La Pequena Casita Aguas Calientes

02:10: ik werd om 6:30 opgepikt bij mijn hostal en vandaar richting het busstation. Met de bus in ongeveer anderhalf uur naar Ollantaytambo. De chauffeur reedt als een wezenloos door de bergen maar uiteindelijk komen we heelhuids aan op het station van Ollantaytambo. Vandaar met de backpacker trein van Perurail in een kleine twee uur naar Aguas Calientes. Een prachtige treinrit die voert langs de Urumbamba rivier en het is onderweg dus genieten geblazen. De ...

... Cuzco for Ollayataytambo, via a bus and a collectivo (shared taxis). There, we went through the ruins, which were amazing! At that point, we couldn´t understand how they were tiny compared to Machu Pichu (now we do). Ollayataytambo is especially interesting because it wasn´t finished, so you can see the stages of construction. For example, when the incas (or actually, the indiginous people working for them) moved the approximately 5 ton ...

... was a special day - the path was amazing, going to the tops of mountain passes, with particularly beautiful high stone embankments skirting deep precipices below. There were a number of Incan sites, and around 3 hours in we arrived at Sayacmarca by way of a superbly designed stone staircase. With little irony the Incans had named this 'Inaccessible Town' due to the fact the site is protected on three sides by sheer cliff. It was a special moment, as not only are the ruins very ...

... an all-night rave. We, feeling like the old grumps, didnt get much sleep as the peruvian beats pounded out from the speakers until 5:30 am.....

... from water bottles with his front hands, there was the obligatory sign saying "Tip the Picuro".

After we had rested, Herber showed us how they make chocolate in these parts from the local cocoa leaves. To be quite frank, it tastes dreadful and I don't think Cadburys have too much to worry about in the way of competition. Herber also brought out some local clothes for us to try on....all I can say is ridiculous and at times down right ...

... Our guide is a local man named Casiano - total legend!

Day 1 is 14km of mixed of terrain, some ups, few downs and then some 'inca flats' (anything less than 45 degree incline is considered flat in Inca terms!). The direction in general is up though. We'll go from 2700m to 3300m. From minute 1, crossing a suspension bridge, the scenery just blows your mind. I would say takes your breath away but the altitude takes care of that. No major difficulties before ...

... myself! Ror was up there 9 mins in front of me (and the 2nd guy) which is amazing! The people with the backpacks got up about 25mins after me. When most of us were up Juan brought us to a quiet area to do a ritual. He is a Quechuan and from what I can gather the Inca's were the same. Long ago they believed that the mountains were their gods and Pachamama (mother earth) was prayed to. This religion is still in existance. August is the month of Pachamama and it ...

... This time round, it was all official; passport checks, trail entrance fees and strict park regulations were now imposed (mostly for the better of course).

Angela was quite apprehensive; she wasn't initially convinced that she could complete the trail, but was determined not to give up. She had brought a walking stick to help her up the mountains. I decided to follow behind her throughout - the point was for us to have this experience together. We were a group of 16 ...

... Place Shopping Center’ which was nothing more than a large-sized stall with the owner inside selling drinks, fruits, toilet rolls and snacks to passing hikers. Everyone found the name amusing and posed in front of the ‘Rest Place Shopping Center’ for pictures.

At the ‘La Playa’ stop we had our lunch. There was no beach as the name might suggest, but we all could take dips in the river close by. I didn’t swim but ...

... pass (the deadwoman pass) at 4215 M above sea level, and then almost perpendicularly descended to our camp site at Pacaymayu. Because we arrived at the camp site much later than the schedule, we had our lunch at 4:30 pm and then the dinner at 7:30 pm with a small rest in between.