Steemians, do you think it's safe to say, that most traveller or adventurer's wish list or bucket list includes Machu Picchu?
I know that this ancient Incan city hidden in the Peruvian Andes was always on the top of mine!! I also knew that I wanted to do some kind of trek to get there, as getting there is half the fun right?... even though I walk everyewhere I wasn't too keen on the standard Inca trail/trek where you just hike days on end... don't get me wrong I'm sure it would still be an amazing way to get there, I was just after something a little more fun and exciting!
So when I found an option to do a 4 day trek that included downhill mountain biking, white water rafting, ziplining and of course the obligatory hiking I knew I had found the trek for me!.....This is how I was going to do my pilgramage to Machu Picchu and I couldn't wait!
Most tours/treks depart from Cusco and ours was no different, we took our friend's and the internet's advice to arrive a couple of days before our tour started to acclimatize to the altitude... which I highly recommend to do aswell!
Flying into the city is amazing! As you start to descend you see all the mountainous terrain amongst the clouds then all of a sudden you have landed. You walk out onto the tarmac to see those mountains and clouds still around you at pretty much the same height that you saw whilst in the plane! Another thing you notice straight away is the altitude so we are glad we arrived early. This also gave us the opportunity to have a couple of days to check out this beautiful city and the awesome Megaliths that surround. Which to be honest I wish we could of arrived even earlier because there really is so much to see and do here!
Plaza de Armas
Day 1
Our first day begins by getting picked up at 5.30am, after picking the rest of our group up - 6 in total - we drive up the mountains and eventually stop for breakfast at this little place
After breakfast we continue further up to the top of the mountain, it is so cold and the surrounding mountain tops are covered in snow!
Getting the bikes ready
All decked out and ready to ride!!
We downhill mountain bike for 50kms through cloud, rain, shine and streams! One of our group crashed his bike in the first 10 mins and ends up completing the rest of the trek with his arm in a sling and his mates taking turns in carrying his bag! We ride all the way down these roads
It is dramatically warmer as we near the bottom and have to pull over to get rid of some clothing layers. Once we arrive in the town and meeting point we have a well earnt buffet lunch. After that it is off to white water rafting! Since no one else is down to go rafting it is just me, my boyfriend and 3 experienced guides who head off to battle the rapids! Rafting is so much fun and we even stop and steal mangoes from a mango tree along the way! After rafting it's time to hike to our family stay in the jungle. We hike for about an hour and half and I start to struggle with the altitude finally catching up with me. Somehow power through and eventually make it to the top with this view awaiting our arrival
Have a cold shower(not by choice haha), traditional Peruvian dinner and then relax for a bit before crashing out around 9pm.
Day 2
Get to have a sleep in as breakfast is at 8.30am.
Wake up to this view from our window
After breakfast we have a demo on local plants, berries and nuts before getting our faces painted with one of the types of berries. The Incan symbols are painted to give us strength for our 15km walk into the jungle.
Our walk takes us on some of the original Inca trail as well as to the highest point, for a good lookout spot, before descending back down into the jungle. We stop for lunch at a place along the river and have some down time in the hammocks before setting off on the 2nd leg of our walk.
Cross a wooden rope bridge that has planks missing and ride in a pulley type cable car across the raging river. Eventually make it to the hot springs where we get to enjoy a cold beverage whilst submerged in the warm water. Now we are super relaxed but we still have to get to our hostel in Santa Teresa which is still quite a walk away. Eventually make it into town just as it is getting dark. Chill for an hour before heading out to dinner and a few drinks... as it turns Santa Teresa is quite the party town but we don't have too much Incan tequila or stay out too long... have another cold shower before going to bed... only to be woken not long after because of a hostel robbery!
Day 3
Survive the robbery and the night unscathed albiet a little tired. After an early breakfast we head off to zipline above the treetops and across the mountains. We can even choose how we fly through the sky, forwards, backwards, upside down or like superman/girl! Then we are driven to the hydro electric plant and walk for a little bit, have lunch and some more hammock time before our long walk to Agua Calientis. We walk for a few hours following the train line around the base of Machu Picchu mountain.
Arrive with a few hours spare before dinner so have a look around town and get some snacks for tomorrow. At dinner we get our tickets and get briefed for our big day. Finally get to have a hot shower and then it's off to bed.
Day 4
Wake up at 4am and walk to the check point. It is super cloudy so we won't be able to see the sunrise so we take our time. It takes us about an hour and half to reach the top.. the struggling to breathe from the altitude and the three adventure filled days we had prior have defintely caught up with us but we find some new found energy and excitement once we make it through the gates! We spend a few hours exploring this ancient wonder.
We were also lucky enough to get a ticket to Huyana Picchu (only a certain amount get released each day so plan ahead if you want to visit this mountain) so explore that section for a few hours aswell. As it starts to rain we decide to head back down into town via the bus. Have celebratory drinks with the rest of our group before our train and then bus takes us back to Cusco!
The cold showers, lack of sleep, altitude symptoms, physical and mental exhaustion defintely tested me at times but I felt so much accomplishment after completing my trek! Which I think just made the whole experience so much better than I could of ever expected!
Totally recommend this type of trek to anyone who is up for a little adventure and pushing of their boundaries :D