D`s mail from Cuzco
Hola folks! Still in Cusco, so much to see and do here
not to mention the nitelife! Arrived back in Cusco
last Sunday after an exhausting but amazing 4 days on
the Inca Trail. Started the trail on Wednesday and
walked on average 6 hours a day at high altitude.
Tougher than we thought it would be especially the
second day when we had to climb continuously uphill
for about 4 hours, oh the pain, but was so worth it
when we reached the first mountain pass, eventhough i
nearly passed out. The whole trek was incredible
though, defo makes the top 3 things to do in South
America. Saw a few ancient Inca ruins on route,
weather was beautiful but got too hot on the last 2
days, and scenery was gorgeous. Had a great group, 2
Canadians, 2 Yanks, 4 very funny Germans and us 4
Paddys, brill craic. Our last night we got a special
dinner and made a presentation to the guides and
porters who were super. Porters have a bloody hard
time, they have the job of carrying 30 kg of luggage
everyday and get paid squat. They survive on the
tourists tips. To see them carrying the tents, gas and
backpacks and running up steep hills and steps without
breaking a sweat would put u to shame. A lot of us
carried our own backpacks, sleeping bags and stuff and
tipped them really well at the end, which was
something i suppose. Anyway the last night we stayed
in a cool campsite with gorgeous surroundings, on a
mountain top overlooking a river valley and Inca
ruins. Had to be up the last morning at 2 am (!!!) to
(sleep) walk for 4 hours in pitch black for sunrise at
Machu Picchu. It was fine for the first hour and a
half until half the torches went dead so we literally
walked blind for about an hour until the sun began to
rise. Stopped off for brekkie halfway to Machu Picchu
and then 4 or 5 of us ran flat out with backpacks for
1 hour to Inti Punku or Sun Gate to get the sunrise.
It was the best feeling getting there and looking down
over the lost Inca city eventhough we were ready to
collapse. Stayed there until the sun shone over Machu
Picchu illuminating the whole site which was fairly
spectacular, never seen anything like it. Walked down
to Machu Picchu and hung around the ruins for the day
trying to take the whole thing in. Was the last to
leave and got a bus to the nearest town Aguas
Calientes, hit the sack, up at 5 am the following day
to get the train back to Cusco. Went out Sunday nite
on a big one to celebrate conquering Machu Picchu.
Since Monday i have just been hanging around Cusco
doing all the touristy things, visiting all the Inca
ruins, cathedrals (strange but beautiful, full of
silver and gold and Inca artifacts), museums etc.
Tomorrow we are heading on a tour of the Sacred Valley
of the Incas and Saturday we are heading southeast to
Arequipa. Coming back to Cusco again for Inti Raymi
(Inca Sun Festival) on June 24th which is supposed the
main festival in Peru. Supposedly in Cusco they have
150 festivals in the year and this is their biggest
one so it cannot be passed up. Anyway thats all my
Inca news for now, chau, d.