What do you know – after two days of glaciers and winter weather, we spent the day among cactuses and orchids. It was quite the contrast to be in desert-like conditions, but so much nicer for sleeping! We did have a run-in while we were sleeping that sounded like mountain lions fighting, but turns out it was dogs fighting over our garbage. Same difference.
All day today was a downhill hike. Thank goodness for walking poles – yes, they do have a purpose! They save the knees and quads during long or steep downhills by putting the upper body to work. The first two days of altitude was tough on the two kids in our group, and luckily they’re doing much better at 10,000 ft than 15,900 ft. And yes, we hiked down that far in two days. The entire hike is about 33 miles and a change in elevation of 7,000 ft.
Today was the first day that we actually saw other tourists! The path surrounding the glacier was empty and we had it all to ourselves, which was amazing. There was not an ounce of cell service, which I didn’t miss at all. This afternoon, we used the same path that 500 other people use daily to get to Machu Picchu, and I can’t say that we loved being around civilization.
Along our hike, we saw several really impressive Incan ruins. Our guide Juan Carlos brushes them off like they’re no big deal, which is crazy because they are unbelievable. They’re perched on top of cliffs, for starters, and the symmetry and design is impeccable. The Incans clearly had a niche for setting their cities in the coolest places, like in the middle of where two mountain valleys meet – creating the coolest 360 degree views from their sacred space.
By the way, Inca is not really a civilization or empire. Inca is the name of the ruler, similar to King, Pharaoh, Emperor, whatever. There were thirteen Incas in history, in the 1400-1500’s AD. The name of the civilization is Tawantinsuyu, which doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily as Inca. But now you know the truth, and Peruvians will be impressed.
Today was another top-notch day of eating. When we’re woken up in the morning, we’re immediately delivered hot drinks to our tents. Then came stuffed French toast and an omelet. And then fried plaintains, porridge, the fluffiest cake I’ve ever eaten came out! Lunch was chicken cordon blue and a scallion pancake for me – also amazingly delicious. Everything is made entirely from scratch, never frozen or from a box. I’m going to miss it. By the way, did you know that potatoes originated in Peru? Every potato variety can be traced back to the Andes. There ya go.
We said goodbye to our horsemen and our cooks today, since tomorrow is entirely spent in Machu Picchu. We found out that horses are not allowed on the official Inca trail used by royals, which is the famous one. We also hiked along trails created by the Incas, but they were made for commercial and communication use. The devastating thing is that instead of horses, they use men’s backs to carry everything. For our group of six people, fourteen porters would’ve been used.
Most of the people that we saw along our path today were porters, who haul 50-65 lbs of camping gear/food/tents on their backs. It was really sad for me to see, but the reality is also that these people have jobs to feed their families. I can’t help but think there must be a better way.
Day 3 rounded out our 33 miles of hiking. It’s amazing to see how far we walked in comparison to the giant mountains that dominate the landscape. I know I mentioned how big they are, but seriously – they’re huge. They’re incredibly steep and each one is carved out by rivers far below. I think other mountain ranges tend to run together so their height is hard to decipher, and nothing is as tall as the Andes.
A quick train ride from the adorable town of Ollaytaytambo, where another spectacular Incan ruin is located, brought us to the cute backpacker town of Aguas Calientes. It’s built into the side of mountains (go figure) and perched above a river. Once again, the food was marvelous and the people were so friendly. I really like Peru.
Yes, yes, I’m getting to it – we visited Machu Picchu! And yes, it lives us to all expectations. It was so built up in my mind and it really did top my wildest imagination.
The citadel itself is very impressive, but it’s the setting that really sets it apart. Machu Picchu was built in the 1500’s at the very top of the mountains. It would cost over a billion dollars to construct it today. How it was done is simply miraculous.
The Incas built it as a center for researching astrology, geology, farming, and religious uses – or so we think. Much is unknown. They managed to literally flatten the tip top of a mountain, clear the forest away, and move giant boulders to create their setting. They then chipped away rocks and polished them into perfect rectangular blocks that sit on top of each other to form the buildings, without using any mortar in between.
Their technology to detect solstices was top notch. For only one day of the year, for example, a perfectly carved rock would cast a shadow shaped like a llama. The buildings, plazas and terraces go on and on – 8,000 feet above the river valleys below. I was terrified to look over the edge, much less imagine building this city that is suspended in thin air.
Mark and I embarked on what I’ll call the most petrifying hike of our lives to see Machu Picchu from above. We felt like we were swaying in the air, barely attached to Machu Picchu mountain. We made our way up by clinging onto the side of the mountain for dear life and decided to turn back when we were just fifteen minutes from the top. But, the view was definitely good enough for us! Check it out.
After our hiking thrills came to an end, we treated ourselves to pizza, ice cream, and craft quinoa beer. You read that right. And we brought our stinky feet to get foot massages (but tipped VERY well).
Now, back to Cuzco and we’ll have to say goodbye to Juan Carlos and our hiking buddies. What a trip.
Love,
Melissa & Mark
Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic post. Really thank you! Keep writing. Rozina Gardy Bledsoe
What a stuff of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious knowledge about unpredicted feelings. Addi Harris Bannasch