Peru trekking - Inca Trail

After three days in the serenity of the Salkantay we joined the Inca trail at Wayllabamba, this was still pretty serene because we were ahead of the usual Inca trail walkers who had to start further down the track (muhahahaha!!). We said goodbye to the horseboy and waited in the sunshine for our porters to turn up with the food for our lunch. Once again we were early so they were all running around like crazy. The porters are a funny bunch. Always laughing and chatting. With our tour company they all dress in red and walk together, so when you see them on the track they look like a bunch of Santa's with their big bags. One of the reasons we choose our company was on how it treats its porters, which seemed to be a lot better than the other companies.

The Inca Trail was very different. Firstly, there are a lot more people! Also most of it is paved with stones and has steps (yuk!). After the heights of the Salkantay we found it easy and the days were not very long. We managed to stay ahead of the bunch and at the campsites where there were not to many people.

As you can expect there was more wonderful scenery, more great food and some Inca ruins thrown in for good measure. These constructions sure are special and it is crazy seeing and imagining the huge amount of work that went into constructing the buildings and terraces. Initially I was disappointed with the workmanship because I had always heard that Inca stonework is amazing and you cannot even get a knife between the blocks. It soon became clear the there are different types and as we got closer to Machu Picchu the stonework became everything I had heard it would be.

Soooooo more photos. And if you want some stories then feel free to be our friends when we get home and ask us. We will probably ask you to feed us in return because we will be poor starving travellers [sad face].

However, I will tell you that I have had the pleasure of being sick in the middle of Machu Picchu. SO classy Greer!! Felt a lot better afterwards and also after I saw a woman being sick in the main square in front of a lot of people. Yussss I am not alone.

The porters looking like Santas coming up the trail.

Inca ruin

And another one looking misty and mysterious

The trail runs through the rocks (nice rocks too)

Stepping out on the Inca Trail

Our porters. A wonderful bunch.

Steps.......

.......and more steps

Yeah I guess that is quite impressive

Laxing out.

Ok our cook managed to make a cake using just a gas ring. WHAT!! Bruce was so happy, I think he ate half of it.

2nd cook Benedicto

The kitchen with our cook Balbino all dressed up in his whites. And yes he wore them every night.

The food that came out of the kitchen. Seriously just cooking on a gas ring. Amazing!!

The mature people visit Machu Picchu

Noice stonework!

Despite appearances Bruce has not been photoshopped onto this picture

Soldiering on after 'having a turn'

Enjoying a well deserved beer in Aguas Caliente

Peru Trekking - Salkantay

After escaping the steamy  mosquito infested jungle and heading for the thin air of the highlands we had to get a bus back into Peru to start our trek in Cusco. This involved a ten hour bus journey to Puno and another ten hour journey to Cusco. We would loved to have flown from La Paz but it was ridiculously expensive!! So we braved the buses and concentrated on the lovely scenery passing by the window.

We stayed at a lovely hostel recommended to us by Louise and Emily whilst on our Pampas tour. Most of the time in Cusco before our trek was spent trying to get enough money out of the banks to be able to pay for the damn thing. I kid you not this took 6 hours!!! Three different banks, walking all over town, a chat to the hostel owner, A LOT of time queuing and finally being pointed in the right direction. Once we knew where to go it took all of 5 minutes to get the money......FINALLY......but also a day wasted grrrrrr

Anywho, the trekking was FABULOUS!! Seven days beautiful scenery and amazing food. We had decided that 4 days on the Inca Trail was not enough so choose a trek that combined the Salkantay and Inca trails. Totally worth it. The two treks are totally different and special in their own special special way.

To try and describe all the things that happened while we were walking would take up tooooo much time and space and all anyone wants to look at are the photos anyway. So just ask us when we get back. OK.

Some bulletpoints about Salkantay

• Bruce was unwell for the first 3 days. I took care of him in the mean way. As in forcing water and food down him. He got better after taking some random drugs we were carrying with us.
• Turns out we walk faster than most people and we kept turning up to camp too early and making the cook very flustered. This also lead to us breaking the schedule and doing our won thing but it was much better that way.
• We had one guide, one cook, one cooks assistant and a horse boy, with his mules, for the first three days.
• We passed over Salkantay pass at 5100m, which is definitely the highest I have ever walked and I was very proud of both of us.
• The whole trek was high, dry and mountainous. Also quite cold!!
• We saw no other trekkers the whole time. The usual Salkantay trek goes a different way and most people are not silly enough the pay the price we did!!
• There are cows at 4500m and higher, just wandering around. So weird

I cannot access the map at the moment that gives me the name of all the mountains but I will update it when I can.

Bruce and Hever walking on the second day.

Salkantaypampa

View towards where the other Salkantay trekkers walk

Woohoo lunchtime!!
(I had nearly thrown a tantrum before this due to EXTREME hunger. Not a good idea to let me get hungry)

Bruce and Hever just before Salkantay pass.

Woohoo!! At the pass with Salkantay behind.

Our mules and helpers.

Early morning photoshoot (yes Bruce was still in bed)

Inca Canal

Bolivia - Pampas

From the jungle we were shuttled straight to the Pampas part of Rurrenabaque. This is like a giant river and swamp system. Luckily for us the two girls who had been on the two day jungle tour were on our two day pampas tour so we had some friends, which is always more entertaining.

After the jungle the pampas are soooooo cruisy. Pretty much sit on a boat and watch the wildlife slide by. This included caimans, capybara, anacondas, pink dolphins, monkeys and loads of different birds.

We had another great place to stay and more good food. Happily there were also not as many mosquitos.  Goodness all around.

So we had two relaxing boat rides on the river looking at wildlife, a spot of Pirahna fishing (I caught none and Bruce caught more than none but we do not speak of it), some Anaconda hunting and swimming with the pink dolphins. This is actually a big lie. You get into the same river at the same place as the pink dolphins but there are actually more Caimans there. Technically swimming with Caimans. We all hopped in and shrieked and splashed so much that we probably scared everything away anyway. The shrieking was due partly to the presence of Caimans but also the bottom is all slimy and weedy and gross - NO ONE likes touching the bottom!!! Yuk!!

Looking for Anacondas was fun. Sloshing through the swamp looking for snakes again reminded me of Star Wars. You know the bit when they are stuck in the rubbish compacter with the snake thing? Yeah? Well it is like that but smells like cows.

We both had a really awesome time in both the jungle and pampas and were so happy with the company we went with. Great guides, great food and the lodges felt like the flashest place I had ever been even though we were in the middle of nowhere and they were not that flash (what is it with white linen making a place feel flasher than it is??)

We had one more night in Rurrenabaque before we flew out and had to head back to Peru for our trek.

Oh. My.Goodness. I nearly forgot to tell you about the best thing in Rurrenabaque. There is a french bakery where you can have breakfast. It does actual proper omelettes and the hot pan au chocolat, while not perfect, are probably the best you have eaten after constant bread and jam and fried potatoes. Absolute bliss and sickness inducing fullness because had to eat EVERYTHING in the bakery. And now time to go back to Peru.

Anaconda under the dining room at the lodge

Caiman looking shifty

Turtle

Another shifty Caiman

Swimming with the pink dolphins (insert Caimans)

Bruce, Louise and Emily trying to figure out if dolphins of Caimans in the water

Capybara

Anaconda hunting attire

´We are going on an Anaconda hunt....´

White gumboots are for butchers and also Anaconda hunters



Bruce and Lousie squelch through the swamp