We’d been looking forward to our trip to Peru for a long time. Originally our plan had been to go to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro and see some big animals but as we’re currently living in the USA, we decided Peru was the better option. We’ve not travelled in South America before but I’ve worked on a few trips to Peru including ‘Peru Rocks’ in 2008 (62 people trekked the Inca Trail for the
Love Hope Strength Foundation) and I was confident we’d come up with an excellent itinerary for our two week trip.
The trip started with an unexpected bonus when we discovered at Newark Airport that Continental had upgraded us to Business Class for the 7 hour trip to Lima....nice! Our arrival time into Lima was 2250 which meant a layover until our flight to Cusco the following morning. We’d booked ourselves into the Ramada Airport hotel which is literally across the road from the terminal building and therefore super convenient!
Day 1 - The following morning saw us up early for the hour long flight to Cusco where we were met by Doris and William from
Sun Gate Tours, the agency we’ve used to arrange our itinerary. For the first 2 nights we stayed in the
Eco Inn Hotel, a modern 4 star hotel at the end of the Avenida del Sol, about 10 minutes walk from the main Plaza and conveniently located for Cusco’s best artisanal and souvenir market.
Cusco sits at an altitude of over 3000m and having come directly from sea level it didn’t take long for us to feel the impact of the altitude. Fortunately the hotel supplied free coca tea and we only made the mistake of walking up the stairs to our 3rd floor room once!
On the first afternoon we met up with Edison, our tour guide, for a city tour which took in the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, the Inca Sun Temple Koricancha and 4 very impressive Inca sites just outside the city – Sachsayhuaman, Kenko, Puca Pucara and Tambomachay. From the ruins of Sachsayhuaman there are excellent views of Cusco, a rapidly expanding city of over 400,000 inhabitants. In the evening we ate in Greens, an excellent organic restaurant recommended by our ‘Moon’ Peru Travel Guide.
Day 2 saw us heading back to Cusco airport for the short flight to Boca Manu and our 4 day jungle trip!
Originally located a couple of kms from the city, the airport has now been almost totally absorbed as Cusco has grown over the last couple of decades. (We learnt later in the trip that there are plans for a Chinese consortium to build a new airport near Chinchero.)
We’d been warned in advance that flights to Boca are very weather dependent and at first it appeared we might be in for a long wait but 45 minutes later we were on our way. The flight itself was only 50 minutes and so it wasn’t long before we were touching down on the grassy landing strip at Boca ‘airport’ where the ‘baggage handlers’ use wheelbarrows to transport luggage to and from the planes! We were met at the airport by Fiorella, our guide from
Inkanatura who run the Manu Wildlife Centre (MWC), our base for the next 4 days and an exciting 1½ hour boat ride by motorised canoe down the Madre de Dios river from the airport.
The MWC turned out to be a very well-maintained lodge with individual cottages dotted around the grounds that provided the sleeping quarters. A maximum of 40 guests can stay at the lodge at one time. There is limited electricity and so the lodge itself – which houses the kitchen, dining room, bar and lounge - together with the cottages are entirely lit by candles in the evening which makes it very romantic! Recent heavy rain had made the ground quite wet and we were pleased to find that the lodge provided all guests with wellies for exploring the trails. The MWC has several miles of well-maintained trails through the jungle which we explored with Fiorella on the first afternoon and we enjoyed our first sightings of spider monkeys as well as numerous insects, reptiles and butterflies. Fiorella also turned out to be an expert at luring tarantulas out of their hiding places!
Day 3 saw us up at first light and after a quick breakfast we were back in the long boat for the 30 minute ride to the largest clay lick in the Peruvian rainforest. Here a hide provides excellent viewing to the lick which is visited each day by a fantastic number of parrots, parakeets, macaws and other birds that come to supplement their diet with the rich salts and minerals. We’ve never been particularly interested in birdwatching – twitcher’s we’re not – but for 3 hours we sat mesmerised as this wonderful natural theatre was acted out in front of us!
Back to the lodge for lunch and after some ‘hammock time’ we set out in the afternoon for the walk to another clay lick deep in the jungle. Whereas the first clay lick is a wide, open stretch of exposed river bank, this clay lick is small and well hidden and so its visitors are mostly nocturnal mammals and include tapirs, anteaters and monkeys as well as caiman. The real attraction are the tapirs and after a 4 hour wait in the dark and under mosquito nets we were rewarded as a large male tapir – they are South America’s largest mammal – entered the arena with a splash and enjoyed a 10 minute meal before departing.
Day 4 – another early start (a feature of the trip) for the boat ride to the ox-bow lake where we transferred to a catamaran (2 dug-out canoes strapped together) for a 2-hour ‘paddle’ around the lake where the main attraction is a family of giant river otters. Unfortunately the otters didn’t make an appearance – our guide explained that they were most likely across in the river as the fish stocks in the oxbow lake are dwindling – but we did see plenty of birdlife and our first sightings of red howler monkeys. You hear these monkeys long before you see them and their unique sound is hard to describe – a ghostly “wooooo-wooooo” that can be heard for miles around!
More hammock-time back at the lodge and then out on the trail again and a visit to the lodge’s canopy platform. Set about 35 metres up in the highest branches of a cedar tree, the platform gives a stunning bird’s eye view of the upper level of the forest.
Our final excursion was a twilight boat ride and the chance to see more caiman and nocturnal wildlife along the banks of the river.
Day 5 – We said goodbye to the lodge and boarded the boats for the 2 hour boat ride upstream to the landing strip where we had to wait for 4 hours before confirmation that the plane was going to be able to make the flight from Cusco to deliver supplies and take us back to the city. Once again we were met at the airport by William and this time escorted to the
Monasterio Hotel - Cusco’s finest - where we were booked for the next 2 nights – a special treat to ourselves! We enjoyed more sightseeing & shopping before relaxing over a meal in the hotel’s excellent restaurant – guinea pig for Chris, something a little less adventurous for Rona.
Day 6 – We’d been told by friends that the Monasterio breakfast was not to be missed – and they were right! A truly scrumptious spread of breads, pastries, cereals, jams, compotes, berries, eggs, bacon, pancakes and more! And so we set out on our day tour of the Sacred Valley with full stomachs! The Sacred Valley is one of the must-do day tours for visitors to Cusco and includes stops in Chinchero, Ollantaytambo and Pisac, which is famous for its Inca terraces and market. Back in Cusco in the evening we were treated to dinner by Doris and David - who run Sun Gate Tours - and enjoyed a meal and traditional music and dancing in Tunupa restaurant in the Plaza de Armas.
Day 7 – The day we’ve been waiting for – Inca Trail day 1! We had to check out of the Monasterio by 6am which meant a 5.15 breakfast. All aboard the van for the 2 hour journey back to the Sacred Valley, through Urumbaba and Ollantaytambo to the Inca Trail trailhead, known affectionately as KM82. Here we met up with the team that was going to escort us during the trek. Rona and I were very fortunate that we were going to be travelling as a party of just 2 but we still needed a guide (Edison), cook (Mauro) and 4 porters. The porters are the Inca Trail workhorses: carrying the tents, pots, pans and food for our trek as well as most of our gear. This left us to enjoy the trail with just light day packs. The advantage of getting to the trailhead early is that there are no queues at the registration building and so with the formalities completed, we’re on our way. The first part of the trail follows the course of the Urubamba river and the railway. Regular trains go past carrying tourists and locals on the 2 hour journey to Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. The trail is quiet and for the first couple of hours we had it almost to ourselves. On the first day the trail rises gradually through small Indian villages – where enterprising locals provide the luridly coloured ‘inka cola’ and various other drinks and snacks to passing trekkers. The porters – they are now starting to come past us at a quick pace – mostly choose ‘chicha’, a formidable alcoholic brew made from locally harvested corn. I guess if I was carrying 25kgs (and more) of kit along this trail at their pace, then chicha would probably have gone down very nicely!
The trail is mostly quite gentle although 1-2 steeper sections give an indication of what lies ahead. Lunch was taken at a small village and we’re amazed to find the porters and cooks have set up the kitchen and dining tents and we’re treated to a cooked meal – delicious fried trout with potatoes and vegetables. As we’re discovering every day, food is very important in Peru! A small siesta is required before we’re back on our feet and heading up to our first camping spot at Huayllabamba. Our porter team have once again arrived before us and set up camp on a small terrace high above the village. It’s an excellent spot on which to relax and watch the sun go down. The Inca Trail is well maintained and all the campsites have running water and basic toilet facilities. Huayllabamba is the final village on the Inca Trail and once again the locals are on hand to provide trekkers with the requisite snacks and drinks.
Day 8 – This is the big day on the IT. Straight from the campsite the trail heads up to ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’. At over 4200m it’s the highest point on the trek and a good 1200m above the level of the campsite. For us this meant 4½ hours of steady uphill walking. The path is good, mostly steps carved into the earth and rock. At this altitude walking is hard and we maintained a slow but consistent tempo. Finally we made it to the top of the pass and a well-earned rest. The view from the top is stunning – looking back we can see all the way down to the campsite and beyond. Looking ahead the path snakes down ahead of us and we can see as far as tonight’s campsite and the trail up to the next main pass which we’ll cross the following day. The next 2 hours are all downhill – harder on the knees than the uphill – to reach the campsite. It was only about 1pm in the afternoon and after lunch some groups decided to continue along the trail to the next campsite. Edison and Mauro conferred and decided we’ll stay here – a decision that is endorsed by us. It also turned out to be a good choice as the afternoon brought in clouds and a rainstorm, but found us snug in our tent with books and having a well-earned rest .
Day 9 – We woke in good spirits after the strenuous climb of the previous day and the climb to the second pass was easy. Today’s route took in some wonderful Andean scenery, taking us past a number of Inca sites, staging posts for royalty and commoners on the trail from Cusco to Machu Picchu and the fertile valleys beyond Quillalabamba. The path rises and falls and in each direction are stunning panoramic views. At times you feel like you could be in the English Lakes as you pass small tarns set in grassy meadows. This is a day to really enjoy the splendour of the mountains. I can rarely remember being anywhere this beautiful. From our lunch spot we got our first glimpse of Aguas Calientes and the renowned Inca ruins at Winay-Wayna where we’ll be camping tonight. That’s after a demanding 3 hour descent that really takes its toll on the legs. By the time we reached the campsite, calves, quads and knees are all aching hard!
The campsite at Winay-Wayna is smaller and less attractive than the first two campsites. However there was the bonus of hot showers plus a shop selling beer! We feel we’ve earned both! For dinner that night, Mauro surprised us with a bottle of Peruvian red wine to go with our supper. It’s very tasty but we felt rather guilty that someone had to carry the wine for the last 3 days!
Day 10 – The aim of today was to be up early and be first in line at the final checkpoint and from there get to the Inca Sun Gate (Inki Punko)for the first sighting of Machu Picchu at sunrise. Unfortunately despite having good weather the previous 3 days, today is dull and overcast. Nonetheless we were woken at 4am with hot water and tea and after our final breakfast on the trail we said goodbye to Mauro and the porters – they head down to Aguas Calientes on a different trail – and set out. We quickly discovered we’re not the first ones up as the queue to the checkpoint stretched back 100m! However this quickly dispersed once the checkpoint opened at 5.30am and then it was a relatively gentle walk – except for the last steep 100 metres – to the Inca Gate. The view from here should be staggering but poor visibility and the mass of people that have arrived just before us, means we’re actually a little disappointed. But the disappointment doesn’t last long as we made the final descent to the ruins of Machu Picchu themselves. The size of this ancient Inca citadel is impressive. Much larger than I’d imagined it spreads out across several acres and includes many, many buildings and temples as well as very impressive agricultural terracing. A feature of Machu Picchu – and indeed many of the Inca sites – is the elaborate water fountains and aquaducts. Clearly water was as important in the 14th & 15th centuries as it is today. Edison explains that the excavations at the site – and about 12 others in the National Park - are ongoing and new buildings and terracing are continually being unearthed.
The ruins are busy with hordes of tourists who’ve arrived in Aguas Calientes by train (wimps!) but the site absorbs them easily and we enjoyed our 3 hour tour around the site including the 15 minute walk to the Inca Bridge, one of the original Inca entrances to the citadel where the path follows a very narrow ledge across a high, vertical rock wall.
We’d made it...we’d walked the Inca Trail! Time to celebrate! We took the bus down the switchbacks to Aguas Calientes and after checking in at the Sumaq hotel headed out with Edison for lunch at
Indio Feliz. It turned out to be a feast, our biggest meal of the tour and all for just 49 Sol (about £10). After lunch we said goodbye to Edison – he’s been an excellent guide, knowledgeable and friendly – and went back to the hotel for a little ‘feet-up’ time. We’d been warned that Aguas Calientes was nothing more than a very expensive tourist trap, but we actually rather liked it – a hotchpotch of concrete and corrugated iron with a train track going right through the centre. Amazing really when you realise that there are no roads to Aguas Calientes and the only way in and out – for people and materials – is by train.
We stayed in the
Hotel Sumaq - which along with the Hotel Inkaterra and the Machu Picchu Sanctuary is one of the best hotels in the town – on a half-board basis and we discover that food in the restaurant in excellent. Chris goes native again with Alpaca steak and it gets the thumbs up.
Day 11 – Today the choice was between returning to Machu Picchu for another look around the citadel or to climb Putukusi from where there are supposed to be great views across the valley to Machu Picchu. We decide on the latter. The path starts directly across the train tracks behind the hotel and from the ground looking up at the steep face of the mountain it’s almost impossible to imagine that the trail goes up there. We quickly realise why – barely 400m along the trail we came to our first ladder. It was about 50 metres long and went straight up the vertical rock. I nearly decided to turn round there and then! In all there were about 6 long ladders to negotiate followed by a steep rocky trail that was quite exposed in some places. But the hike was worth it...from the summit there were indeed excellent views to Machu Picchu and we spent an enjoyable 30 minutes soaking in the view – watching the hundreds of people marching round the site through our binoculars.
In the afternoon we relaxed in the renowned Aguas Calientes thermal springs before enjoying a beer in Toto’s House and another fine meal in the hotel. It’s only the next morning that I discover that wearing shorts during the day was not a good idea. I’ve managed to go through the whole jungle-Inca Trail experience with hardly a mosquito bite to my name and on the last night in Aguas Calientes I get eaten alive...20-25 mosquito bites across both legs...ouch!
Day 12 – We were booked on the 0853 Vistadome train back to Ollantaytambo this morning and despite busy scenes at the train station – there was a big celebration in Aguas Calientes that day and the Peruvian Justice Minister was in town – the train departed almost on time. The train ride takes 3 hours and follows the narrow river valley back to the Sacred Valley. Onboard we enjoyed a rather bizarre fashion show where train staff model alpaca wool clothing which is for sale! We were met at the busy Ollantaytambo railway station by William and our driver and driven back to Cusco where we checked in once again at the Eco Inn for our final night. For lunch we were taken by Doris and David to the outskirts of town to eat at an authentic Peruvian country restaurant and once again we were completely overwhelmed by the volume of food...and we thought the Americans enjoyed big portions!
Day 13 – We enjoyed our final morning of sightseeing – a visit to the San Blas district of the city – and last minute shopping before our midday transfer back to the airport where we said a big thank-you and goodbye to Doris and David and headed back to Lima. A 6 hour layover in Lima Airport – we thought about doing a 4 hour city tour but in the end decided not to – and we were on the flight back to the USA.
It was a wonderful holiday – far exceeded our expectations. We really enjoyed Cusco, the trip to Manu was fantastic, the Inca Trail was harder than expected but a truly great experience, and without exception the people we’ve met throughout the trip have been kind and friendly. We sincerely hope that we’ll be back to enjoy this superb country again.
