Currency:
Peruvian Soles

Highlights:
Llamas, Incan ruins, Wiñay-Wayna, Inti Punku, Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu

Our Adventure Summarised:
We woke up early on Wednesday morning to start our long day of travelling which would take us from Buenos Aires to Lima and then from Lima onto Cusco. Cusco is near the Urubamba Valley (Sacred Valley) of the Andes mountain range and it is the historic capital of the Inca Empire and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO. It is a major tourist destination and receives almost a million visitors a year.

We finally arrived in Cusco late afternoon and we were met by a rep from SAS Travel and we jumped on the bus and headed towards our new home, well at least for the next few days, Hotel Marqueses. We were greeted by the friendly hotel staff and immediately tucked into some Coca tea to help us acclimatise to the high altitude of Cusco. Hotel Marqueses is centrally located in the heart of the tourist district, only two blocks from the Plaza des Armas where we immediately headed for some dinner at Pizzeria Marengo. Dinner was a far cry from the massive parillas that we had become accustomed to but the pizza and pasta were amazing and we washed it down with some of the local Inca Kola. Inca Kola (also known as Inca Cola or "the Golden Kola") is a Peruvian soft drink with a sweet fruity flavor sometimes compared to bubblegum. The maker is 60% owned by The Coca-Cola Company and Inca Kola is more popular than Coca-Cola in this part of the world!

The next morning we were up early to meet our guide Caesar (a great and very passionate guide and a very 'nice' guy) from SAS travel and head out on the Sacred Valley Tour. The Sacred Valley of the Incas was undoubtedly a key area of settlement to the Incas. Its agreeable climate and fertile plains make a rare and fruitful combination for the high Andes. It was also the route to the jungle and therefore an area with access to the fruits and plants of the tropical lowlands. Today the Sacred Valley remains a lush agricultural region supplying the city of Cusco with much of its produce such as maize, fruit and vegetables.

The Sacred Valley Tour, which covered over 170km in length, was an awesome introduction to the Incas and included a visit to the market at Pisac, a stop for lunch in Urubamba, a visit to the beautiful Inca village and fortress of Ollantaytambo and a quick stop at the Quechua village of Chinchero on the way back to Cusco.

The day included an explanation around the real meaning of Machu Picchu and we quickly learnt that depending on how you pronounce the "Picchu" in Machu Picchu this can either be interpreted as Old Mountain or as Old Willy, with obviously the former being the correct translation. You have been warned.

Lara also got a chance to get in the ring with her favourite animals - the Llamas. A random interesting fact is that Llamas actually got their name from the Spanish. The Spanish asked the local Incans when they arrived:

"Como se llama?" meaning "what are they called?" and the Incans not knowing what they meant replied, repeating after them, "llama".

And that my friends is how Llamas got their name. Llamas are extremely important to the Incan people and are used for their wool and they are also eaten as a delicacy in Peru, commonly known as alpaca. We also managed to prove the theory that Llamas do in fact spit and Al bore the brunt of a spitting Llama which spat on his face while Lara was stroking him. Nice. Theory proved.

During the day we explored the local markets with its bright colours and friendly faces and we even managed to visit the market bakery where we sampled the local empanadas and we managed to get a view of a fresh batch of roasted Guinea Pig. Guinea Pig is the local delicacy in Peru and although the tour team is brave we were not brave enough to embrace the Peruvian culture on this occasion - especially after Lara had told us that her first pet was Mandy the Guinea Pig. We did however spot some chocolate flavoured Coca leaves which are meant to help with acclimatising so we devoured those instead.

The most amazing part of the day was exploring numerous Incan ruins scattered over the Sacred Valley. Walking around these ruins that were built hundreds of years ago in some of the most unbelievable mountainous locations with absolute perfection was a site that is hard to describe. It was truly a great experience which at this stage we thought could not be beaten - but we were wrong.

Another important part of our day was spent on finding out where the locals party in the Sacred Valley and on our adventures we discovered the following: Houses that had a red plastic bag hanging on a stick outside were the local bars. Houses with a red and blue plastic bag was the sign of a bar and hotel. Houses with a red, blue and green plastic bag were a bar, hotel and the man of the house was away for the evening. Hmmm.

We decided to skip the local bars and we headed back to Cusco where we went out to the Inka Grill for some dinner and to sink some Cusquena's (the local Peruvian beer) and some Pisco Sours (the local Peruvian cocktail made from Pisco, lemon juice, egg white, ice and Angostura bitters) in preparation for our two day Inca Trail starting very early the next morning.

The next two days proved to be the highlight of our trip so far and I hope the following words can do our experience some justice.

After waking up early and meeting our guide Roberto, we jumped on the 07h42 Peru Rail train from Cusco and headed out to a part of the Inca Trail which is called KM 104. KM 104 is at an altitude of 2100 metres and is 104 kilometres along the railway from Cusco to Aguas Calientes. Upon arrival we jumped off of the train with our guide, Roberto and we crossed the flowing river to the bottom of the trail where we would begin the first part of the Inca Trail which is a 600m ascent.

After getting our passports checked and our entry permits granted we began our four hour uphill walk to the Wiñay-Wayna Complex which is at 2700 metres. Although the hike is sold as being accessible for all ages, and doesn't require you to be in top physical shape let me tell you that 600m uphill on a 3 foot wide rock path with a sheer drop off the mountain is not an easy task. We did however dominate and we passed all the other groups along the way including an English group after much friendly banter and finished the 600m ascent in just under 2 hours which our guide was amazed by. Trust me this was not accomplished without a lot of blood, sweat and tears but what was waiting for us definitely made it all worth while.

The Wiñay-Wayna Complex would be our lunch stop and oh my word what an amazing lunch stop it was. The name Wiñay-Wayna means "Forever Young " in Quechua (Inca's language), and the place is named after a pink and purple orchid of that name that grows here. We were greeted with the most amazing view over the Inca castle that looked over the valley that we had just hiked up. Farming terraces called "Andenes" surround the whole side of the mountain decorated this ancient Inca castle which consisted of temples, buildings and water channels.

The stonework was high in quality and fine masonry with a magnificent sequence of fifteen ritual fountain baths. This was a religious centre in its day, which was probably associated with the ritual worship of water. Looking out over the sub-tropical valley we were told of the other Inca complexes of Chachabamba, Choquesuysuy and Inti-pata which were hiding in the middle of the beauty of the mountains in the sub-tropical valley below us.

After our lunch in breath-taking Wiñay-Wayna we continued for another two hours through a beautiful cloud forest full of bromelias, orchids and fern trees toward our goal for the day which was to hike all the way to Machu Picchu where we would observe the famous view of Machu Picchu from the Sun gate or "Inti Punku".

The last part of the trail featured amazing stone steps and tambos ("resting places") and we climbed the final 60 steps before arriving to the famous Inti Punku. What we were about to view will remain with all of us for a very long time.

As we stood at the Inti Punku we were able to contemplate and observe this unique place in the distance and we were able to stand in front of the wonder that is called Machu Picchu. Seeing Machu Picchu from a distance you feel a peaceful and special feeling. A feeling that cannot be described and that needs to be experienced. The panoramic views and emotions that you experience looking at this wonder of the world as well as the sense of accomplishment from the hike you have just completed make this a truly amazing experience.

Experiencing Machu Picchu from Inti Punku was just the beginning and after spending time taking pictures and lapping up the panoramic views we then began to prepare our minds for the next early morning and we took a bus ride for 30 minutes down to the town of Aguas Calientes where we would stay for the night at Hostel Viajeros.

The next morning we had a knock at the door at 04h45 and we were all downstairs and eating breakfast at 05h00. After a good breakfast we were ready to re-live the history and the mysterious world of the Incas, and we took one of the first buses up at approximately 05h30 to arrive at the ruins at 06h00 in order to see the sun rising over Machu Picchu. At 06h00 when Machu Picchu is still not so crowded it allowed us to take advantage of the tranquility of this sacred site and have a guided tour of Machu Picchu. Each day 400 very fortunate people, the first 400 people to arrive at Machu Picchu, are granted entry to hike up Huayna Picchu or Wayna Picchu (Quechua: "Young Peak") which is another 200 metres up. It is an extremely tough, dangerous and steep hike to the top of the mountain but what waits for you on top is nothing less than breathtaking and it allows you a view that overlooks Machu Picchu from a completely different angle. We were fortunate enough to be numbers 387 to 391. Travel karma. Tick. Wayna Picchu here we come.

Machu Picchu is a magical, mysterious place that for nearly a century has intrigued archaeologists and visitors alike. Perched atop a steep, emerald green peak 8,000 feet high in the Andes in southern Peru, it is reachable only by a long road that zigzags up the slope from the roaring Urubamba river, or by hiking along the challenging Inca Trail. One can only imagine the excitement when intrepid Yale professor-explorer Hiram Bingham, led there by local peasants in 1911, first glimpsed the jungle-invaded citadel abandoned by the Incas four centuries earlier.

Bingham eagerly surveyed the site over the next five years, clearing away brush and identifying palaces, temples, and a celestial observatory from what is believed to have been a summer palace or ceremonial center for the first Incan emperor, Pachakuteq. Most of its gold and other treasures had been looted around the time of the Spanish conquest, but he unearthed thousands of artifacts and carted them off to New Haven to study. The Incas built their mysterious city here to be closer to the gods. It was placed so high in the clouds, that the conquering Spaniards never found or destroyed it. Visitors to Machu Picchu see well-preserved ruins hidden among the majestic Andes: palaces, baths, temples, tombs, sundials and farming terraces, along with llamas that roam among hundreds of gray granite houses.

After exploring Machu Picchu for four hours it was our turn to start our once in a lifetime hike up Wayna Picchu. I am not going to lie by saying that we were all super keen for our next adventure, but after our bodies being bruised, battered and bitten from the previous days hiking experience the though of scaling this immense mountain seemed like a huge task. We managed to suck it up however and we began the tough climb up Wayna Picchu.

Wayna Picchu rises over Machu Picchu, the so-called "lost city of the Incas" and divides it into sections. The Incas built a trail up the side of the Wayna Picchu and built temples and terraces on its top. The peak of Wayna Picchu is about 2,720 metres (8,900 ft) above sea level, or about 360 metres (1,200 ft) higher than Machu Picchu. The best comment about the hike did however come from Georgie when she asked Roberto, our tour guide, if there was a kiosk at the top of the mountain that we could buy water from. Unfortunately, the answer was no and this did get a good few giggles and comments from Roberto. Georgie has however found a new business opportunity.

The climb up Wayna Picchu was a steep hike and towards the top an exposed climb leads to the summit. Some portions are slippery and steel cables provide some support but all in all this is pretty much a health and safety nightmare. When we finally reached the summit - wow - it was worth every second of pain and fear that we endured. Wayna Picchu towers above the ruins of Machu Picchu and provides a mind blowing view of this marvelous wonder of the world. A truly amazing hike and a truly amazing view.

After lapping up the views from the summit we began our trek back down the mountain and back to Machu Picchu where we took a bus down to Aguas Calientes to jump on our return train to Cusco. Although bruised, battered and bitten and sore from the first bit of physical exercise we had done on tour this completed an absolutely awesome and unforgettable two days for the tour team.

Next stop Lima.

You can view our photos from Cusco, Peru here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336204&id=713415257&l=2008c207d7
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336221&id=713415257&l=0990cada9d
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336228&id=713415257&l=e0e4120b32
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336237&id=713415257&l=11666ef2ce
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336243&id=713415257&l=b21d0da11b
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336252&id=713415257&l=df99778fca
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=336264&id=713415257&l=6c2470df30

Hasta la vista!

Leise + Lara