Salkantay trek and Machu Picchu

To start with I have finally posted some of my fotos of the Condors at Colca Canyon and the Colca Canyon trek.

Last Friday we started the 5 days of the Salkantay trek. There were 3 of us: Alyssa and Eugene from Canada and I. Our guide was Freddy who grew up in one of the villages between Cusco and the Salkantay mountain. Our luggage, the tents, kitchen equipment and food was transported by horses who were lead by two horsemen. And then there was our chef, Elias, and his helper Juan. They did a marvelous job cooking the most elaborate and delicious meals for us with the most simple equipment. I will tell you more about it - it was magic!

Day 1

We started of in a minibus at 6 am from Cusco. After a breakfast break we were dropped of at Soraypampa (3900 m) to make our ascent to Suroyqocha (4480m) where we stayed for the night. For the first time I struggled with the altitude. I got very short of breath climbing over the rocks to reach the camp where the horsemen had already set up the tents (including the kitchen and the dining tent). The tents were really comfortable but it was very cold up there so we crept into out sleeping bags soon after dinner. But the night sky alone was worth it!

Day 2

After a very cold night the water and ground were frozen when we woke up. The day started misty but dry when we made the ascent to the Salkantay pass at 4600 m. Unfortunately it was so misty we couldn't see the glacier. But we saw Chinchilla's hopping over the rocks on the way up. From the highest point we walked over to the Huamantay lake and then started the long descent to Lucmabamba. It started raining and the trail became more and more muddy and slippery. We were covered in mud and horseshit up to our knees. But the scenery was so beautiful! Lucabamba is at 2900 m and as we got lower the scenery changed from more or less bare mountains to (tropical) forest with orchids and hummingbirds. It was very strenuous walking downhill for so long and at the end of the day my knees hurt. 

We set up our tents and Elias and Juan again did a wonderful job cooking for us. What they managed to do in these primitive kitchens was nothing short of a miracle. For breakfast we always got tea, coffee, pancakes or omelettes, fruit, porridge or cereal (e.g. freshly popped wheat), joghurt, butter, marmelade etc. Lunch and dinner consisted of freshly made soup (corn/quinoa/rice/potatoes etc with fresh vegetables and fresh herbs!), several main dishes (meat and vegetarian), freshly made juice and desert. And before dinner there was 'Happy hour' with freshly made popcorn and other snacks. On the last day we even got a self-made cake decorated with dulce de leche, cream and chocolate!

Day 3

After a rainy night is was finally dry! We said goodbye tot the horsemen who returned to Soraypampa with the horses. Our luggage was going to be transported by car from here. We hiked along the Rio Tortura and Rio Santa Teresa further downhill towards the town of Santa Teresa for approx 11 km. It is so beautiful there! In the afternoon we visited a coffee plantation owned by a family. Here we learned how coffee beans are grown. We roasted and ground our self-picked coffee beans and enjoyed our 'own' cup of coffee. Great fun!

From the coffee plantation we went by minibus to the smal town of Santa Teresa where we enjoyed 2 hours in the hot springs. Then we got back to our camp site for dinner.

Day 4

The next morning was dry and sunny. We started out hike from Hydroelectrica along the railway tracks to Aguas Calientes. It is only a mild ascent of 300 m over a long distance and it was a very pleasant walk. We saw dozens of different butterflies on the way. We arrived at Aguas Calientes after lunch (which Elias and Juan had prepared for us before we said goodbye to them in the morning) and checked in to our hotel. How wonderful a shower and a bed can be after 3 days without!

In the evening we went out for a drink - I had to try a Pisco sour, of course - and dinner (me and Alyssa giggling along after the Pisco sour and a beer ;-).

Aguas Calientes is a very touristic place. It is the place where the trains arrive from Cusco and the buses to Machu Picchu depart. As we did most people only stay for the night to get to Machu Picchu in the morning. It's all hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops. 

Day 5

Finally, we were going to Machu Picchu. Queueing for the bus at 6.30 am :-/

Inside Machu Picchu I first climbed the Machu Picchu mountain - a steep 600 m climb which was rewarded with a wonderful view down on the site and the surrounding mountains. Meanwhile Alyssa and Eugene climbed Wayna mountain which is a bit lower. Apparently the agency couldn't get us all the same tickets. Afterwards, Freddy gave us a tour of the ruins. It is still a mystery why the Inca town was apparently left in a hurry after just 30 years. It wasn't the Spanish, that's for sure as it was only discovered in 1911.

We returned back to Aguas Calientes in the afternoon, said our goodbyes to Freddy, picked up our luggage and took the train back to Cusco. It was a beautiful but very bumpy train ride and we were all very tired after 5 days of hiking. We were all glad when we finally got to our hotels in Cusco.

Now I've got 3 days left to explore Cusco and - if I still have the energy - see more of the Sacred Valley or visit the Rainbow Mountains. Don't know yet. On Saturday I shall fly to Guayaquil. Hopefully I will not have any problems in Ecuador because of the political situation.