotel in which it was invented.

Peru - Huacachina Oasis

This morning we were picked up from our hotel in Nazca in a couple of old American cars, a Dodge and a Chevrolet, to drive along the Pan American highway to the Huacachina Oasis approximately 2 hours down the road. On the way we stopped off at the lookout point from where we could see two of the Nazca line formations, the Hands and the Tree.

At the Oasis we went cruising through the dunes of the Ica Desert on a dune buggy intermixed with some sand boarding. It was not quite as fun as Namibia but still a great way to spend the morning. After getting up close and personal with the sand we had lunch and chilled out by the pool for the afternoon. We then caught a local bus to Pisco, the home of the famous alcoholic drink, where we would spend the night.

Peru - Nazca

We arrived in Nazca around 0630 this morning all feeling a little tired after the night bus journey, although thankfully we were able to check into our hotel as soon as we arrived.

Nazca is a small town in a valley surrounded by mountains in the Ica desert. It is famous for its “Nazca Lines” for which there are many theories about how they came about. They are thought to have been etched in the sands by three different pre-Incan civilisations: The Paracas people, 900BC-200BC; The Nazca people dating from approximately 200BC to 600AD; and the settlers from Ayacucho around 630AD. However really no-one actually knows when, how, or why these lines were formed. 

After a rest and shower we travelled to the airport for our scenic flight over the famous Nazca Lines. The flight was around 40min and was a brilliant way to see these phenomenon as each one measures anywhere from 32m to 300m in size which makes them impossible to appreciate from the ground.

We went into town for a traditional Peruvian lunch of Ceviche (a raw fish salad, similar to T.I. namis), leche de tigre (milk of the seafood - the juices from the marinade process of the Ceviche served in a glass), and Arroz con Mariscos (a seafood Paella type meal). It was all delicious. After lunch we returned to our hotel and relaxed for the afternoon to the sounds of the waterfall running into the pool.

Peru - Colca Canyon

An early rise this morning to drive further into the canyon to see the local population of Condors. We arrived at “Condor Crossing” at around 8am and were fortunate to see five Condors at different times soaring through the canyon. It was amazing to see these magnificent birds moving through the air at up to 70km per hour.

We had a long bus ride back to Arequipa and spent the afternoon relaxing in the sun waiting for our night bus journey to Nazca.

Peru - Colca Canyon

This morning we drove into the Colca Valley. The Colca Canyon was formed 1000’s of years ago by a volcanic eruption. The landscape was dotted with terraces both Incan and pre-Incan which the farmers still use today. In the late afternoon we swam in some thermal pools which was extremely relaxing.

After our swim we enjoyed dinner and a show of traditional dancing in a local restaurant.

Peru - Arequipa

This morning we flew from Cusco to Arequipa. Arequipa is a city of over 1million and sits at the foot of El Misti Volcano. Most of the city is built of sillar, a pearly white volcanic material which is why it has a nickname of being “the White City”. It is the gateway to the Colca Canyon and is also now famous for the discovery of “Juanita”, a Incan child who was sacrificed over 500yrs ago but has been frozen so is extremely well preserved.

We spent our afternoon visiting the Santa Catalina Convent and the museum where Juanita is housed. Santa Catalina Convent was only opened to the public in 1970 after four centuries of mystery. The convent was once filled with the daughters of wealthy families. The first born daughter would be married and the second born daughter would be sent to the convent usually at age 12. The families had to pay a one off dowry of 1000 pesos and would then still be responsible for their keep and have to build them houses within the confines of the convent walls. After 4 years training as novices the girls were offered a position as a nun, if they declined they would be sent from the convent and disowned by their families. The convent has been refurbished and some of the original furniture items remain so it is really interesting to walk around and see how the Nuns used to live. The current Nuns now live next door in a more modern convent.

The museum where Juanita is housed was also very interesting. It has artefacts from the graves of Juanita and the other 2 sacrificed children that were found on the mountains. As well as explaining the history and culture behind the sacrifices of these children.

After this we all met up again at a terrace restaurant to watch sunset which was beautiful.

Peru - Cusco

After a great nights sleep we enjoyed a scrumptious breakfasts at “Jacks Cafe” which has the best coffee in Cusco if not Peru, as well as amazing meals! We spent the rest of the morning wandering around Cusco and its official souvenir market, which was massive, picking up any last minute gifts. Around lunch time we made our way to the Patisserie/ Bakery again for our last Frappuccino. We then enjoyed a fabulous and much needed hour long massage working out some of the soreness that had built up in the muscles over the last few days.

For dinner tonight we celebrated finishing the Inca Trail with Alex, our Tucan guide, and Julio, our trek guide, at “Fallen Angel” restaurant. Wow, what an experience!! Fallen Angel is a restaurant owned and staffed entirely by gay people but that is not why it is spectacular. It is an assault on the senses with the interior design being amazing and the food being absolutely delicious. There are also 5 star hotel rooms above the restaurant which are all individually themed with names like, “Passion”, and “Tranquility”. The design ideas in these rooms are fabulous and would make spending the few hundred USD for a night well worth it! 

Peru - Inca Trail Day 4

Inca Trail Day 4 

Distance 4.5km + walking around Machu Picchu

Altitude 2700m - 2430m - Cusco 3300m

Our wake up call was at 0330 this morning as we had to get to the final check point and line up with the rest of the trekking groups. We made it there by 0430 but were still the 5th group in line. The control point opened at 0530 from which we had around an hours fast walk to “Sun Gate”, the entrance to Machu Picchu. Sun Gate is named so because as the sun rises, the rays pass through this gate and shine on Machu Picchu. Unfortunately this morning the valley was clouded in until well after the sun had risen so we could not witness this phenomenon. However, when the clouds did lift we were sitting at Sun Gate waiting, and were rewarded with an absolutely spectacular view over Machu Picchu and the amazing valley.

Machu Picchu is famous for its geographical position and because it was the best preserved of all the Incan Ruins probably because when it was found in 1911 it was completely overgrown and protected by jungle. It is built of black granite and is on a 250million year old ridge of Machu Picchu mountain at an altitude of 2432m. The “Lost City of the Incas” is phenomenal! The architecture and engineering from 600yrs ago display astounding forward thinking. It was a beautiful and breathtaking experience to be able to explore and learn about this ancient civilisation.

Our brilliant day had another surprise in store when Brii and Jess, a friend on our trip, went to see the “Inca Bridge” which was a short walk away from Machu PIcchu. The bridge itself was very cool and yet another display of amazing ingenuity, but even better was the sighting of an extremely rare Spectacled Bear and her cub crossing the path. 

Our return journey to Cusco consisted of a bus ride off the mountain then a 2h scenic train ride through the valley seeing the mountains and ruins we had walked through over the last four days, then a one and a half hour bus ride to our hotel. We finally arrived at 8pm, enjoyed our first hot shower in four days, and climbed into bed for a well deserved sleep!

Peru - Inca Trail Day 3

Inca Trail Day 3 

Distance 19km

Altitude 3600m - 3950m - 3540m - 3670m - 2700m

Up at 0500 again this morning ready for our longest day and hoping that the weather would be better. Thankfully we were in luck. The weather had cleared and the view was absolutely spectacular!

Today we covered two mountain passes, the first was 3950m after which we had to descend to 3540m before ascending again to 3670m. Thankfully we stopped for lunch between the passes... although this was only 1045. The panoramic was absolutely stunning from the top of each pass and from the top of the third pass we caught our first glimpse of Machu Picchu Mountain, the mountain that overlooks the sacred site of Machu Picchu. Our guide, Julio, also made today more special as at one point when we were all feeling quite tired after just starting our descent over the second pass we heard this magical traditional bamboo flute music coming from the mountains. Little did we know that Julio had walked ahead of us and had stopped at a beautiful point on the mountain and started playing his flute. It was so calming and tranquil, once we reached him we all stopped for a rest and continued to listen to him play his Incan melodies. Throughout the rest of the day we would intermittently hear the flute calling us and sometimes he would be with us and play, which astounded us because we were all usually puffing our way up a hill.

After lunch we had the option of taking the regular well trodden trail to our 3rd and final camp or to take an alternative route that was also a trail but one that had not been regularly used since the early 90’s. Of course we chose the alternative route with the promise of being able to Machu Picchu at the end of it, as well as seeing an Incan ruin that was completely overgrown the way they all were once found... including Machu Picchu.

The trail was great fun. We really felt like we were jungle bashing off the beaten path as it was only just wide enough for us to pass in parts and was in need of clearing. This trail took us along a ridge of a mountain and at the end there was a clearing for communication towers which allowed us a perfect spot to enjoy our first view of Machu Picchu - it was very cool! About half way along the ridge we climbed down into the promised untouched ruins, wow! It was like walking into another world, we really felt like explorers. The ruins were covered in moss and had trees growing out of parts. It was awesome. After resting overlooking Machu Picchu we made our descent. The tracks we followed seemed more like it was goat and water run off tracks than walking tracks but we all made it, although a few of our group slid on their bottoms for a good deal of it :-). We arrived at the top of another set of Incan Terraces which the main track goes through as well but by this time it was after 6pm so we didn’t really explore too much, instead we just continued on trying to get back to camp before complete darkness engulfed us.

We arrived to camp around 1830 to the applause of our porters, dropped our bags in our tents and enjoyed a beer!

Exhausted we were all in bed by 8pm again keen to rest for our final walk into Machu Picchu tomorrow.

Peru - Inca Trail Day 2

Inca Trail Day 2

Distance 9km

Altitude change 3100m - 4200m - 3600m

After a great nights sleep we were woken at 5am by one of our beautiful porters with the offer of a hot tea and some warm water to wash in. The morning was misty and the low cloud cover in the valley was stunning. We left camp around 0630 climbing towards Dead Woman’s Pass which is at 4200m. This mountain pass is so named because from a distance it appears like a woman lying on her back. The actual mountain we climbed over is the woman’s breast, nipple and all!

The morning was tough! The weather was cool and drizzly and the clouds did not really ever lift so there was no view to admire, although the rainforest we walked through was gorgeous. We climbed up for about 3 hours arriving at the top of the pass at 0937am, almost our guides record. One of our group members was there to meet us though, Jess had trudged up this mountain at a rate of knots arriving at the top at 0905! We took some photos, laid our stones in a tower as an offering to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) asking for better weather and a safe passage, ate some snacks (Snickers), and continued on our way as it was absolutely freezing!!!

The descent was steep and consisted primarily of Incan steps which are stone steps and paths of uneven shapes and sizes. With the persistent rain and slippery surface of the rocks, the descent was also quite treacherous. The scenery on the way down was beautiful, there were some spectacular waterfalls and the mountains were stunning. We arrived at our camp with sore knees but in one piece at 11.15am, just after our porters who had passed us only about 15min before the camp.  Thankfully the rain had eased so we were able to enjoy a brief period of sunshine while our tents were being erected and we waited for the rest of our group to arrive. Joined by Jess, we killed an hour or so playing Uno in our tent waiting for the remaining four members of our group to arrive at camp. We then enjoyed a fabulous lunch and relaxed for the afternoon resting our weary legs in preparation for the long day ahead tomorrow.

After dinner we were again in bed by 8pm.

Peru - Inca Trail Day 1

Inca Trail Day 1

Distance 12km

Altitude change 2800m - 3100m

This morning we started the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We were picked up from our hotel at 0830 by our guide, Julio Cesar, and driven to “Km 82” which is the start point for the trek. 

After ensuring our duffel bags were of the correct weight of 5kg each the porters loaded up and were on their way with us in tow. 

The walk today was relatively easy. We did walk 1km more than originally planned because we were walking quickly so our guide was trying to make tomorrow easier. We arrived to our camp around 4pm where we were greeted with afternoon tea of popcorn and crackers and a hot drink. 

Our camp for the night was a terraced hillside overlooking mountains, it was gorgeous! Dinner was at 7pm and we were in bed in our cosy tents by 8pm.