Travel Story «Inca Trail & Cuzco (Peru)»

Peru | 0 Comments 15 November 2005 - Last Update 16 November 2005

Hi Guys!!!!

So sorry its been ages since our last story, we had sent pics for Inca Trail but no story as things have just been crazy (Corona got sick with Typhoid Fever and then we were trying to make our way down to Buenos Aires (Argentina) quickly to go apartment hunting, and boy was that stressful and took us about a week to finally get one).....anyway we finally got one and the STRESS is over...its a great apartment which is in Palermo quite central to the city but a really nice neighbourhood, lots of trees, shops and parks and of course pubs!! Its a one bedroom apartment with bathroom, sitting room and kitchen...no balcony we tried our best to get one...but hard to get or we had the option to get one but the apartment it self was awful!! So its great to finally settle down in one spot for two months.....we started it off to a good start as went to CREAMFIELDS on saturday and have to say that was pretty amazing!!! the best line up ever, it started at 3pm and finally finished up at 8am Sunday morning...really cool festival made up for the ones we missed in Ireland b4 we headed off! Loads of bars, and No Queues anyway was Grrrreat!!

Okay enough about BA for the moment and down to the Inca Trail etc......God i hope we can remember everything now as it feels like yonkers since we did it!!! Okay here it goes...so we arrived in Cuzco three days prior to Inca Trail just basically to aclimitise to the altitude as Cuzco is quite high at 3,200 Metres above sea level....we went to the SAS office and paid the balance on our Inca Trail and then we searched for a hostel...we found a nice cheap one quite central....to gringo alley!!I have to say this must be the most hated street in the world...basically you are harressed by peruvians to come eat in their restauarant or come buy something in their shop and of course all travellers are TARGETS!! (so we were harressed everytime)...so we headed to a meeting the nite b4 the Inca Trail to meet our fellow Inca Trail companions...there was 15 of us in total (and have to say the nicest group of people we have met - some english, aussies, Irish, South Africans,Canadian,American) and then our guide "Ruben" (Peruvian) who was an absolute Legend!! Basically the meeting was explaining everything we would be doing for the next 4 days...so we went away that evening feeling very happy and excited!!

It was an early start the next morning at 5am, we all caught a bus from the square in Cuzco to the start of the Inca Trail...along the way we stopped for breakfast (which was very tasty!). All the food for the 4 days was Quality.  Day 1 was supposed to be the easiest day and I suppose it was in hindsight but at the time we were like, what the hell...this is the easiest day!!!??!! The very first steps were across a rope bridge hovering a raging river then straight up a ridiculously steep mountain...nice.

Anyway, basically you see a lot of great scenery along the way, huge valleys, mountains, lakes, rivers, small inca ruins, wildlife, huge trees,snow capped peaks, etc etc...it´s savage! I have to say though that meal times nearly beat all those things hands down!! :o) The company we went with SAS put on an UNBELIEVEABE spread wether its breakfast,lunch,little tea, tea or dinner....yes, little tea. We were getting dishes out with boned and rolled roast chicken pieces stuffed with bacon and cheese and herbs to smoked trout grilled (garnished like a restaurant would have it...and we were in a TENT) with a side plate of garlic potatoes, egg fried rice, chips.......oh and at tea there was POPCORN! All this at an average of 3500m above sea level, in the sacred valley of the incas, in the middle of NOWHERE! It really was some acheivment by the porters/cooks etc.....

In the evening each day we would arrive at our campsite. The 20+ porters each carrying 30KG on their backs had reached there about an hour or 2 earlier every time  and had set up the tents and the "big eating tent" already. At night after dinner we´d all sit around in the big tent and play cards and generally stuff our faces with biscuits, tea and popcorn....

Day 2 was definately the hardest as we set of from camp at about 6am and climbed from 3200m to a dizzying 4200m above sea level. The path for the day was shaped like a triangle....very steep up one side for half the day then very steep down the other side for the other half of the day....plays havoc on the oul knees!!

The last day we had to get up from campsite at 4am and start walking towards Machu Picchu..killer! Half asleep walking at the edge of this crazy mountain on the way...Anyway, got to Machu Picchu at 8am more or less. I would think that the photos we have there speak for themselves...the place is quality!  It´s amazing to think that the incas basically built it was a sacred city deliberately with mounatains at each side of it to conceal it. This city is HUGE!! and to give you an idea about how well it´s hidden, the day before we were standing right in front of it on a mountain standing directly opposite it but we couldn´t see it!! Whatever way the mountains are it is completely hidden and that´s why the spanish never found it when they invaded the incas all those years ago....if they had of they just would have torn the whole place down.....

Anyway, we got back to Cusco by train+bus from a town called Aguas caliente beside Machu Picchu that evening. We were supposed to go for drinks that evening with some of the gang but Corona started to not feel well. She was up sick all night and turns out the next day after calling the doc that she had suspected Thyphoid fever!! We had both got the vaccines before we went but turns out that you can still pick it up albeit in a milder form...

To let Corona recover in style we cancelled our plans to start our journey to La Paz the next day and instead booked into the swanky Royal Inca Hotel in one of the main plazas. I bargained them down from 100dolars a night to 30dollars....never thought I had it in me!!! :o)

Anyway, Corona started to recover very well once the antibiotics began to take affect so we lazed around Cusco for a couple more days before making our way back to Boliva, La Paz. It was a very quick stop only for 1 night in La Paz...just enough time to buy my NEW GUITAR and take in a nice meal. The next day we got on the bus to start our 48 hours journey from La Paz to Buenos Aires...crazy! It cost 60 dollars each for the bus which wasn´t bad at all considering a flight would have been around 1000 each!!!

Anyway, in BA now and it´s savage craic! Got an apartment finally and we are enjoying not living out of a bag for awhile! The night life here is GREAT to say the least but sure we´ll keep you posted of all our happening here over the next 2 months!

P.S we will be putting some pics up of CREAMFIELDS very soon, so keep your eyes peeled!!!

Until the next time,

Hasta luego chicos!

Dave and Corona