Lauren and Jeff's South American Adventure: The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

After Copacabana, we crossed the border into Peru and went straight to Cusco where we were racing to arrive in time to meet our guides and hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We had made our reservations just a month in advance and lucked out by finding available slots. The Inca Trail usually books up months in advance but due to the massive flooding in April and the temporary closure of the trail, reservations were down and their were a couple openings left for us at the beginning of May. Luckily the trail reopened within days of our reservation.

We booked the trail with a small tour company, Wayki Trek, and had a fabulous experience. Other companies had booked groups of 20+ tourists, which requires roughly three indigenous porters to carry all the camping supplies per two tourists. Our group was just us and one other couple, along with our guide and six porters and one cook. It was a very personal guided tour of all the ruins leading up to the forgotten city, Machu Picchu. I highly recommend this experience!!!

Day 1 of 4 of the Inca Trail

Patallacta, a site used for religious and ceremonial functions, crop production, and housing for soldiers from the nearby hilltop site of Willkaraqay, an ancient pre-Inca site first inhabited around 500 BC

We made it to our first campsite

The whole crew

After making it up the toughest part of the trail on 2nd day, a virtually vertical ascent in the cold rain. It was so worth it once we reached the top! Beware of altitude sickness on this day if you haven't had enough time to acclimate.

The current Inca Trail is the trail that was used by the Incan royalty to reach Machu Picchu, which some speculate was a former resort getaway for the king's family. Apparently the working class people who lived there took a more direct route, but the king's pathway was meant to give time for reflection and be closer to the gods (i.e. those vertical ascents up the mountains). Some parts of the trail were still paved with the original stones used in the time of the Incas

The tambo Runkuraqay. A tambo was a resting spot, usually for soldiers as they made their way along the trails throughout the Inca Kingdom

Phuyupatmarka, a rather large campground or perhaps a small settlement on day 3 of the trail

Intipata, literally translating to Sun Feet (or Terrace), a massive system of crop terraces

After waking up around 4:00 a.m. on the final morning, we hiked for about three hours to make it to the Sun Gate in time to see the sun rise over Machu Picchu

After we hiked down to Machu Picchu, we immediately ran down to get the limited tickets to climb the mountain over Machu Picchu (new mountain), called Wayna Picchu (old mountain). This was a VERY steep climb and tough on the lungs, especially after the three previous days of non-stop hiking. Definitely worth it for the photo-ops!