Hello!<BR>I just got back yesterday from 10 days in Peru. I hiked the Inca Trail from Km 82 to Machu Picchu. It was truly the most beautiful place I've ever seen. What an experience. If anyone has any questions, please let me know!<BR><BR>Meagan<BR>ps. I want to thank Dav for answering my questions, you were a great help!

Welcome back Meagan! Glad you enjoyed your trip. Did you go anywhere else in Peru? How long were you at Machu Picchu? We are going later this year and have not quite finalized our schedule yet, so would love any imput. We will be there for 3 weeks, but am worried that we have not set enough time aside for Machu Picchu. Look forward to hearing from you. Pat

Hi Pat!<BR>I spent a few days in Lima, then flew to Cusco, did a tour of the Sacred Valley, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and then set off on the trail. The trail is 3 full days of hiking and on the 4th day we woke up early (4:00am) so we could be at the Sun Gate for sunrise. Definitely one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen. We arrived around 6:00am, had a tour of Machu Picchu and then wandered around for a bit. All in all, we were there for about 7 hours. Many people have suggested that it really takes 2 days to see all of Machu Picchu, and they're probably right, but if you're doing the trail, then you will get a greater sense and understanding of the Incas and see many other ruins along the way and probably won't need the 2 days. Make sure you get there early, because by noon, it was teeming with people. In the afternoon we took a bus to Aguas Calientes, had lunch and caught the "express" train back to Ollantaytambo, where we were met by another bus which took us to Cusco. Please feel free to email me with any specific questions while it's all fresh in my mind!

I am planning a trip to South America, I wanted to fly into Lima and hang in Peru for a couple weeks at least.. How is Lima? Ive heard the outskirts are nice, is it cheap, safe, worth it? How do you get from Lima to the Inca Trail? what are some other sites in Peru to see? Have you been anywhere else in South America?<BR>Thanks<BR>

We are looking to got to Peru and possibly the Galapogos the end of July -<BR>Is it safe - since 9/11? What is the weather in July? What were the highlights of your trip - the must sees?<BR>Thanks -

Hi Rich,<BR>I found Lima to be a very interesting city. There are "taxis" and "buses" everywhere. (Basically, if you own a car and get a sign that says "taxi", you can cart people around. Well, it appeared that way...)Which means there is a LOT of pollution. But the Plaza de Armas is very nice, has the Cathedral and the Presidential Palace. All very pretty colonial buildings. I'd suggest also going to San Francisco Monastery, there are catacombs underneath and an amazing library. The Gold Museum is also pretty interesting - but get a tour if you can, I wandered around by myself and missed out on a lot. I stayed in the Miraflores district which is the upper class neighbourhood and where most tourists stay. I stayed at the Colonial Inn and it was nice and reasonable. (I forget the rates, but you can find them on the Internet) Parque de Amore (sp?) was pretty too - done in the style of Gaudi, if you're familiar with his park in Barcelona... As for safety, just use your common sense, that's all. To get to the Inca trail, I flew to Cusco and my group took a bus to Kilometre 82, where we started the hike. I haven't been anywhere else in SA . . .yet. I met some people who had just been to Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Galapagos. All were amazing, apparently. It is so beautiful and the people, although shy, were wonderful as well.<BR>Debbie, I went with GAP Adventures and 3 people on my trip had just done another GAP tour to the Galapagos - they all raved about it. Especially the blue-footed boobies! As I said earlier, it is safe if you're smart. <BR>The highlight of my trip was on the third day of the hike we went to an Inca Ruin called Winay Wynah (sp?), which means Forever Young. We were standing in the temple of the rainbow and were fortunate enough to see not one, but TWO rainbows! The diversity of landscape, vegetation, animals, etc. was astounding! <BR>If you have any other questions, email me!

Did you have a GAP tour for the whole trip or just the Inca Trail? Once you are in Cuzco, is it easy to find a tour to hike the Inca Trail? Is it expensive?<BR>

Hi Meagan,<BR><BR>I am wondering what kind of shape you were in to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Is the hike strenuous? I am thinking of doing it with my family and my mother is in decent shape, but she is very worried about not being able to make it. Also, what kind of equipment did you bring for the trek?<BR><BR>Thanks!

Meagan!<BR><BR>welcome back. and I am certainly glad your trip was so cool.<BR>And thanks for the "thanks".<BR><BR>If you have a personal web site where you talk about your trip, let me know the address and I will link some of my sites to you.<BR>If not, and if you are in the mood to write up something I would be glad to post the info for others to read.<BR>www.expphoto.com I use for travel journals.<BR><BR>have a great day!<BR>dav<BR>

Rich: Yes, I used GAP for the entire tour. This particular tour, however, is "self-guided". I tacked on 2 extra days at the beginning so I could spend some time in Lima. The "self-guided" tour means that any time you spend in cities/villages, you're free to wander/explore on your own. Our guide would tell us a bit about the place and we'd meet back at a specified time. The guide was with us the entire time we were on the trail. Once in Cusco, you will not have any trouble at all finding tour operators. Unfortunately, I don't know what the average cost is since it was all included in my trip. There is a waiting period, however, to get the trail permit if you don't book ahead of time (usually 2-3 days, I think), so be prepared for that. Cusco is such a wonderful city though, that it will definitely keep you occupied!<BR><BR>Jill: If you've never been in altitude before, it doesn't really matter what shape you are in, it will be a challenge! My group had 9 people, the oldest was 56 and he kept up with me the entire time (and was actually ahead of me at one point!), and I'm 26. My guide told us that the oldest person he's had on one of his treks was 82 - and she made it before anyone else! I still made sure that I got in as much cardio/stairmaster (ugh!) as possible before I went, and I'm glad I did! The trick is "slow and steady wins the race". Do not feel compelled to walk at the same pace you do at home or you'll never make it! Just go slowly and enjoy the spectacular views!<BR>As for equipment, I brought my sleeping bag and my clothes. Everything else was provided: tent, mat, cooks, porters, etc. I only had to carry my daypack which held my water, camera, film, snacks (snacks are very important! Peanuts, raisins, cookies, hard candies, chocolate, etc.), rain gear, and when it got hot I'd stuff my fleece and pant legs in there. The pants that zip off into shorts are definitely the way to go! Also, I highly recommend getting a hiking pole - or if you'd rather not spend the money because you won't get much use out of it later, at least buy a walking stick. You can buy them everywhere in Ollantaytambo and right at Kilometre 82. They sell them for 3 soles (about US$1).

Hi Meagan,<BR><BR>We are planning a trip to hike/camp the Inca trail next May through GAP adventures. I was wondering what is condition for the camp site on the trail? <BR><BR>Any info would be helpful. Thanks.<BR><BR>Cindy

I'm booked on a trip to Peru in early September. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to hike the trail. If I plan 2 days to acclimate (I am fairly used to high altitude), can I make it up and down the trail in 3.5-4 days? My friend and I are in good physical condition, so that should help. Also, are there several starting points for the hike? How do you get to them from Cuzco? Any recommendations on where to stay in Cusco?

Hi Cindy and Jennifer,<BR>The condition of the campsites was average, our guide was actually quite good in finding us semi-secluded spots. We were the only group around the first night and there were 2 other groups nearby the 2nd night. There is a standard spot where everyone stays the last night. There's a little bar, showers, a tuck shop for chips, pop, etc. But we still managed to stay far enough from the crowds that we had some privacy. At each spot there were either flushing toilets or outhouses. The only time we didn't have any 'facilities' was at lunch, but the porters pitched a small 'bathroom tent' which covered a freshly dug hole in the ground.<BR><BR>Jennifer: As far as I am aware there are 2 available hikes. A 4 day and a 2 day. I did the 4 day which starts at km 82 (Cusco is km 1). I highly recommend the 4 day if you can squeeze it in. You can book your tour right in Cusco and i think the company will take you to the starting point with your guide. However, if you don't book ahead of time, you will need to wait in Cusco for about 2 days for your permit to be granted. There is a limit of 500 people on the entire trail at any given time, so you can't expect to leave right away. I went with GAP and all of the arrangements were taken care of so there was no wait required. GAP also arranged the hotel room in Cusco, so I'm not sure what the name of it was, I'm sorry...

Hi Meagan,<BR><BR>We are taking the Inca Empire tour which includes a 4 day hike to Machu Picchu with GAP adventures next early summer. We heard that some of the hotels we will be staying do not provide warm blankets. We were wondering if we should bring our own sleeping bags or hire one when we get there.<BR><BR>Thanks in advance.<BR><BR>Dan