Peru – The Inca Trail… Woweee… what can I say? I first saw an image of Machu Picchu on the back of a photography magazine when I was about 21. I thought – where on earth is that amazing place? I knew of the Inca trail, but I had also heard about the crowds and the walk, and to be honest it wasn’t the top place on my list… I thought the Inca Trail was possibly a crowded touristy cliche of a walk, and I was more interested in one of the alternative trails like the Lares Trek. But my bestie had joined me on the trip, and she said – we have to do the Inca Trail with Alpaca Expeditions (it was highly recommended to her). So we did, and it was! We were slow going because of the altitude, but the crew at Alpaca took such great care of us – the are 100% Peruvian owned and run – our leader Hymie was Quechuan (Incan) and such a funny and knowledgable guide. He truly made the trek for us. Alpaca also make sure their porters are tipped handsomely, and that we know their names, what they carry, and likewise they get to know us. It’s important. I loved their philosophy. If you have any hesitation – just do it! There were 2 couples on our trip – one German couple in their 30’s and an American couple in their 60’s – they both proposed marriage at the Sun Gate (the entrance to Machu Picchu on day 4). Maybe it was the early start, but we were so emotional when we arrived. It felt like a momentous thing; to walk there over 4 days, past Incan relics along the way, past Llamas and through cloud forests, in hot plateaus and cold valleys. Even though it’s only 42 km’s, the altitude means we walked quite slow – we walked almost 12 hours on Day 2, but we felt good. Arriving direct by bus just wouldn’t be the same experience. We also ended by climbing Huayna Picchu (the tall mountain in. the background of all the Machu Picchu images), which looks terrifying, but was fine. And so worth it.
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The morning of the Inca Trail!
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After summiting Dead Woman’s Pass, the highest point at 4,200 metres (13779 Ft)
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Deserted ruins at Winay Wayna
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Machu Picchu!
