Still Going Places: The Inca Trail, Machu Picchu, Cusco & Lima
May 31st, 2014, 05:22 AM
#45
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Thanks to all for your kind words. I was going to write some more yesterday about life on the trail, but things started going sideways and blowing up at work. I'll get on it this weekend. Probably.
Cold, our DD grew up listening to and enjoying our CDs...but now it seems like physical media of any sort is an anachronism. I still love em anyway. Now playing: Natalie Merchant's gorgeous Tiger Lily.
Cold, our DD grew up listening to and enjoying our CDs...but now it seems like physical media of any sort is an anachronism. I still love em anyway. Now playing: Natalie Merchant's gorgeous Tiger Lily.
Jun 1st, 2014, 08:43 AM
#48
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In your pictures, there was one of what looked like a young llama (at Machu Picchu). Just wanted to tell you the baby was born 2 days before we were there - it was incredible to watch mother and baby. Here's just one picture - this was mid-March.
https://plus.google.com/photos/10434...OCXosOIkMDw4gE
https://plus.google.com/photos/10434...OCXosOIkMDw4gE
Jun 1st, 2014, 10:49 AM
#49
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sf7307, thanks for sharing! How neat that you were able to see it as a newborn. Looks like the little guy/gal is adapting quite well...it was going to work on the grass along right alongside all the adults when we were there.
Jun 1st, 2014, 12:04 PM
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Following along with you. I've been looking forward to your report, as we are heading to Machu Picchu in November. No Inca Trail for us, I'm afraid. I planned to do it after I retired at the end of 2001, but an auto accident two months before nixed that. I'm finally going to get there, but we'll be taking the Hiram Bingham in celebration of my next retirement at the end of August.
Loving your report and all the details!
Loving your report and all the details!
Jun 1st, 2014, 12:21 PM
#51
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Thanks, Kathie! We watched the Hiram Bingham come in the evening we were in Aguas Calientes--the tracks were right in front of our hotel. Congrats on your upcoming retirement. This will be a fantastic way to celebrate!
We'll get back on the report tomorrow...promise!
We'll get back on the report tomorrow...promise!
Jun 2nd, 2014, 05:43 AM
#52
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<b>The Hike, Part 2: The View You Don’t Get at the JW Marriott</b>
On the morning after my first sleep in a tent since I was a young boy, we unzipped the front and looked out. And again, that song came rushing back to me...
<i>Come the morning, every blue shade of green
Come with me, go places...</i>
The pictures don’t do it justice; can’t really, because the view is everywhere at once. But at a glance, you know this is why you chose to come this way. This is why a hundred mules couldn’t drag you back now. Every blue shade of green on the mountainside, every gray-white billow in the frosty blue sky and every earthy cobble of the ancient path whispers good morning to you... and so do your aching hips. Time to get up and do it all again.
But first, a hearty breakfast!
The most amazing thing about the Inca trail is that a veritable army of porters are going up and down these trails every day at TWICE the speed you are. And they’re doing it with 50-lb. packs on their backs. Some of these porters are carrying food, kitchen supplies and mess-tent equipment. So, by the time you get up and wash your face each morning, these guys have been hard at work setting up so the cooks can whip up some fine Andean chow. And once you finish, they break it all down, pack it all up, and run it all past you to the next stop on the trail.
Our group of 9 hikers was accompanied by 2 guides, 2 cooks, and a total of 16 porters. That's what it takes to make this party move, folks. And I have to say, the Enigma crew struck us as being consistently professional and courteous.
When you eat three meals a day with the same group of people in a small tent, and sleep beside them each night separated by two thin sheets of nylon and a few inches of cold night air, you soon become well acquainted. And we were blessed with an outstanding group... interesting, diverse people with active minds, positive attitudes and fresh points of view. The live-wire of the group was the English guy on his honeymoon; he and the lanky musician from Brooklyn kept the entire group entertained and in good spirits throughout the trek (often times with a set of cheap, tourist-shop Andean pan pipes). Their respective spouses were both whip-smart and utterly charming in nearly every way. The kiwi couple were incredible adventurers who have competed in marathons on every continent, excluding Antarctica. And our resident doctor was a very gracious lady who combined British understatement and dry wit with German determination. We truly enjoyed their company, and I doubt if our adventure would have been as enjoyable without them!
Sharing and cooperation were common virtues evident on the trail. The British guy, for example, was constantly doling out chicha morada and coca candies to the group. Ms_go borrowed an extra hiking pole from our assistant guide, Raul, during the steepest downhill segments. The young lady from NYC was feeling a little dizzy from the altitude on day 2, so I gave her one of my prescription Diamox capsules. Blister remedies and foot protection items were swapped back and forth. And when our camp cooks made a wedding cake for the honeymoon couple, we all enjoyed a big slice!
The best part of each day came in the late afternoons, when we arrived at our camp for the night. The porters and other staff would form a welcoming line and applaud each one of us as we arrived. We couldn’t help but feel like we were finalists on The Amazing Race. That courtesy was returned on our final night, when our group decided to perform a song for the Enigma staff...accompanied by the lanky guy from Brooklyn on dime-store Peruvian pan-pipes. In his camouflage long underwear.
It was a moment that won’t soon be forgotten!
Scenes from day 2 and day 3 of our hike can be viewed here (and here)...
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p578599323
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p931678261
On the morning after my first sleep in a tent since I was a young boy, we unzipped the front and looked out. And again, that song came rushing back to me...
<i>Come the morning, every blue shade of green
Come with me, go places...</i>
The pictures don’t do it justice; can’t really, because the view is everywhere at once. But at a glance, you know this is why you chose to come this way. This is why a hundred mules couldn’t drag you back now. Every blue shade of green on the mountainside, every gray-white billow in the frosty blue sky and every earthy cobble of the ancient path whispers good morning to you... and so do your aching hips. Time to get up and do it all again.
But first, a hearty breakfast!
The most amazing thing about the Inca trail is that a veritable army of porters are going up and down these trails every day at TWICE the speed you are. And they’re doing it with 50-lb. packs on their backs. Some of these porters are carrying food, kitchen supplies and mess-tent equipment. So, by the time you get up and wash your face each morning, these guys have been hard at work setting up so the cooks can whip up some fine Andean chow. And once you finish, they break it all down, pack it all up, and run it all past you to the next stop on the trail.
Our group of 9 hikers was accompanied by 2 guides, 2 cooks, and a total of 16 porters. That's what it takes to make this party move, folks. And I have to say, the Enigma crew struck us as being consistently professional and courteous.
When you eat three meals a day with the same group of people in a small tent, and sleep beside them each night separated by two thin sheets of nylon and a few inches of cold night air, you soon become well acquainted. And we were blessed with an outstanding group... interesting, diverse people with active minds, positive attitudes and fresh points of view. The live-wire of the group was the English guy on his honeymoon; he and the lanky musician from Brooklyn kept the entire group entertained and in good spirits throughout the trek (often times with a set of cheap, tourist-shop Andean pan pipes). Their respective spouses were both whip-smart and utterly charming in nearly every way. The kiwi couple were incredible adventurers who have competed in marathons on every continent, excluding Antarctica. And our resident doctor was a very gracious lady who combined British understatement and dry wit with German determination. We truly enjoyed their company, and I doubt if our adventure would have been as enjoyable without them!
Sharing and cooperation were common virtues evident on the trail. The British guy, for example, was constantly doling out chicha morada and coca candies to the group. Ms_go borrowed an extra hiking pole from our assistant guide, Raul, during the steepest downhill segments. The young lady from NYC was feeling a little dizzy from the altitude on day 2, so I gave her one of my prescription Diamox capsules. Blister remedies and foot protection items were swapped back and forth. And when our camp cooks made a wedding cake for the honeymoon couple, we all enjoyed a big slice!
The best part of each day came in the late afternoons, when we arrived at our camp for the night. The porters and other staff would form a welcoming line and applaud each one of us as we arrived. We couldn’t help but feel like we were finalists on The Amazing Race. That courtesy was returned on our final night, when our group decided to perform a song for the Enigma staff...accompanied by the lanky guy from Brooklyn on dime-store Peruvian pan-pipes. In his camouflage long underwear.
It was a moment that won’t soon be forgotten!
Scenes from day 2 and day 3 of our hike can be viewed here (and here)...
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p578599323
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p931678261
Jun 2nd, 2014, 11:42 AM
#55
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Thanks, tripplanner001!
<b>Weather</b>
We intentionally booked in May because it was into, or at least at the beginning of, the dry season but perhaps not the coldest point of the Southern hemisphere winter…but also before lots of people from the Northern hemisphere head south for their summer holidays. We don’t mind the cold, but we were hoping to avoid substantial rain.
The forecasts were pretty dismal before we left, but the weather did seem to be in transition. We had a mix of overcast, nice puffy clouds and clear blue skies—but we saw relatively little rain during our nine nights in Cusco and the Machu Picchu area. There were a few drops here and there. On the third morning of our trek we had enough drizzle to warrant getting out the ponchos/rain gear, but that didn’t last too long. It also rained a bit during a couple of the nights on the trek (still not sure whether rain falling on a tent is sleep depriving or sleep inducing). The most significant rainfall happened during the 40 minutes or so between the time we arrived at the Aguas Calientes train station and the time the train left for Cusco—fortunately, hours after we’d finished our visit to Machu Picchu in the glorious sunshine. All in all, we were very lucky!
We had been told that the scenery of the third morning of our trek was the best of the whole trip, but, alas, it looked like this:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p...daa3#h1826daa3
So now we all know what a cloud forest looks like!!
The first night of our trek was the coldest. I’m not sure how cold, but I do know that I slept in about four layers including my fleece jacket, fleece hat and gloves. After that, the nights didn’t seem quite so bad. During the day, between the sun and the exertion, it was not uncommon to get down to the short-sleeve layer.
Lima was dry and warm(er), but I take it there isn’t much sun this time of year.
One final note on the weather…we never did find an <i>accurate</i> weather site for the Cusco/MachuPicchu/Sacred Valley areas.
<b>Booking the “classic” Inca Trail trek</b>
As noted above, there are many variations of treks for this area and various advantages of each. The “classic” Inca Trail trek, however, is regulated and capped at 500 people per day, and over half of those will be guides and porters. Popular times fill up fast. We knew this going in, did some research and had more or less selected Enigma as our operator.
Bookings typically open up in early January for the period of March 1 through the end of the following January. When we checked early in the week of January 6, the booking period had not begun. When we checked again that Saturday (January 11), most of Engima’s scheduled dates in the middle two weeks of May were already fully booked and not available! We settled for our second choice, which was fine—and worked out well in the end. But if we’d been slightly more distracted and waited another week, we may have had to adjust our plans and go at a different time. Knowing what I know now, if I was planning to go at a peak time, I would reach out to the operator before the booking period opens and ensure that they have all the necessary information (passport #s, ages, etc.) so that they can process the booking as soon as available.
Site for checking availability:
http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/ (look under the “Queries” tab > Camino Inca)
<b>Weather</b>
We intentionally booked in May because it was into, or at least at the beginning of, the dry season but perhaps not the coldest point of the Southern hemisphere winter…but also before lots of people from the Northern hemisphere head south for their summer holidays. We don’t mind the cold, but we were hoping to avoid substantial rain.
The forecasts were pretty dismal before we left, but the weather did seem to be in transition. We had a mix of overcast, nice puffy clouds and clear blue skies—but we saw relatively little rain during our nine nights in Cusco and the Machu Picchu area. There were a few drops here and there. On the third morning of our trek we had enough drizzle to warrant getting out the ponchos/rain gear, but that didn’t last too long. It also rained a bit during a couple of the nights on the trek (still not sure whether rain falling on a tent is sleep depriving or sleep inducing). The most significant rainfall happened during the 40 minutes or so between the time we arrived at the Aguas Calientes train station and the time the train left for Cusco—fortunately, hours after we’d finished our visit to Machu Picchu in the glorious sunshine. All in all, we were very lucky!
We had been told that the scenery of the third morning of our trek was the best of the whole trip, but, alas, it looked like this:
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/p...daa3#h1826daa3
So now we all know what a cloud forest looks like!!
The first night of our trek was the coldest. I’m not sure how cold, but I do know that I slept in about four layers including my fleece jacket, fleece hat and gloves. After that, the nights didn’t seem quite so bad. During the day, between the sun and the exertion, it was not uncommon to get down to the short-sleeve layer.
Lima was dry and warm(er), but I take it there isn’t much sun this time of year.
One final note on the weather…we never did find an <i>accurate</i> weather site for the Cusco/MachuPicchu/Sacred Valley areas.
<b>Booking the “classic” Inca Trail trek</b>
As noted above, there are many variations of treks for this area and various advantages of each. The “classic” Inca Trail trek, however, is regulated and capped at 500 people per day, and over half of those will be guides and porters. Popular times fill up fast. We knew this going in, did some research and had more or less selected Enigma as our operator.
Bookings typically open up in early January for the period of March 1 through the end of the following January. When we checked early in the week of January 6, the booking period had not begun. When we checked again that Saturday (January 11), most of Engima’s scheduled dates in the middle two weeks of May were already fully booked and not available! We settled for our second choice, which was fine—and worked out well in the end. But if we’d been slightly more distracted and waited another week, we may have had to adjust our plans and go at a different time. Knowing what I know now, if I was planning to go at a peak time, I would reach out to the operator before the booking period opens and ensure that they have all the necessary information (passport #s, ages, etc.) so that they can process the booking as soon as available.
Site for checking availability:
http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/ (look under the “Queries” tab > Camino Inca)
Jun 2nd, 2014, 12:03 PM
#58
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You're welcome. In terms of booking the Inca Trail, your latter suggestion was exactly what we did. I sent all the information to the outfitter shortly before the new year, including copies of passport pages, so that they could book my choice of date as soon as the slots were available. I remember checking some time during the middle of January and the week I wanted was already gone.
Jun 3rd, 2014, 04:28 PM
#59
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Before my lovely bride returns to the thread and posts a little something about Machu Picchu, I just wanted say one more thing about the hike. And it's sort of an unsolicited testimonial.
ms_go wore a pair of well-worn Columbia hiking boots throughout our adventure, and I wore a pair of Solomon Gore-text hiking shoes each day. Neither one of us had single blister nor a significant loss of traction. Not once. Out of the nine of us in our group, I think we are the only two who can honestly claim that. So... Go Columbia, and go Solomon!
ms_go wore a pair of well-worn Columbia hiking boots throughout our adventure, and I wore a pair of Solomon Gore-text hiking shoes each day. Neither one of us had single blister nor a significant loss of traction. Not once. Out of the nine of us in our group, I think we are the only two who can honestly claim that. So... Go Columbia, and go Solomon!
Jun 3rd, 2014, 07:07 PM
#60
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Since mr_go mentioned the boots, here are a few other things that we brought along that usually don't accompany us on vacation:
* Proper daypacks (doubled as airline carry-ons); mine has its own rain “jacket,” which came in handy a couple of times
* One folding hiking pole each; this was the first time either of us has used poles, and I’m a definite convert; I’ll be buying a better set and using a pair from here on
* Headlamp and flashlight (essential for getting organized in a pitch-dark tent and for nighttime trips to the toilet tent)
* Platypus reservoir and drinking tube
* LL Bean compressible camping pillows (very handy, but they did take up some space)
* A couple of small towels (ultimately used less for “bathing” and more for things like mopping up the Platypus spill in the tent)
* A bunch of snack bars and trail mix, which we ultimately didn’t really need, as Enigma kept us well fed
* Rain ponchos (in addition to other necessary outerwear)
* Ample quantities of sunscreen and bug lotion
We rented sleeping bags and inflatable pads from Enigma.
There were some non-traditional wardrobe considerations, as well—including fleece jackets, gloves and hats (handy for sleeping too), and hiking pants with zip-off legs (not really zipped off until we got to warmer Machu Picchu).
Post-trip, the only thing that falls in the “I wish I had” category is a proper lightweight raincoat or shell for the fleece (mr_go did take one).
We generally travel fairly light, with 22” or so rolling bags (checked), so all of that gear posed a bit of a challenge when combined with all our regular clothes and stuff. After some consideration, we decided to check three bags, with the third being a duffle that would go with us on the trek—to be carried by the porters (maximum weight not to exceed 12kgs and no rolling bags allowed). With three bags, we also had to make sure we didn’t exceed LAN’s checked baggage weight allowance.
When we returned to Cusco from the trek, we packed all the dirty stuff and hiking gear in the duffle—which became known as the “toxic bag”—and locked it, and didn’t open it again until we were back home.
* Proper daypacks (doubled as airline carry-ons); mine has its own rain “jacket,” which came in handy a couple of times
* One folding hiking pole each; this was the first time either of us has used poles, and I’m a definite convert; I’ll be buying a better set and using a pair from here on
* Headlamp and flashlight (essential for getting organized in a pitch-dark tent and for nighttime trips to the toilet tent)
* Platypus reservoir and drinking tube
* LL Bean compressible camping pillows (very handy, but they did take up some space)
* A couple of small towels (ultimately used less for “bathing” and more for things like mopping up the Platypus spill in the tent)
* A bunch of snack bars and trail mix, which we ultimately didn’t really need, as Enigma kept us well fed
* Rain ponchos (in addition to other necessary outerwear)
* Ample quantities of sunscreen and bug lotion
We rented sleeping bags and inflatable pads from Enigma.
There were some non-traditional wardrobe considerations, as well—including fleece jackets, gloves and hats (handy for sleeping too), and hiking pants with zip-off legs (not really zipped off until we got to warmer Machu Picchu).
Post-trip, the only thing that falls in the “I wish I had” category is a proper lightweight raincoat or shell for the fleece (mr_go did take one).
We generally travel fairly light, with 22” or so rolling bags (checked), so all of that gear posed a bit of a challenge when combined with all our regular clothes and stuff. After some consideration, we decided to check three bags, with the third being a duffle that would go with us on the trek—to be carried by the porters (maximum weight not to exceed 12kgs and no rolling bags allowed). With three bags, we also had to make sure we didn’t exceed LAN’s checked baggage weight allowance.
When we returned to Cusco from the trek, we packed all the dirty stuff and hiking gear in the duffle—which became known as the “toxic bag”—and locked it, and didn’t open it again until we were back home.
