Magnificent Machu Picchu

After several days of hiking, we finally arrived at the foot of Machu Picchu.  To ensure a full day at the "Lost City of the Incas", we left early to catch one of the licensed buses to take us to the entry point. The bus ride is an experience in itself as it winds up the mountain using a very steep and narrow road. We were quite relieved when we finally arrived!

Machu Picchu was built in the mid-15th century and is believed to have been a sanctuary/retreat for Inca royalty.  Many of the nobility would hike to Machu Picchu using the Inca Trail and stay in Tambos (rest spots) en route before reaching this spiritual haven.    In addition, many believe that the nobility would have climbed Huayna Picchu (the green peak nearby) also as a way to get even closer to the gods.

Machu Picchu was abandoned about 100 years later during the Spanish Conquest.  It is not clear why it was abandoned (there is thought that they wanted to preserve this sacred city) but it remained virtually uninhabited until it was re-discovered by American historian, Hiram Bingham, in the early 1900s.

Our amazing hiking group!

Machu Picchu was home to approximately 800 people, ranging from farmers to nobility.

The city itself is divided into an urban section and an agricultural section and also has an upper and lower town.   Two of the most notable buildings - the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows - are located in the Sacred District.
While the Incas and Machu Picchu are known for their skillful stone work, the civil engineering required to build Machu Picchu is also incredible.  The steep terrain required an extensive amount of clearing to create a flat surface for building and more than half of the construction of Machu Picchu was actually done underground, creating deep foundations and drainage systems to withstand the dramatic temperature changes and the heavy rain season.

Machu Picchu has become the largest tourist attraction in South America, drawing around 3,000 visitors per day.  There is some concern about the site's longevity, with such heavy foot traffic. Nonetheless, we were surprised by how quiet it felt there, especially during our trek to the Sun Gate (the official entrance used by the Incans).    There was plenty of room to walk around and visit the different spaces and you could often find people meditating in different areas or stopping to sit and quietly take it all in.

Because there are no written records about Machu Picchu, much of its history and meaning is still being unearthed.  In addition to parts of Machu Picchu still being uncovered, the community recently found a large and long wall on a nearby mountain which could factor into the overall analysis.  The power of Machu Picchu will continue well into the future and it will be exciting to read this post in future years to see what, if anything, has changed.

But one thing we hope will never change is the power and spiritualism of this majestic place.

Jungle fever...

After making it through the Salkantay Pass, the surroundings changed dramatically.  

The hike through the jungle was lush and fertile and we peeled off layers as the weather warmed, keeping an eye out for pesky vipers that may be out on the trail.  Somehow the viper possibility was never mentioned that in any of the detailed itineraries they sent!

Luckily, the most pesky encounter we experienced was that of some very aggressive roosters and birds that were eager to share Geoff's snacks at one of our pit stops.

For the remaining hike, we wandered through cloud forests, taking in the beautiful and numerous varieties of orchids, butterflies and birds.

As we descended lower into the Santa Teresa River Valley, we also passed coffee plantations and tropical passionfruit orchards, meeting lovely local folks tending to the crops.

The final day of our trek promised to be one of the hardest days as we headed uphill again towards the Llactapata Pass, which stands at almost 9,000 feet.  The trail became slightly busier as we made it closer to Machu Picchu but was still remarkably quiet.

Making it to the Pass offered its own special reward - our first glimpse of Machu Picchu.  Our resting spot offered a special view of this magnificent place, tucked quietly into the surrounding mountains.  It exemplified the feat that the Inca people achieved in building such a magnificent place so high in the mountains and we stopped quietly to take it all in.  

Our first view of Machu Picchu

After a lunch stop at a picturesque spot overlooking the mountains and Machu Picchu, we began our final descent to the Urubamba River through the lush bamboo forests.  The decline was the steepest yet and continued for over 1,000 feet.  We immediately regretted the choice to enjoy a beer at lunch!

Watching us make our descent, Manolo, who loves logistics and is always creating contingency plans in his mind, was already onto Plan C, making various plans to ensure we would actually make it to the train on time.

Our fearless leader, Manolo

During the last stretch to the train station, we encountered our first sign of busy city life.  The police had roped off part of our trail because of an upcoming visit from the Peruvian President later that afternoon.  Luckily, there was an alternative trail readily available and we easily made it to the train on time.

The group was giddy as we boarded the train to Aguas Calientes, the gateway to Machu Picchu.

And as the train pulled away, we experienced rain for the first time all trip.   Incredibly, it stopped just as we arrived in town.  Just as Manolo had planned!

Welcome Home...

One of the nicest treats of our trip was staying in charming and cozy lodges along the way.

After a long day of hiking, we can think of few things better than being welcomed into a quaint retreat by friendly staff offering hot beverages, a warm hand towel and a roaring fire.

The Mountain Lodges of Peru are not open to the general public, and can only be booked through tour groups, often a year in advance.

The lodges themselves are small and can often only accommodate one tour group per day, which offers complete relaxation.  

Each lodge has a comfortable sitting area where we would meet before dinner to go over the itinerary for the next day or watch some of the videos that Pepe and Manolo had made with the BBC etc. about Peru and the Amazon.  If we had some additional free time, we would sneak away to the hot tub to enjoy a quick soak and watch the sunset before dinner.

The lodges also all have a long communal dining table where the group sits down for dinner together.  It is hard to believe but we actually gained weight during our trip, in large part because of the hearty meals we enjoyed several times a day.  Lunch and dinner were each three courses and the wonderful chefs who traveled with us did a superb job at accommodating for our diverse dietary restrictions while introducing us to local dishes.

Manolo and Pepe also introduced us to local beverages with a tutorial on Pisco Sours and Jugo Especiale, a popular breakfast drink which included bananas, condensed milk and the delicious local beer, Cusquena Negra.

Manolo also showed us the true local eating habits, drinking lots of Inka Cola (a incredibly bright yellow soda that tasted like bubble gum) and pairing seemingly every meal with a generous dose of mayonnaise.

After dinner, we would tiredly crawl into bed, being warmed by the delightful hot water bottle that had secretly been placed there.  Pure joy.

The sunset as viewed from our bedroom window

Our lodges included:

• Salkantay Lodge and Adventure Resort at Soraypampa (11,800’) with views of Salkantay Mountain (translated as "She who will not be tamed") 
• Wayra Lodge (12,000’) in a vast alpine valley with views of both the mountain peaks and the valley
• Colpa Lodge (10,300’) located 1,000 feet above the confluence of three rivers 
• Lucma Lodge (6,600’) built right into the mountainside and offering views of the local coffee plantations

The amazing horses who carried all of our bags

Unexpected encounters...

To give us a slight rest from hiking, our fantastic guides made sure we had other Peruvian experiences to enjoy along the way.   

On one occasion, we stopped to meet a 116-year old man in the neighbourhood.  He lives with his family, smiles all the time and seemed remarkably mobile considering his age.  His family also took us out onto their passion-fruit farm to teach us more about the harvesting process and let us taste the fruits of their labour. 

We also learned about the coca leaf traditions and the growth of the illegal cocaine trade, a trade that is annihilating the environment as well as harming so many lives. Although eating coca leaves is very common in Peru, Pepe and Manolo discouraged us from trying them until after the hike because our stomachs would not be ready to digest this foreign leaf.  Coca leaves are used frequently for cultural events,  and often three leaves are put out as an offering for Pachamama, the earth mother.  

In the jungle, we got to visit a coffee plantation and even do some roasting and tasting of the beans.
And at the last hotel, we also got to visit the hotel's tea plantation and both pick and grind our own tea bag!

We visited a couple of different homes that raised guinea pigs, a local delicacy.  Many of our group fed the guinea pigs bamboo shoots but Geoff secretly coached them on the best escape plan.

At one of the lodges, the team even made us lunch using an earth oven, a traditional cooking method used in Peru that cooks the food with the use of hot stones.  The process took just under an hour and created some of the most delicious baked vegetables.

 

Our wonderful guide, Pepe

These activities paired with Manolo and Pepe's wise insights into all things Peruvian (and beyond!), we certainly feel like we enjoyed a cultural experience as much as a hiking one.

Pelosa, the chipper dog who followed us our whole trip!

Unusual Routes

The path to Machu Picchu was not always a straight one.  We hiked up and down hills, trekked on paths and off, and crossed many bridges, swinging and otherwise, across the rivers.

Perhaps our most unusual form of crossing, however, was the manual cable car.  As a result of a recent landslide, our planned path was not safe to use.  As such, we each crawled into an open box hanging on cables high above the rushing water below.  Although the system could carry up to half a tonne, we each decided to go across separately.  Sitting as still (and lightly) as possible in the contraption as the men pulled it across, most counted the seconds until making it to the other side.

Up and Down...

After a couple of days of good hiking practice, we were ready to take on the daunting Salkantay Pass.

To get there, we would climb approximately 2,500 feet to a height of 15,430 ft. Once we made it through the Pass, we would descend back down almost that same altitude to get to our resting point for the day.  We hoped to make it within 8 hours.

A quiet and focused group, we followed Pepe's methodical and balanced pace , trekking up the Rio Blanco valley, circling Humantay Peak across from Salkantay.

Manolo sometimes followed behind us and sometimes ran and followed the other part of our group who were riding horses to make the climb.  He was like a mountain goat as he quickly jumped from one path to the other, checking on the gang.  He must have done the hike about four times that day but incredibly showed absolutely no signs of fatigue.

Once again, we were blessed with an incorrect weather forecast and enjoyed gorgeous weather for the full day.  Even with the sun shining, however, the weather grew noticeably colder as ascended.  And as we approached the Salkantay Pass, even Geoff acknowledged the cold and put on a winter hat.  Beth was already wearing two pairs of long johns and about 6 other layers.

The hike up to the mountain pass was exhausting but extremely satisfying and the group was overwhelmed with excitement upon reaching the Pass, exchanging lots of hugs and an uncountable number of photos.

But the day was only half done!

As soon as we reached the top, we began our descent almost immediately.  It seemed odd to have hiked so high only to start heading down again so quickly.  Luckily, however, the landscape on the other side of the Pass seemed totally different - rocky and raw - so it felt like we were entering a completely new place.  This made the hike feel exotic and energizing and even a few blisters (many thanks to resourceful Pepe for fixing Beth's feet!) couldn't dampen our spirit.

We made it to our lunch spot around mid-afternoon.  Amazingly, the chef and his crew had made it there much earlier than us and had already set up a tent (as well as two bathroom tents!) and had warm water and soap ready for us to wash our hands.  It was remarkably civilized.

After such a delicious and filling lunch, there is a good chance we all fell into a slight food coma.  Too relaxed and satisfied, we likely weren't paying close enough attention on the very slippery and tricky part of the downhill hike and a few of us had some slides.  Somehow, Manolo and Pepe were catching us before butts even hit the ground, making sure we were okay and encouraging us strongly to remain focused and attentive.

We made it to our next lodge in tired but great spirits and enjoyed a wonderful evening of camaraderie and celebratory beers with our wonderful trekking group.