Hail to the Victors: Machu Picchu

Wow. Absolutely amazing. Although billed as a ¨moderate¨ hike to Machu Picchu, it was anything but. The 5-day trek consisted of mud, rain (even snow), stomach cramps, and 60 miles of hiking at elevations up to 15,000 feet. But damn, was it ever worth it...
Our trekking group consisted of three dry-humored Brits, a lively Brazilian, a chain-smoking Hungarian, a 19 year old Canadian trying to find himself, and an American/Chilean Buddhism teacher. We couldn´t hike the easier and more popular Inca trail because the Peruvian government limits the trail to 500 hikers (including guides and porters) per day. All the Inca Trail slots are filled until June.

We woke up at 5AM each day, ate meals prepared by our guides, and hiked for roughly 10-11 hours before camping under the stars each night. The Andes are incredible because they are not only massive but so lush. Never before had I seen 14,000 feet peaks covered with grasses, banana and palm trees, as well as home to parrots and hummingbirds.

The last morning we woke up at 4AM to climb Machu Picchu (¨Old Mountain¨ in Quechua, the Inca´s language.) We saw the sunrise over Machu Picchu, a magical sight. Most tourists aren´t crazy enough to hike there, so they come by train later in the day. That meant we had the place mostly to ourselves for a few hours.

The Incas were amazing stone masons. Their work has survived, largely intact, for more than 500 years. Fortunately, Machu Picchu was one of the only main Inca sites not discovered by the Spanish. As somebody remarked, if the Spanish had found Machu Picchu, there would probably now be a tacky cathedral way up in the Andes. I feel very fortunate to have seen this place and experienced its wonders. Tomorrow I leave to visit Ben and Libby, my friends in the Peace Corps, 8 hours north of Lima.

If you want to see more of my pictures from this past week, click on this last picture--the one of the gate--and view it as a slideshow. (Alternatively, you can view the pictures by visiting: http://picasaweb.google.es/dkroth1/SelectPicturesFromCuscoMachuPicchu)

Select Pictures from Cusco-Machu Picchu