To Machu Picchu....
Good day to you,
I hope you are still well after yesterday's brief email announcing another series of photos had been added to my blogsite. Did you like them? Half of those photos related to two previous travel reports and the other half are relevant to the next two that I'm about to write.
My last email reported our arrival in the city of Cusco in Peru nearly 3 weeks ago. We are still in Cusco but will be flying west to Lima tomorrow (Thursday 13th July). Flying? On our budget? Yes, I'm afraid to say that faced with 24 hours on a bumpy bus or 45 minutes on a nice plane we wussed out and bought an airticket.
Now, despite the fact that we are still in Cusco after such a long time don't think we've been taking it easy, putting our feet up, our bags down and relaxing. Oh no, we've been jolly busy recently and have just returned from two BIG trips. Before I tell you about them though I would just like to add that I am fully recovered from all previous illnesses, injuries and ailments mentioned in previous emails. No runny bum, no swollen lips, no lumps on heads; no cuts, bruises, sores, blisters or aches and pains of any variety. At this moment in time I am in tip-top condition - as fit and healthy as a butcher's dog. Good for me but I daresay not as interesting for you to read about. I can only apologise and promise my best to pick up a tropical disease or two to amuse you all with in the next email!
So anyway, the two trips... First off was a 5-day trek to Machu Picchu. We didn't do the popular 4-day Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu as when we phoned up to book our place we found it was fully booked for the next 3 months. We were advised to phone 2 months in advance to book our place which is what we did but it's popularity surpassed even these estimations. One of the companies we called (United Mice) offered an alternative trek from a place called Salkantay on the far side of Machu Picchu and then you spend 5 days trekking back towards it. On Day 5 you trek up to Machu Picchu for dawn just as you do on the 4th day on the Inca Trail. We read the trek report on their website (see Links to the right if you want to read about it yourself) and thought it sounded very good. We booked it and here's what happened...
Day 1:
Our alarm goes off at the ungodly hour of 03:30 as United Mice are picking us up from our hotel in Cusco at 04:00. We're only allowed 7kg of luggage each unless we want to carry it ourselves. My sleeping bag weighs 2kg so with the remaining 5kg allowance I manage to squeeze in 4 pairs of pants and socks, swimming shorts, towel, flip-flops, a spare t-shirt, and some toiletries. The rest I'm wearing now as it's so cold. There are 10 of us on our trip when we depart in the minibus. It takes about 5 hours to reach the start of the trek and for the last 2 hours of the journey the road is horrendous. At one point we have to all get out as the track is so rutted and muddy that we get stuck and then start sliding backwards down the hill. Eventually the driver managed to inch the minibus slowly to the top and we could all clamber back in again.
We got to the starting point at about 09.30. The ten of us are Lynn & I, Jay & Mel (Australia), George (UK) & Tsin (Singapore), Jesper (Denmark) & Susie (UK) and Renaud & Axel (Belgium). We have 2 guides and 3 porters. We are supposed to have 5 or 6 mules for all the baggage, camping equipment and food but they aren't here. An hour later they appear - the owner celebrated his birthday yesterday, got very drunk and woke up late with a hangover but atlast he's here and we're ready to set off.
Today is apparently the hardest: We start early, pass the highest point at 4,660m and finish later than on any of the other days... It was all uphill for the morning. We stopped for lunch at about 4,500m before carrying on up to the highest pass and down the otherside. One guide walks at the front and we all stretch out as we maintain our own pace over the rough terrain. Another guide brings up the rear to make sure no one gets left behind. Lynn walks near the back as she struggles to keep up with the group. Tsin feels ill and walks with her most of the way. Axel struggles terribly with the altitude but battles on. When we all stop at 4,660m to admire the view and have a rest he carries on straight down the other side, he needs to get to a lower altitude and can't afford to hang around up here. The group starts to descend. Jesper, the madman, has decided to do the entire trek in flip-flops. The rest of us slip and stumble down the rocky path in our walking boots, god knows what it must be like for him but he seems ok! After walking at the front on the ascent, I decide to slow my pace and walk at the back with Lynn on the way down. Tsin, George and Guissepe, the guide, walk with us. Lynn's knee starts to hurt and we slow down even more than before. We come upon Axel after a couple of hours. He's sitting on a rock looking like death. Guissepe has an oxygen tank in his pack and Axel takes a few deep breaths. Eventually we continue. The cloud is descending and it's starting to get dark. We were supposed to reach camp by 16:30 but it's 18:00 and we can hardly see anything when we eventually stumble in. The rest of the group have been here for nearly 2 hours waiting for us. I don't like walking at the back. Tomorrow I decide to walk at my own pace and leave Lynn in the capable hands of Guissepe. I've been on my feet 2 hours longer than I feel I should have been and I don't like stopping all the time. The atmosphere at the back is also more subdued as everyone struggles with the walk. The guys at the front aren't struggling so they talk and laugh and the atmosphere is much more enjoyable. Edgar, the front guide tells us that not many groups pass the first day intact. Usually, there's atleast one person who has to be taken back to the start. Lynn, Tsin and Axel go straight to bed. The rest of us enjoy a good dinner and then retire to our tents for the night.
Day 2:
When I wake up and peer out through the tent flap I see ice everywhere. It was -5C in the night and everything is white. We camped at 3,700m. We are surrounded by snow-capped mountains, it's so beautiful. Breakfast is at 08:30 and by 09:00 we're off. Today is an easy day, all downhill, and we expect to make camp by 14:00. We start off wearing multiple layers of clothing as the temperature is bitter. The barren rocky terrain gradually starts to turn green as we keep descending. Occasional shrubs turn into clumps of bushes, small bare trees turn into big leaf-laden trees. We're down to t-shirts before long. Edgar the guide points out various flora and fauna as we go. After an hour we stop to allow everyone to catch up. We all appear within a couple of minutes of each other except for Lynn. Tsin is feeling better today. Axel is improving with every downwards step and by midday is ok again. 10 minutes wait... where's Lynn? 20 minutes... still no sign of her... after 25 minutes she finally appears. On a mule. Guissepe is leading it down the path. One of the mules in our group is always kept as a spare incase one of the party should get an injury preventing them from walking. Lynn tells us that her knee was hurting and as she was getting slower and slower and Guissepe could see the rest of us getting further and further away he offered Lynn the horse which she gratefully accepted.
We start off again down the hill. I expected Lynn to be able to keep up with us now she was on a trusty steed but this wasn't the case. The terrain is still quite steep and rutted and rocky and the stubborn mule refuses to budge if he gets to a bit he doesn't like meaning Lynn has to dismount and hobble all the tough bits anyway. By midday the sun is scorching. We're walking amongst fruit trees and semi-tropical vegetation now. It is with welcome relief that we come across a beautiful crystal clear river tumbling down through the greenery. It is freezing cold, water from ice-melt further up the mountains. We don't need much coaxing to start taking off boots and socks and soaking our tired feet. It's sheer bliss. We lie back on the grass in the sun whilst parrots squawk overhead. After about 45 minutes we decide to press on for the final hour's march into camp. Lynn appears on Shergar just as we're leaving.
The last hour's trek is very muddy and with a steep undulating pathway it's not the pleasant stroll that the rest of the day has been. We reach camp at 14:00. Lynn appears on foot 20 minutes later. She had to walk the entire way from the river as it was too treacherous a path to ride the mule. The campsite is a small farm and we are camped in a field which we share with our mules plus half a dozen pigs, a load of chickens and a couple of dogs who appeared at mealtime and decided to stay. Edgar tells us there's a thermal spring just 15 minutes walk from the campsite so after a late lunch we head off there. We are camped at the top of a sheer cliff-face and the hot pool is at the bottom. There's no way Lynn could get down there on the mule and with her fear of heights I doubt she'd even manage it on foot so she decides to stay behind whilst the rest of us head off for a much needed soak. By 17:30 we're back at camp. The trek back up the cliff-face is so steep and knackering that by the time I get back to camp what I really need is a bath!
Day 3:
The route today leaves camp via the precarious cliff-face pathway that took us to the thermal spring last night so whether she likes it or not, Lynn's going down it this morning. I let the rest of the group go off ahead whilst I help a reluctant Lynn down the path. Guissepe follows with the even more reluctant mule. By the time we reach the bottom the rest are atleast 30 minutes ahead of us. I'm not worried, I'll catch them up in time. In the meantime I enjoy the feeling of being out in the middle of nowhere on my own between the two groups. Mosquitoes are starting to become a nuisance now that we're getting lower and lower. I catch up with the rest of the group soon enough and as we walk Edgar points out the various fruit trees that lie in abundance along the route - avocado, granadilla, papaya, banana, coffee... flocks of parrots and occasional hummingbirds keep us company overhead as we walk. We get to camp at about 14:00 again today. We are camped on the edge of a small village on what appears to be a school playing-field. It's the first real civilisation we've encountered since we left Cusco. Our campsite is full of people when we arrive and most of them still seem to be there when we go to bed later! Lynn appears at camp only a minute or two after us which is a nice surprise. I expected her to be a while yet. She fell off earlier today and banged her head but seems to have survived ok. For the last 2 days I've had 'ghost' blisters on my big-toes. I can feel them when I walk but when I take off my boots to have a look, my feet are fine. I tell Jay who says he's had the same thing. Strange!
Day 4:
An early start today as we are up at 05:00. I didn't sleep too well as the village is full of dogs who spent the entire night barking. One would start and the rest would join in - they haven't got a clue why they're barking but if one's doing it then there must be a valid reason so the rest bark too.
Today is supposedly easier than day one but I personally found it harder because of the higher temperatures. The horses go back this morning so Lynn has to either walk with us or go in the bus with the porters. She decides to go with the porters so Guissepe stays too to keep her company. For the rest of us we have a steep and tiring 3 hour ascent from the village to get to the top of a hill which we need to get over. From the top of the hill we have a view across the valley to Machu Picchu, a first glimpse for everyone on this trek except me. I was at Machu Picchu 6 years ago but it doesn't alter the fact that I'm as awed by the sight as the others. We are so hot when we reach the summit of the hill that we are quite literally steaming. It must look like someone has started a bonfire to any observer looking across at our hill from afar!
After a short rest we descend down the otherside towards Machu Picchu and the train station where we are meeting Lynn, Guissepe and the porters. Lynn tells us she's been here since 09:00 and it's now about midday. From the campsite she had a bus ride to the river and then had to cross the river in a little basket suspended on a wire high above the water before travelling the rest of the way stood up in the back of a truck. Guissepe wisely didn't tell her about the river-crossing until she got there knowing by now about her fear of heights. I'd have loved to have seen her face when it dawned on her how she would be crossing the river. Ha ha!!!
From the train station it was a 2 hour walk or a 45 minute train journey to our campsite under the shadow of Machu Picchu. Everyone decided to walk except Lynn who was going on the train. I desperately wanted to walk with the others but as I'd hardly seen Lynn for 2 days I felt I ought to do the last bit of the journey with her. Reluctantly, I left the others to walk the final bit of day 4 and caught the train with Lynn. In the end we had to wait 90 minutes for the train so the others were at the camp before us.
This was our first campsite with showers (albeit fresh from the icy river) so none of us smelled too good by the time we got here. There are 3 showers and after stripping off, I venture into the middle cubicle. There's half a soapdish on the floor which I kick to one side as I turn on the tap. A freezing cold jet of water hits me squarely in the chest. Brrrr.... it's absolutely icy!! I look down and notice movement coming from the far corner of the cubicle. It's quite dark in here so I struggle to make out what it is. I bend down for a closer look and realise it's a spider about 6cm long and to avoid the dripping water he's heading straight towards me! I throw a couple of handfuls of icy water at it which makes it stop momentarily before cautiously starting across the floor again. I spot the upturned half a soapdish and grab it, flip it over and drop it on top of the spider. The soapdish makes the odd scrape on the floor as the spider tries to push it's way out from underneath but it can't quite manage it. I'm safe at last.
Axel is in the shower next to me and I have learned by now that he doesn't like spiders. "Hey Axel! There's a spider in this shower" I shout. He doesn't believe me, he thinks I'm just trying to wind him up.
Just then someone comes into the shower room and calls through the curtain "Excuse me, I think I left half a soapdish in there"
I don't believe it! Now what do I do? In the end I decide I can't lie and say it's not in here so I pick it up and pass it out to him. "Cheers!" he says before heading back out. The spider looks around cautiously and makes a few tentative steps through the water towards me and the exit. I've just about finished now anyway so I decide to throw a couple more handfuls of water at him, turn off the tap, quickly dry and then leave him in peace. Axel's finished too and is drying himself. "Is there really a spider in there? he enquires. "Oh yeah", I say, "have a look". He cautiously opens the curtain a little and peers in. He spots the wet thing walking slowly towards him, lets out a small yelp and legs it outside telling me how crazy I am for staying in there as he goes!
Day 5: We all catch the bus up to Machu Picchu at 05:40 this morning except Jesper, Susie and Renaud who decide to walk. It's about 2,000 steps going up from the campsite to the entrance to Machu Picchu and it's a tough hike if you want to have any energy left afterwards to enjoy Machu Picchu itself. When we arrive Machu Picchu looks eerie in the early morning mist but slowly the sun rises and the mist disappears. It's absolutely stunning - even on a second visit! Edgar gives us a 2.5 hour tour of the ruins before leaving us to wander on our own. There's a big hill behind Machu Picchu called Huaynu Picchu which offers spectacular views over the site to anyone brave enough to climb it's steep and precarious path to the top. Tsin, George and I decide to climb up and take in the views. I climbed this hill last time I was here and have a photo of my feet dangling over the enormous vertical cliff-face making up one side of the hill. I decide to take exactly the same picture again this time too. I'm even wearing the same boots!
We leave Machu Picchu at about 12:30 and head down to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes for a bite to eat before heading back to Cusco. It was a spectacular trek, one of the highlights of the trip so far for me and I hope to keep in touch with the people I had the pleasure of trekking to Machu Picchu with. Thanks guys, it was a wonderful 5 days!
Rich
I hope you are still well after yesterday's brief email announcing another series of photos had been added to my blogsite. Did you like them? Half of those photos related to two previous travel reports and the other half are relevant to the next two that I'm about to write.
My last email reported our arrival in the city of Cusco in Peru nearly 3 weeks ago. We are still in Cusco but will be flying west to Lima tomorrow (Thursday 13th July). Flying? On our budget? Yes, I'm afraid to say that faced with 24 hours on a bumpy bus or 45 minutes on a nice plane we wussed out and bought an airticket.
Now, despite the fact that we are still in Cusco after such a long time don't think we've been taking it easy, putting our feet up, our bags down and relaxing. Oh no, we've been jolly busy recently and have just returned from two BIG trips. Before I tell you about them though I would just like to add that I am fully recovered from all previous illnesses, injuries and ailments mentioned in previous emails. No runny bum, no swollen lips, no lumps on heads; no cuts, bruises, sores, blisters or aches and pains of any variety. At this moment in time I am in tip-top condition - as fit and healthy as a butcher's dog. Good for me but I daresay not as interesting for you to read about. I can only apologise and promise my best to pick up a tropical disease or two to amuse you all with in the next email!
So anyway, the two trips... First off was a 5-day trek to Machu Picchu. We didn't do the popular 4-day Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu as when we phoned up to book our place we found it was fully booked for the next 3 months. We were advised to phone 2 months in advance to book our place which is what we did but it's popularity surpassed even these estimations. One of the companies we called (United Mice) offered an alternative trek from a place called Salkantay on the far side of Machu Picchu and then you spend 5 days trekking back towards it. On Day 5 you trek up to Machu Picchu for dawn just as you do on the 4th day on the Inca Trail. We read the trek report on their website (see Links to the right if you want to read about it yourself) and thought it sounded very good. We booked it and here's what happened...
Day 1:
Our alarm goes off at the ungodly hour of 03:30 as United Mice are picking us up from our hotel in Cusco at 04:00. We're only allowed 7kg of luggage each unless we want to carry it ourselves. My sleeping bag weighs 2kg so with the remaining 5kg allowance I manage to squeeze in 4 pairs of pants and socks, swimming shorts, towel, flip-flops, a spare t-shirt, and some toiletries. The rest I'm wearing now as it's so cold. There are 10 of us on our trip when we depart in the minibus. It takes about 5 hours to reach the start of the trek and for the last 2 hours of the journey the road is horrendous. At one point we have to all get out as the track is so rutted and muddy that we get stuck and then start sliding backwards down the hill. Eventually the driver managed to inch the minibus slowly to the top and we could all clamber back in again.
We got to the starting point at about 09.30. The ten of us are Lynn & I, Jay & Mel (Australia), George (UK) & Tsin (Singapore), Jesper (Denmark) & Susie (UK) and Renaud & Axel (Belgium). We have 2 guides and 3 porters. We are supposed to have 5 or 6 mules for all the baggage, camping equipment and food but they aren't here. An hour later they appear - the owner celebrated his birthday yesterday, got very drunk and woke up late with a hangover but atlast he's here and we're ready to set off.
Today is apparently the hardest: We start early, pass the highest point at 4,660m and finish later than on any of the other days... It was all uphill for the morning. We stopped for lunch at about 4,500m before carrying on up to the highest pass and down the otherside. One guide walks at the front and we all stretch out as we maintain our own pace over the rough terrain. Another guide brings up the rear to make sure no one gets left behind. Lynn walks near the back as she struggles to keep up with the group. Tsin feels ill and walks with her most of the way. Axel struggles terribly with the altitude but battles on. When we all stop at 4,660m to admire the view and have a rest he carries on straight down the other side, he needs to get to a lower altitude and can't afford to hang around up here. The group starts to descend. Jesper, the madman, has decided to do the entire trek in flip-flops. The rest of us slip and stumble down the rocky path in our walking boots, god knows what it must be like for him but he seems ok! After walking at the front on the ascent, I decide to slow my pace and walk at the back with Lynn on the way down. Tsin, George and Guissepe, the guide, walk with us. Lynn's knee starts to hurt and we slow down even more than before. We come upon Axel after a couple of hours. He's sitting on a rock looking like death. Guissepe has an oxygen tank in his pack and Axel takes a few deep breaths. Eventually we continue. The cloud is descending and it's starting to get dark. We were supposed to reach camp by 16:30 but it's 18:00 and we can hardly see anything when we eventually stumble in. The rest of the group have been here for nearly 2 hours waiting for us. I don't like walking at the back. Tomorrow I decide to walk at my own pace and leave Lynn in the capable hands of Guissepe. I've been on my feet 2 hours longer than I feel I should have been and I don't like stopping all the time. The atmosphere at the back is also more subdued as everyone struggles with the walk. The guys at the front aren't struggling so they talk and laugh and the atmosphere is much more enjoyable. Edgar, the front guide tells us that not many groups pass the first day intact. Usually, there's atleast one person who has to be taken back to the start. Lynn, Tsin and Axel go straight to bed. The rest of us enjoy a good dinner and then retire to our tents for the night.
Day 2:
When I wake up and peer out through the tent flap I see ice everywhere. It was -5C in the night and everything is white. We camped at 3,700m. We are surrounded by snow-capped mountains, it's so beautiful. Breakfast is at 08:30 and by 09:00 we're off. Today is an easy day, all downhill, and we expect to make camp by 14:00. We start off wearing multiple layers of clothing as the temperature is bitter. The barren rocky terrain gradually starts to turn green as we keep descending. Occasional shrubs turn into clumps of bushes, small bare trees turn into big leaf-laden trees. We're down to t-shirts before long. Edgar the guide points out various flora and fauna as we go. After an hour we stop to allow everyone to catch up. We all appear within a couple of minutes of each other except for Lynn. Tsin is feeling better today. Axel is improving with every downwards step and by midday is ok again. 10 minutes wait... where's Lynn? 20 minutes... still no sign of her... after 25 minutes she finally appears. On a mule. Guissepe is leading it down the path. One of the mules in our group is always kept as a spare incase one of the party should get an injury preventing them from walking. Lynn tells us that her knee was hurting and as she was getting slower and slower and Guissepe could see the rest of us getting further and further away he offered Lynn the horse which she gratefully accepted.
We start off again down the hill. I expected Lynn to be able to keep up with us now she was on a trusty steed but this wasn't the case. The terrain is still quite steep and rutted and rocky and the stubborn mule refuses to budge if he gets to a bit he doesn't like meaning Lynn has to dismount and hobble all the tough bits anyway. By midday the sun is scorching. We're walking amongst fruit trees and semi-tropical vegetation now. It is with welcome relief that we come across a beautiful crystal clear river tumbling down through the greenery. It is freezing cold, water from ice-melt further up the mountains. We don't need much coaxing to start taking off boots and socks and soaking our tired feet. It's sheer bliss. We lie back on the grass in the sun whilst parrots squawk overhead. After about 45 minutes we decide to press on for the final hour's march into camp. Lynn appears on Shergar just as we're leaving.
The last hour's trek is very muddy and with a steep undulating pathway it's not the pleasant stroll that the rest of the day has been. We reach camp at 14:00. Lynn appears on foot 20 minutes later. She had to walk the entire way from the river as it was too treacherous a path to ride the mule. The campsite is a small farm and we are camped in a field which we share with our mules plus half a dozen pigs, a load of chickens and a couple of dogs who appeared at mealtime and decided to stay. Edgar tells us there's a thermal spring just 15 minutes walk from the campsite so after a late lunch we head off there. We are camped at the top of a sheer cliff-face and the hot pool is at the bottom. There's no way Lynn could get down there on the mule and with her fear of heights I doubt she'd even manage it on foot so she decides to stay behind whilst the rest of us head off for a much needed soak. By 17:30 we're back at camp. The trek back up the cliff-face is so steep and knackering that by the time I get back to camp what I really need is a bath!
Day 3:
The route today leaves camp via the precarious cliff-face pathway that took us to the thermal spring last night so whether she likes it or not, Lynn's going down it this morning. I let the rest of the group go off ahead whilst I help a reluctant Lynn down the path. Guissepe follows with the even more reluctant mule. By the time we reach the bottom the rest are atleast 30 minutes ahead of us. I'm not worried, I'll catch them up in time. In the meantime I enjoy the feeling of being out in the middle of nowhere on my own between the two groups. Mosquitoes are starting to become a nuisance now that we're getting lower and lower. I catch up with the rest of the group soon enough and as we walk Edgar points out the various fruit trees that lie in abundance along the route - avocado, granadilla, papaya, banana, coffee... flocks of parrots and occasional hummingbirds keep us company overhead as we walk. We get to camp at about 14:00 again today. We are camped on the edge of a small village on what appears to be a school playing-field. It's the first real civilisation we've encountered since we left Cusco. Our campsite is full of people when we arrive and most of them still seem to be there when we go to bed later! Lynn appears at camp only a minute or two after us which is a nice surprise. I expected her to be a while yet. She fell off earlier today and banged her head but seems to have survived ok. For the last 2 days I've had 'ghost' blisters on my big-toes. I can feel them when I walk but when I take off my boots to have a look, my feet are fine. I tell Jay who says he's had the same thing. Strange!
Day 4:
An early start today as we are up at 05:00. I didn't sleep too well as the village is full of dogs who spent the entire night barking. One would start and the rest would join in - they haven't got a clue why they're barking but if one's doing it then there must be a valid reason so the rest bark too.
Today is supposedly easier than day one but I personally found it harder because of the higher temperatures. The horses go back this morning so Lynn has to either walk with us or go in the bus with the porters. She decides to go with the porters so Guissepe stays too to keep her company. For the rest of us we have a steep and tiring 3 hour ascent from the village to get to the top of a hill which we need to get over. From the top of the hill we have a view across the valley to Machu Picchu, a first glimpse for everyone on this trek except me. I was at Machu Picchu 6 years ago but it doesn't alter the fact that I'm as awed by the sight as the others. We are so hot when we reach the summit of the hill that we are quite literally steaming. It must look like someone has started a bonfire to any observer looking across at our hill from afar!
After a short rest we descend down the otherside towards Machu Picchu and the train station where we are meeting Lynn, Guissepe and the porters. Lynn tells us she's been here since 09:00 and it's now about midday. From the campsite she had a bus ride to the river and then had to cross the river in a little basket suspended on a wire high above the water before travelling the rest of the way stood up in the back of a truck. Guissepe wisely didn't tell her about the river-crossing until she got there knowing by now about her fear of heights. I'd have loved to have seen her face when it dawned on her how she would be crossing the river. Ha ha!!!
From the train station it was a 2 hour walk or a 45 minute train journey to our campsite under the shadow of Machu Picchu. Everyone decided to walk except Lynn who was going on the train. I desperately wanted to walk with the others but as I'd hardly seen Lynn for 2 days I felt I ought to do the last bit of the journey with her. Reluctantly, I left the others to walk the final bit of day 4 and caught the train with Lynn. In the end we had to wait 90 minutes for the train so the others were at the camp before us.
This was our first campsite with showers (albeit fresh from the icy river) so none of us smelled too good by the time we got here. There are 3 showers and after stripping off, I venture into the middle cubicle. There's half a soapdish on the floor which I kick to one side as I turn on the tap. A freezing cold jet of water hits me squarely in the chest. Brrrr.... it's absolutely icy!! I look down and notice movement coming from the far corner of the cubicle. It's quite dark in here so I struggle to make out what it is. I bend down for a closer look and realise it's a spider about 6cm long and to avoid the dripping water he's heading straight towards me! I throw a couple of handfuls of icy water at it which makes it stop momentarily before cautiously starting across the floor again. I spot the upturned half a soapdish and grab it, flip it over and drop it on top of the spider. The soapdish makes the odd scrape on the floor as the spider tries to push it's way out from underneath but it can't quite manage it. I'm safe at last.
Axel is in the shower next to me and I have learned by now that he doesn't like spiders. "Hey Axel! There's a spider in this shower" I shout. He doesn't believe me, he thinks I'm just trying to wind him up.
Just then someone comes into the shower room and calls through the curtain "Excuse me, I think I left half a soapdish in there"
I don't believe it! Now what do I do? In the end I decide I can't lie and say it's not in here so I pick it up and pass it out to him. "Cheers!" he says before heading back out. The spider looks around cautiously and makes a few tentative steps through the water towards me and the exit. I've just about finished now anyway so I decide to throw a couple more handfuls of water at him, turn off the tap, quickly dry and then leave him in peace. Axel's finished too and is drying himself. "Is there really a spider in there? he enquires. "Oh yeah", I say, "have a look". He cautiously opens the curtain a little and peers in. He spots the wet thing walking slowly towards him, lets out a small yelp and legs it outside telling me how crazy I am for staying in there as he goes!
Day 5: We all catch the bus up to Machu Picchu at 05:40 this morning except Jesper, Susie and Renaud who decide to walk. It's about 2,000 steps going up from the campsite to the entrance to Machu Picchu and it's a tough hike if you want to have any energy left afterwards to enjoy Machu Picchu itself. When we arrive Machu Picchu looks eerie in the early morning mist but slowly the sun rises and the mist disappears. It's absolutely stunning - even on a second visit! Edgar gives us a 2.5 hour tour of the ruins before leaving us to wander on our own. There's a big hill behind Machu Picchu called Huaynu Picchu which offers spectacular views over the site to anyone brave enough to climb it's steep and precarious path to the top. Tsin, George and I decide to climb up and take in the views. I climbed this hill last time I was here and have a photo of my feet dangling over the enormous vertical cliff-face making up one side of the hill. I decide to take exactly the same picture again this time too. I'm even wearing the same boots!
We leave Machu Picchu at about 12:30 and head down to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes for a bite to eat before heading back to Cusco. It was a spectacular trek, one of the highlights of the trip so far for me and I hope to keep in touch with the people I had the pleasure of trekking to Machu Picchu with. Thanks guys, it was a wonderful 5 days!
Rich
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