Salkantay trek to macchu picchu

Having spent in total over 3 ½ months in Cusco it really seemed about time that I got myself to Macchu-Picchu…the reason most tourists visit this area of Peru.  However it seemed rather lazy just to get the bus there so Julio and I opted to do the Salkantay Trek (3 days of walking and 1 day visiting Macchu-Picchu) through our friend Jonathan’s company Yupi Adventure: http://yupiadventureperu.com.pe/

The first day was, in my opinion, the most beautiful.  We were blessed with a lovely sunny day and spoilt with gorgeous views of the Salkantay Glacier.  The walk was enjoyable though it definitely helped having spent the last 3 months acclimatising to the altitude in Cusco as the tourists who’d only been in Peru a few days were definitely struggling.  The highest point on the hike was 4630 metres above sea level (as a reference Ben Nevis summit is only 1344 metres above sea level).  After lunch we started the descent down to our first camp which was still over 3000m so it was a pretty chilly night, but with an awesome full moon!

On the second day we continued the descent and for me the scenery got slightly less impressive, but still good.  Julio and I were more interested in scouting the river that runs alongside the trekking route…one to come back to at the beginning of the rainy season!  This day was much warmer walking through the jungle and we did see lots of pretty flowers and hummingbirds.  We finished the walking for the day at lunchtime and so could relax with a dip in the river and a game of football for the boys.

The third day we started climbing again, this time on part of an original Inca trail.  At the summit of the mountain we encountered an old Incan temple called Llactapata from where we got our first view of Macchu Picchu.  From this temple the Incas used to signal with mirrors or conch shells to communicate with Macchu Picchu.  We then descended down to Hidroelectrica for lunch and after Julio and I walked to Aguas Calientes following the train tracks.  It seemed a great idea to save money not going on the train until it started hammering it down with rain.  The camera took priority over me for use of my rain jacket and so by the time we reached our final destination we were thoroughly soaked and the warm shower at the hostel (the best in 3 months in Peru) was very welcome.

Wanting to spend as much time as possible in Macchu Picchu we were up at 5 to have breakfast and catch an early bus up to the top.  Our tour with the guide helped to explain a lot of Incan history and the most important areas of the site such as the various temples, the quarry and different types of terraces.  Not having had enough walking over the past few days Julio and I opted to climb Macchu Picchu mountain to get a more aerial view of the historical site.  This was steep work and the sun came out to make sure we got our sweat on.  It was worth it though and you get a lovely view and a more peaceful time up top.  After we checked out the sun gate and Inca bridge by which time it was getting late.  We just had time to check out a few more points of interest in the ancient city before running back down to Aguas Calientes in the hope of having time to eat something before getting the train back to Cusco.

It was a great trip and wouldn’t have been half as fun if it wasn’t for our companions on the trek David and Lisa and all the staff from Yupi Adventure.  More photos in this facebook album: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.hyslop.9/media_set?set=a.10152799362495619.1073741828.619205618&&uploaded=188