Peru - Hiking the Inca Trail

I remember first hearing about Machu Picchu in geography class at high school. I must have been 13 or 14 at the time, and I remember thinking how amazing it would be to visit such a place, to visit one of the New7Wonders of the world. Fast forward 17 years, and I had booked to go on the Inca Trail, ending at Machu Picchu.

Before I left the UK, many friends asked me what I was looking forward to the most on my 5 month adventure. Machu Picchu always came in the top three.

The trip started in Lima, Peru and after a quick meet and greet in the morning, our group made it's way to the airport for the 1 hour flight to Cusco, which sits at an altitude of 3,300m above sea level - the perfect location to acclimatise for the 4 day mountain hike ahead. For those who have yet to experience the flight into Cusco, it's quite an approach - the plane bending round mountains before lining up the runway.

When we landed, I had my first experience of chewing a coca leaf. It would become the backbone of my diet for the next three weeks. Coca leaves are chewed by most of the population of Peru and Bolivia because coca is believed to help prevent altitude sickness (and coca is generally considered good for the body).

We arrived in the lovely city of Cusco, had a walking tour for an hour or so, and then sat down to business back in the hotel - the briefing for the Inca Trail commenced. Information about timings, what to take, what to wear, what to drink, what not to drink, how to keep warm, when to shit, coping with not showering...everything you can think of. The excitement began to kick in. Our guide finished the briefing by saying: "You will soon embark on one of the greatest treks in the world. Enjoy every minute." I don't need telling twice.

That evening we ate at a restaurant behind the main cathedral, called Marcelo Batata. We got a rooftop table, watched the fireworks light the night sky, and were told that alpaca should be the meat of choice. So be it. So I tried alpaca for the first time...and it was nice! A very lean meat, very good for you and almost a cross between lamb and pork.

The next morning we set off on a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It was fascinating to learn how important Cusco was in fighting off the Spanish in the 1500's, and the role that each town played in helping defend that part of Peru. The scenery was spectacular. Mountains, valleys, agricultural terraces, waterfalls...and the odd llama.

Looking out towards the start of the Sacred Valley

After visiting the old Inca ruins at Pisaq, the bus eventually brought us to Ollantaytambo, our base for the final night before the Inca Trail began. As luck would have it, there was a festival in the main square when we arrived, so it was fun to watch the locals dance and cheer. Naturally we joined in by drinking a Cusquena or two.

Traditional dancing in the scenic town of Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo itself also has Inca ruins. We visited the Templar de Sol, and learned about how the religious spot for each ruin was symbolised by different mason work, and much larger, smoother rocks. As many as 200 men would transport one huge rock across the valley. It's a slow process, but no surprise many of the Inca towns are still standing today.

After helping myself to a double serving of scrambled eggs the next morning, we made our final preparations before taking a bus to KM 82 - the start of the Inca Trail.

With porters carrying 6kg of our luggage, and cooks running ahead, we set off on a steady incline on day one. For those still to do the Inca Trail, use this day to guide your pace and get used to the altitude. It's a nice 11km, with a couple of big inclines, but all our group managed it no problem. At the top of the first big incline our Gadventures guide took us off the path to strategic vantage point used by the Incas as a lookout over the five valleys that connected at this spot. Here we learnt about Pachamama, and how the Incas made 'offerings' of coca leaves and other items. Specifically, our guide taught us about the K'intu offering. This is where three coca leaves are held together, and are meant to bind the upper world, the earth (middle world) and the under world.

We eventually reached our camp at Wallabamba by 4pm, and were greeted with a huge tent where we gathered to eat cake and drink coca tea. This was followed by a fantastic 3 course meal! Safe to say, Gadventures know how to feed you well on the Inca Trail :)

After some 'fantastic tent sleep', we were up early, and mentally preparing for what we knew was the toughest day of the hike. Wallabamba is located around 3000m. Day 2 of the Inca Trail requires a 1200m ascent, which takes around 6 hours, followed by a 2 hour trek downhill to the second campsite. At that altitude, it's tough, slow going...but we enjoyed every minute.

Passing some old Inca ruins on day 1

Enjoying the scenic uphill climb on Day 2

After the 6 hour uphill climb, the highest point on the trail is at 4,215m, and is famously known as Dead Woman's Pass. All 12 of us had different levels of fitness and pace, so it was only natural we split into smaller groups, and I'm proud to say despite the alcohol consumed in Colombia, I was one of the first three to reach the top. What a great view it was too!

At the top of Dead Woman's Pass

Downhill hiking usually makes my knees scream for a double whisky, so once everyone had caught up, got their breath and rehydrated, it was time to bring out the trekking poles. Once I got into a rhythm, I flew down the hill, and made it to the next campsite for just after 1pm...literally minutes before the heavens opened. Thankfully I snapped a picture of the view from inside the tent before the rain began to pour.

After a quick nap, more coca tea and cake was followed by yet another 3 course meal - the perfect solution for refueling after 8 hours of exercise. That evening, we were introduced to each of the porters and cooks. They told us (in Spanish) what their names were, where they were from, and how long they had worked as a porter / cook. We also had to introduce ourselves and tell them where we were from (also in Spanish). It was a nice mutual moment of respect, and particularly humbling for us, given these guys run most of the Inca Trail on a weekly basis to get in front and make sure their guests are comfortable. Here's a big group shot taken at the campsite (you'll notice the flat cap rarely left my head);

Safe to say, most of us slept well this night. Good job as the next morning we were up at 6am. The third day of the Inca Trail is the longest, but by far the most scenic. The views were made even better with bright blue skies above.

We hiked a long a traditional Inca path, through caves and jungle, and eventually ended up at our lunch spot at Phuyupatamarka. After dropping my pack on the ground, a few of us hiked to a higher vantage point and got our first glimpse of Machu Picchu mountain. Beyond the mountain, lay Machu Picchu itself. We were close.

We continued onto the final campsite of Wiñay Wayna, and after a long descent we had our final 3 course meal, and gave our thanks to the porters and cooks, who would set off in the morning to catch the train from Aguas Calientes back to Ollantaytambo.

Day 4 is the final day. We were woken at 3:45am in order to join the queue of the other tour groups and hike the final, short leg to Machu Picchu. We watched the sun rise in the queue, and soon we were on our way. After 3km, we reached Intipunku, also known as the Sun Gate. After climbing the short, but steep staircase our heads peacked over the rocks at the view. We were seeing Machu Picchu for the first time.

Many people just sat in silence, arms wrapped round their knees, just staring at the grandeur. Others took photos. I've heard other stories of people breaking down into tears. For me, I quickly flashed backed 17 years to that day in geography class. I was indeed lucky to see Machu Picchu with my own eyes.

Looking back towards Intipunku (the Sun Gate)

The rest of the trail was a gentle downhill hike, with Machu Picchu getting gradually larger and larger in the foreground. It was a sight to behold. As well as a few individual photos, it was only fitting that - after spending 4 days together of hard work, sweating, no showers and discussing the intimate details of bowel movements (that's another blog post entirely) - we should have a group photo. A great end to a great trek.

We wandered around Machu Picchu on our own for 2 hours, taking in the sights, and just sitting, relaxing, and reminiscing about some of the scenery and memories of the last 5 days.

After lunch in Aguas Calientes, we took the train back to Ollantaytambo, and then the bus back to Cusco. Luckily for us, it was Halloween, so it seemed only fitting that we celebrate by going out for a meal and drinking several Cusquenas. It was also the perfect time to sample Peru's national dish....guinea pig! Most people I've spoken to hate it...but it was ok. Like a well cooked duck.

And so we partied the night away, drinking beers, rums and eventually white Russians in a YMCA-clan-clad, gay-come-salsa bar until the early hours. The celebratory part of the Inca Trail was missed from my geography class. I should get back in touch.

From here it was onwards to Bolivia, where more blog posts will tell the story of cycling down the worlds most dangerous road!

Colombia - Tayrona, Cartagena and Playa Blanca

Before I left the UK, everyone I spoke to that had previously visited Colombia raved about Cartagena. Looking through pictures before I left, it did look stunning, so I made sure I had a couple of days to spare at the end of the Colombia trip to explore the colourful city more. But after experiencing what Bogota and Medellin had to offer I was slightly dubious that Cartagena wouldn't match the great times had in the other Colombian cities I visited. How wrong I was, and how right everyone else was...

We landed from Medellin into Santa Marta, and made our way on the hour long bus journey to Tayrona National Park. The first thing that struck me after stepping out of the airport was the heat. It was mid-October and it was 25 degrees - much warmer than Medellin and Bogota. Time to buy some sun cream.

No later than we arrived, the heavens opened. It turns out that when it rains on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, it really rains. We knew we had an hours hike through the jungle ahead, but the rain wasn't letting up. This was going to be a wetter than an otters pocket.

If anything, the rain got more intense, and even the best Patagonia waterproof couldn't keep me dry. Most of the path was marked with wooden planks, but it was up and down, over rivers and stream, logs and rocks. But you know what? It was great fun. Everyone was soaked to the bone, but in great spirits. Some of the path was flooded up to knee height. Most of us were wearing hiking boots / shoes and shorts/long hiking pants. No-one cared, we just plodded on, with a squelch in our step :)

It was at this point, when the rain subsided, that this whole little Tayrona adventure reminded me of LOST. Virtual strangers trekking through a downpour in the jungle and finally emerging on a beautiful sandy beach.

Walking onto Arrecifes Beach in Tayrona National Park

We finally made it to the camp just before dark, and were greeted by 10 hammocks - our bed for the next two nights. Oh, and mosquitos. And midges. Bitey little f**kers.

After a restless sleep with noisy, Star Wars-effect-frogs throughout the night, we were up early for more trekking, this time to some beaches further along the coast. After 40 minutes we reached La Piscina, a small beach which basked in the sun. You could even get some freshly made orange juice.

After all the hiking through the jungle and along the beaches, through Bogota, Medellin, El Penol and Guatape, it was finally time to kick off the flip flops and experience the warm waters of the Caribbean coast. It was so nice to swim in the sea and float around!

After an hour or so, we then walked further to a bigger, more popular beach, El Cabo.

El Cabo is a very picturesque beach, which made sunbathing and swimming around in the sea even more fun.

We explored one more beach another 20 min hike away, which was perfect to just lay in the sand and fall asleep. It's what sunny, lazy days were made for.

Eventually we made our way back to camp, but not before stopping to watch the sunset on Arrecifes Beach. After grabbing a couple of beers, we sat on the beach, watched the sun set, and a thunder storm begin. A very apt time to dance salsa we thought. It's a great story to tell that we danced salsa on a beach in the middle of thunder and lightening.

The next morning, we were up early again for the trek back through the jungle, and back to the bus. Safe to say the return hike was much drier and a little faster.

After 2 hours in the bus, we reached Volcan de Lodo El Totumo, a small volcanic mound where you can lounge around in volcanic mud. It's meant to be good for the skin, but the smell of the sulphur and the warm, thick grey liquid counterbalances that thought! Still, it was lots of fun, and I'm sure my skin would say the same.

After making a slippery descent down the steps, old Colombian women were waiting at the bottom. In a mother like fashion, they led us down the road to the river. This friendly but stern woman told me to sit down in the river and began washing off the volcanic mud. A few others from the group made it down too, so we were all sat in the river together, memories flashing back to being washed in the bath as a child. That memory was soon gone as the washer women then made us all take our shorts and bikinis off as they washed them too. It was quite the bonding experience!

Back on the bus, and after another 2 hours, we finally made it to the much talked about city of Cartagena. The next few days were spent roaming the colourful streets, eating the freshest fruit you'll ever taste, nibbling on cerviche and getting a guided tour with the history of the city. We also tried Boca Grande beach, but this was a haven for the locals to sell everything and anything to you, all the time. Fun to lie in the sun, but I challenge you to find a quiet spot :)

It was a lovely lazy few days, and a great way to finish the tour. We sat on the final night, drinking Aguila, in front of the Iglesia de la Trinidad.

But I wasn't done with Cartagena. Neither was another member of the group. I had two more days to roam, and whilst the initial plan was to try the Rosario Islands, we opted instead for Playa Blanca.

After a scenic, warm 2 hour boat trip, we landed at Playa Blanca and quickly scurried away from the crowds to feast on a huge, fresh fruit salad and find a quiet spot a long the beach. After covering myself in sun cream, I took a few pics looking back a long the beach. It didn't look far from paradise.

UK Health and Safety would have had a field day with the journey back, with a small boat taking passengers back and forth to a bigger boat. No ladder or ropes to use to climb up though, just a scramble up the side of the larger boat. I'm pretty sure we were the only English speaking people on the boat trip back, but it didn't stop us enjoying the spontaneous caberet, Colombian music and salsa dancing - a great end to a great trip.

There was only one thing left to do. Another few member of the group told us that part of the film Romancing the Stone was filmed at a hotel in Cartagena, and that the restaurant there was excellent, but pricey. It was our last night in Colombia, so of course we booked, at the Santa Clara Hotel. After ordering the tasting menu, the belt buckle was undone, and we sat back, reminiscing over the last 10 days. Whilst sipping on a port, naturally.

The Colombia trip was booked with Intrepid travel, and I would recommend it to anyone thinking of adding Colombia to their South America to-do list.

Colombia - Marvellous Medellin, El Peñól, and Guatapé

Medellin has had a troubled past. In the 90´s Medellin was one of the most dangerous cities in the world, and even up to 10 years ago, it was riddled with crime, after trying to shake off the aftermath of the Escobar drug cartel.

As such, my prior thoughts about Medellin were ones of serious reservations about safety. We arrived into the bus station late in the evening, after travelling for 13 hours from Bogota. That didn´t deter us from enjoying the evening. We headed to a bar and had our first taste of Medellin Añejo, a delicious local rum. One drink turned into another drink, and we were soon taken a flaming shots bar called Chupitos. Me being me, I was first in the queue.

Flaming shots in Chupitos, Medellin

A few tired legs headed back to the hotel, and 6 drink and salsa hungry bodies remained. That was me and 5 girls. Given that there were only 2 men on the trip, it was a running theme that I had become a pimp for all the girls that stayed out. Note to self - I was seriously underpaid. We headed to another bar and danced and drank with locals, who were only too keen to dance and drink with us. The salsa died at 3am, and we headed for bed.

The next morning, we took the metro to the centre of Medellin and walked around. We saw damaged Botero statues from the last car bomb to hit San Antonia Place back in 1995, courtesy of Pablo Escobar´s fight with the government, and his bounty paying for the public to kill police men and women. It was a shock to the system to learn how dangerous Medellin was, but also how far the city had come in a short time.

Remains of the Botero bird statue after a car bomb in Medellin in June 1995

We strolled around the city, and stayed around the main Plaza Botero. Apparently it´s good luck to touch all of the 24 statues. It was a hot day, but rose to the task. Fernando Botero was born in Medellin in 1932 and  has since become famous across the world for his paintings, drawings and sculptures. In Medellin his work is everywhere, so it seemed fitting I visited another Boteo museum to see more of his work.

Shortly after, we ended up in one of the main parks, and I had my first cafe tinto. It is a black, but naturally sweet coffee which was absolutely amazing, and would lead me to seek out more cafe tintos across Colombia.

That afternoon, our guide took us to one of the favelas in the mountains, called Santa Domingo. We took a cable car (essentially a ski lift without the skis) to the top, and began exploring a very different community to that of central Medellin.

View of Medellin from Santa Domingo

Street art in Santa Domingo, Medellin

The people were poor, but always had a smile on their face. Not once did I feel unsafe. We strolled the streets, had lunch, and took in the views over Medellin, before heading back to the hotel to cook local food, including coconut rice and garlic and chilli infused shrimp. Later that evening, salsa was once again top of the agenda, so 4 of us made our way to the main nightlife area of Medellin and created our own little party...and so began my first of many salsa lessons from the Swiss girl amongst the group.

The next morning, we were again up early to take a bus to El Peñól. This little town has an interesting past, with the old El Peñól flooded (you can now only see the cross from the church remaining) and a new El Peñól built to rehouse all the people. We met one of the first local men to move to the new El Peñól, and he wished us well looking round the new town.

I was amazed to hear that the resovoir that covered old El Peñól and covers a fast area powers 30% of all Colombia! We also saw a little submarine cast to the sides of all the boats. This submarine was used by Pablo Escobar when he was in hiding.

The next bus stop was at La Piedra del Peñól, a huge natural rock (second in size only behind Ayres Rock) which we were tasked to climb. After 740 steps, the views from the top were breathtaking (despite the rain)

Me half way up the Piedra del Penol

After a beer at the top, we made our way down and onto the pretty town of Guatapé. All the houses in Guatapé have their own colours and drawings on the front of houses (called zócalos), to represent a special item or location to each homeowner. It was great to wander the streets, ponder whether I could live in such a remote place and dodge the tuk-tuks on the way to lunch.

The colourful town of Guatape, with small colourful pictures and sculptures for each house

Tuk-tuks roaming the tiny streets of Guatape

Just before dinner, I took the first photo of the group. Here they are enjoying Aguila and Club Colombia!

The awesome Intrepid Colombia group. From left to right - Olesia, Gaelle, Susan, Dan, Liz, our guides, Rochelle, Cathy, Stephanie and Sarah

For lunch I tried my first banjera paies, a local dish which wasn´t too dissimilar to an English fry up...just with different ingredients, see!

Ok, so fry ups don´t include avocado, minced beef or plantain. Still, it was tasty!

Later that evening, we once again ventured out into Medellin, and danced the night away at various bars, to various salsa songs. Who´d have thought I would enjoy salsa so much?! Even more so when I was complimented on my salsa dancing by a local Colombian girl :)

We made it home safely, and rested tired heads and legs for the last leg of the tour - Tayrona National Park and Cartagena.

Colombia - A Quick Trip Round Bogota

I´ve only been travelling for 3 weeks, but it feels more like 3 months. This is my second day of doing nothing, so I thought it was about time to catch up on a few blog posts and share some pics and stories with you from the journey so far.

Let´s start in Colombia. Prior to visiting Colombia, I was warned of how dangerous it was, and how my 5 month trip would only begin if I survive Colombia. My experience couldn´t have been further from the truth. For anyone travelling to South America, Colombia should be the first country on your list. The people are friendly, the food is nice, they love their salsa, and no trip would be complete without a generous dose of Aguadiente.

I was only in Bogota for 3 nights, but the days and nights were packed with activities. When I landed into the airport and grabbed a taxi to my hostel, the culture shock came thick and fast. Because of all the warnings about how unsafe taxis can be, I don´t think I took a breath until I reached the hostel. Looking back, the journey was safe, and the police presence is everywhere in Colombia, so I guess it was a case of adapting to a new country.

I landed in the evening, so was early to bed to try and reset my body clock. I stayed at the Masaya Hostel, located in the nice area of Candalaria. I would recommend it to anyone, as the staff are helpful, it´s in a great location, and you meet people from all over the world.

The next day I met a guy from New Jersey and a girl from Brazil and we decided to explore the city. We went to the police museum (who were particularly proud of their Pablo Escobar stories) and to the Botero museum. Botero is famed for making his paintings ´fat´, which makes looking round the museum a lot of fun.

Botero´s fat Mona Lisa

The next day it was time to meet up with the group I would be travelling with for the coming 9 days, and we met at the foot of the Monserrate, a 3100m high mountain which provides incredible views over Bogota.

View of Bogota from the top of the Monserrate

At the top, I was nothing short of amazed by the views. As expected, it was quite touristy at the top, with little stalls selling everything from ponchos and water to wooden willys and canelazo, a spiced cinammon rum drink (of course I tried it). It was also the first time I discovered coca leaves and coca tea, which all the locals consumed to alleviate altitude sickness problems.

In the evening, we went to a relatively new restaurant in Candalaria, called La Puerta Real. The owners had created a museum within the restaurant, and gave us a tour of the pictures and artefacts before we sat down to eat. This was my first time to try ajiaco, a Colombian chicken and potato based soup, which was absolutely delicious.

Later that evening, all the group headed out for a few beers...which turned into a night of Aguadiente shots, salsa dancing and a 2am finish. It was my first taste of Colombian salsa, but it wouldn´t be the last...

I was in a group of 10 for the trip around Colombia, and only after 24 hours together, everyone got on really well, which would turn out to be the main ingredient for what would be a great trip round Colombia.

The next morning, we headed to the bus station, and boarded a WiFi enabled bus (yes, really) for what would turn out to be a 13 hour bus journey to Medellin.

Those 3 days in Bogota blew previous Colombian sterotypes out of the water. Those who had previously visited Colombia were right - you have to visit to appreciate what an amazing place it is.