Waking up early at like 03:30am to meet our guide ‘Willy’ at maybe 4:30am was really tough. The night before I had taken aggeesssss to do everything and it ended up being a late night. With less than 3 hours of sleep I struggled to get out, dressed and in the foyer ready, Ha I thought that was the hardest part, boy was I wrong. I entered a van with 2 Brazilian guys, the french Godefroid, a guy from Israel an American girl Hillary and 2 English guys (Brothers from Bath). At the time we were one down. Anonymous  went out the night before and was lost. Willy and Hillary went to look for him and as he entered the van almost 45 min later, all I could hear was ‘ duuuuuddeeeee’ ‘oh mannnnnn’ (In a complete hungover voice) and ‘Hillarrryyy, what snacks did you bring’ that tag line was our joke for the next couple of days.

So, I decided to do the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu over the Inca Trail. Salkantay is a 5 day 4 night trek with crazy beautiful flaura and fauna. The first day, over various weather conditions throughout, we hiked approximately 6 -8 hours. It was really difficult. As you climb up the air gets so much more thinner and you really struggle to breathe and work against gravity with your belongings strapped to your back. I was not looking forward to the next day as I heard that that it was hardest day as we were to hike at a 60ish degree angle up the mountain at heights of 4600m above sea level. There was the option the night before that the first 4 hours which was the hardest, we could hire a horse for 100 soles. I was super tempted, but the boys on my trip motivated me in a ‘You can’t take the horse or we will dishone you’. I didn’t take the horse but I struggled.

 

A little of topic, It’s so easy to give up. It’s so easy to take the easier option and not to work hard for something. ‘You will feel so much more rewarding if you do it the hard way’ ‘think about what motivates you, focus and continue’ so many phrases like these I heard constantly. I have to admit, I love doing things like this but I’m also very spoilt. I find it easy to give up and sit like a princess and get to my goal without the hardwork. (I did say I would be completely honest).

Lesson learnt: Even if it takes you 15 hours more to do something, do it. Do it the right way. The way where you can feel proud and tall for not taking a short cut or giving up. Not just for hiking but of everything. I hated everyone at the time for making me feel spoilt for considering to take a horse, but on reflection they were right it was so much more rewarding to do it the TOUGH hard way.

Salkantay is considered the jewel of the Andes. I’m not surprised why. The first 2 days you feel like you are part of The Lord of the rings shooting in New Zealand or wherever. Masssiiiivveee boulders were intact to the ground and huge valleys everywhere. The grass was covered in perfect green and it was completely surreal. It looked fake I almost didn’t buy it. The second day as we climbed up the mountain green turned into white ice and the floor was almost non visible due to being so high in the clouds … Ok I over exaggerate, but at some points we were above the clouds. Days 3 and 4, It got more greener from dry green boulder infested ground to fruits, flowers bugs and lots of green juggle kind. This felt like Jurassic Park. I was almost waiting for a massive dinosaur to jump out. Too bad my imagination is far fetched.

Sleeping conditions weren’t the best. For 4 nights straight, sleeping in a tent, keeping your smelly shoes and socks in the tent was TORTURE. Gross! It was freezing cold at night and when you hike it’s warm. It make it so difficult to decide the attire for the treck. Not showering for those days didn’t help either. You feel solution your comfort zone the you get immune to the dirt and forget about howpetty(but gross) it is.

Ah good story, before leaving for my expedition I bought a new camera from London. Day 4 approaches and we went to amazing hot springs in the middle of all mountains. This was the first time we washed. It was so beautiful and we were having so much fun, I decided to get my water proof camera out only to find out it sucks and isn’t water proof. Unfortunately that’s the goodbye of it. Apart from that, it was an amazing day. Day 3 and 4 seemed so easy after crazy day two.

We had the option to zip line. Basically they have 4 lines going from 300m 500m 350m and the last I think was around 300m again, the lines are posted between two mountains and below you is nothing but solid rocks and a river.

I was scared and excited to do it. Best thing I did. It was such a fun and crazy experience. There is a Superman position you can do where you feel like your flying and the rest you hang upside down from your feet and feel the rush of blood going to your head when moving at crazy speed. That night we had the luxury of sleeping in a bed with hot running water. This was in Aguas Calientes, our final destination before our hike to Machu Picchu.

We had to be up early to get to the gates that led to Machu Picchu at 5:00am I think and hike up loads of stairs that were original ruins to get to the top. Again there was the option to take a bus where I was tempted beyond, but I continued walking just like my fellow group Trekkers. I have to admit that going up those stairs I did feel like I was going to discover something out of this world. I felt privileged to climb something that was once used for worshiping..

It got to around 6:00am in the morning and we were one of the first to get there. It was worth the pain and struggle to see it. Dirty as hell I loved it. It’s crazy how the Inca people found this place, built It prefect and right in the place between 4 mountains. There is so much history behind this place and I feel so fortunate to have been there.

A few hours after exploring and taking it all in, It was time for me to head to Cusco and take everything in.

The people that hiked with me were fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better trekking family. We all had the same humor, loved to dance and have a good time and even just knowing each other for a few days it felt like family that shares, motivates, looks after the other and genuinely care for the other.

This is one that I will never forget.

Next stop: 40 hours to Quito or 24 to lima? Night bus here I come. Lets see lima!!!!