So we have finally done the Inca Trail and seen Machu Picchu. We were both surprised to find that the hype was not overdone and that they were both incredible!
The Inca Trail is 3 nights, 4 days and many people had terrified me by telling me that it would be the hardest thing I have ever done. We begun the trek, me very apprehensively and Matt doing his utmost best to race the porters. The Porters or Chuskies, are truly amazing men, they are around 5:5 and weigh 60 kilos but run up and down the Inca Trail with 25-30kilos of equipment on their backs. The Chuskies have a race every year, the winning record for the trail is in 3hours and 45 minutes. Last year the trek was done in 7 hours and it takes us Gringos four days!!! Matt had decided that he was going to carry our bags and that he would keep up with the Chuskies. I think he managed to impress a few as on the final day they weighed his bag (20 kilos) and let him try one of their bags on for size! (I also think they were fed up with him, hurling himself down mountains to catch up.)
Matt imitating the Chuskies by running down stairs, I had to look away till he was out of sight as it was terrifying! Below a Chuskie and his ridiculous bag!
I also did surprisingly well at the trek and even jogged on the last day to get to the Sun Gate within half an hour of Matt. I know, I was worried about me too but I think Matt's 6 month boot camp may have finally paid off! Below, me still smiling during the Trek!
We had an amazing group and guide. Our guide Wilfreddo, would play the flute to help us get up those tricky mountain passes! On the way to Machu Picchu we saw quite a few ruins, learnt a lot about Inca Culture and passed through mountains, cloud forest and jungle.
Wilfreddo, playing the flute to get us up the Dead Woman's Pass, the highest point on the Inca Trail. To prove how competitive both Matt and I are, we were told it would take 1 hour and a half to reach the top. Matt did it in 35 minutes and I did it in 45 minutes.
A woman in traditional dress at the start of the Trail.
Ruins on the way to Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu was crazily rammed with tourists in comparison to our nice jaunt to get to it. However, we did our best to forge a path through the million exhausted tourists who had only walked for 5 minutes to find the best parts of the city. Incas were crazy, they built a city on the top of a mountain when there was a perfectly good valley below!!!!
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