Salkantay Trek + Machu Picchu

The trek was 5 days/4 nights and was an awesome experience. We met some awesome people, had some great food and of course had some amazing views! Over 4 days we walked about 84km, and the highest point was 4600m and then on the 5th day we hiked to Machu Picchu. On the first morning we waited around for the bus in the cold for quite awhile and then there was a lot of time wasted weighing peoples bags for the horses to carry but from then on the organisation of the trip was great. There were 2 groups of approx 13 people that set off at the same time and although they kept us separate for meals, we camped in the same spots and were together a lot of the time. My group was called the Sexy Llamas and the other group were the Sexy Pumas. The first night we camped at 3900m and the snow capped mountains almost looked like they were glowing because the sky was so clear. 


The 2nd day was the hardest day with 3 hours uphill in the morning to the highest point of the trek. It was hard work and some people took horses but it was worth the satisfaction of walking once we reached the top. Once we got to the top our tour guide explained to us the spiritual connection of the Incas with the mountains and more about their beliefs. I actually found the second part of the day much harder because we had about 10km of downhill which is hard on your legs and requires much more concentration. The second night was much warmer because we camped at 2900m.

The 3rd day was much shorter only walking about 5 hours to lunch and then after lunch we got a bus to our campsite at Santa Teresa. It was an interesting drive because we were squashed into two old vans and the road was pretty dodgy. Our cook from the trek was sitting on the roof for most of the trip but then we were stopped by the police. After the campsite was set up they took us to the hot springs in Santa Teresa which was so nice and relaxing! We also felt much cleaner because we hadn’t had showers in a couple of days. The hot springs were in a pretty spot next to the mountains and the river. There were lots of different groups there from different treks so there were lots of tourists around. That night we all sat around the campfire and they had music going and some people were drinking but we still had to get up early and walk the next morning.

The walk in the morning was a bit boring because it was just along the road for 3 hours but then the rest of the day was beside the train tracks which was a bit nicer. Unfortunately I had some big blisters on my feet but it was a tolerable pain. We got into Aguas Caliente around 2pm and checked into our hotels and had a nice hot shower. We all hung out at a restaurant and had some food and drinks and watched the Euro Cup final. Aguas Caliente is the town from where you can walk or bus to Machu Picchu so it was very touristy and quite a bit more expensive than the rest of Peru. It was a really cute town though. We all went to dinner at a restaurant which was included in the price of our trek and the guides gave us a packed breakfast for the next day. After dinner some of us went to a bar to have another drink but we had to get up at 4am so we were in bed by 10:30pm.

The guides were meeting us at Machu Picchu the next day so it was up to us to organise what time to meet and to make our way up. You could get the bus but most of us decided to walk. We met everyone outside the hostel at 4:10am and started our walk in the pitch dark with our torches. We had to line up at the bridge which opened a bit before 5am and then we had 1700 steps (2km) between us and Machu Picchu. Half the climb was in the dark and it was really hard work! However, we made it to the top before Machu Picchu opened and the first bus arrived. There weren’t too many people ahead of us and we didn’t have to wait too long to get in. It was awesome to be able to get photos before the crowds arrived and I couldn’t believe I was finally at Machu Picchu!

Our tour guide met us there at 6am and gave us a short tour of Machu Picchu and then we were left to do our own thing. It was absolutely freezing but it was so beautiful seeing the sun come over the mountains and once the sun was out we warmed up very quickly. We were climbing Waynapicchu at 10am so we sat up at the Guard Tower (where the postcard photo is taken from) for a couple of hours in the sun enjoying the views and taking lots of pictures. Waynapicchu is another mountain that is higher and has a great view of Machu Picchu. It was only 1km up but was very steep and had very narrow stairs. After 4 days of walking and 1700 steps in the morning, everyone was getting tired and could definitely feel their muscles. It was worth it once we made it and it was so nice at the top sitting in the sun. Machu Picchu looked so insignificant and small from the top! The walk down was pretty slow and there were even some steep stairs to walk up at the end which was the last thing everyone felt like doing. At this point we were all very tired and hungry but we still had the 1700 steps to walk back down to Aguas Caliente. We decided that was better than paying $9 for the bus (this is a lot of money in Peru!) We also got our Machu Picchu stamps in our passports.

When we finally got back to Aguas Caliente we had ice cream and pizza which was very much deserved. Some of us had a train back to Cusco at 7pm and others at 9pm so we all hung out at a bar and had some drinks until it was time to leave. Louise and I were so happy to have the train at 7pm meaning we would get back to Cusco at around 11pm rather then 1am. When we got back I had a shower and straight to bed because we had to get up at 6:30am to get a bus to Puno. No time to rest!

 The Sexy Llamas at 4600m

 Hot springs at Santa Teresa

 Waiting for the bridge to open at 4:30am

 Machu Picchu

 Top of Waynapicchu

The steep descent down Waynapicchu

Cusco, Peru

We arrived in Cusco pretty early in the morning but luckily we were able to check in to the hostel and went to bed for a couple of hours. We stayed at Loki Hostel which was in a really cool old building. It was a party hostel with something happening at the bar every night. This wasn’t our smartest move because we wanted to get some good rest before the trek to Machu Picchu but we were woken up by people in our room every night. The Inca Trail at this time of year books out months in advance so we decided to do the Salkantay Trek because you can still walk to Machu Picchu. The first day in Cusco we wandered around a few different travel agencies to book the Salkantay Trek to leave in 3 days. We decided to stay 3 nights in Cusco before the trek because it is at quite a high altitude and it is recommended to spend some time acclimatising. Our hostel was on quite a big hill and you definitely ran out of breath very quickly. All the prices for the treks quoted over the Internet are much higher so it is better to book through the local agencies when you arrive in Cusco. I was so glad we had finally booked it but we were getting nervous reading about it – described as the hardest trek to Machu Picchu at one point reaching 4600m.

Cusco was a really cool city and we wandered around the markets which were full of Alpaca clothes and juice stalls. We were on the search for cheap Alpaca jumpers but decided to wait until Bolivia where everyone said they were cheaper. We continued with our set menus for every meal because it is a much cheaper way to eat and we had some awesome soups!

Instead of paying to do a tour of the Sacred Valley we decided to do it ourselves and save money – much more successfully this time compared to our attempt in Mexico. The Sacred Valley includes all the big Inca ruins sites. We got a collectivo to Ollantaytambo and then another collectivo and then a bus to Pisac. Ollantaytambo had lots of stairs to get to the top of the ruins but it was a really nice view. We had read that you could walk to the top of the ruins in Pisac but it was quite a big walk up some steep stairs and we thought we might run out of time. Because we were so indecisive the taxis kept lowering their prices and so we finally decided to get a taxi to the top. The ruins were huge and had awesome views of the city. We were so glad we taxied up because it took us about 40 mins to walk down and it was quite steep. At altitude it would have been very hard work! Once we got to Pisac we had a quick look at the markets and bought some Alpaca socks and gloves. The Alpaca clothes are so soft and I definitely needed some warmer clothes for the trek. I now had an Alpaca beanie, socks and gloves!

We had one more day before the trek so we spent the day getting ready and relaxing. There are lots of shops in Cusco with trekking gear so we bought some Columbia and North Face jackets for about $30 – knock off ones of course – and bought snacks and other necessities. We had a really early night because we had to be ready at 4:30am to be picked up from our hostel.

 Cusco

 View from Ollantaytambo ruins

Top of Pisac ruins

Pisac ruins

Arequipa, Peru

The bus to Arequipa was about 16 hours overnight. We were pleasantly surprised because it was a really nice bus, we were served dinner and breakfast, some of the movies had English subtitles, and we even played a game of bingo to win a bus ticket (unfortunately we didn't win). When we bought the bus tickets the guy was laughing at how excited we were that we were getting food on the bus - the little things while traveling!!


Arequipa was a cute small town so we spent a bit of time wandering around the markets and the plaza and then organised our Colca Canon Tour for the next 2 days. We found another local place with a set menu for lunch - 6 soles even better! It became a bit of menu roulette because we weren't quite sure what half the food was. When we were wandering around we bumped into Will and Gerard who are my friends from home and had been on exchange in America. Such a crazy coincidence because I had no idea they were in South America! We were staying at the Wild Rover Hostel which had a bar so they came over later for drinks and then we headed out to a club. We didn't get home until around 4:30am and had to get up around 8am to go on our tour!

The Colca Canon Tour was 2 days/1 night. On the first day there was a lot of driving but we stopped a couple of times at some markets, tried coca tea, saw lots of llamas and alpacas, had great views of snow capped mountains and finally arrived in Chivay where we spent the night. Coca is a plant that is very popular in South America and is one of the ingredients in Coca-Cola and Cocaine. You can chew the leaves and they give you energy and can help with altitude sickness. As well as chewing them you can use them to make tea and you can also buy coca lollies and coca energy bars etc.

Once we arrived in Chivay we were all dropped off at our hotels and then went to the hot springs. There were 3 pools, 2 outdoors and 1 indoors, and there was a beautiful view of the mountains. It was so nice and relaxing but very hard to get out because it was really cold! We definitely weren’t ready for the cold weather. After the hot springs we all went out to dinner and there was a folk band playing and some people performing traditional dances.

The second day we were picked up before sunrise and stopped in a few small towns to look at their markets and churches. We then continued on to some view points of the Colca Valley and then to the Colca Canon to watch the Condors. The Colca Canon is the 2nd deepest canon and the view was amazing. The Condors are big birds that glide around the canon and are really awesome to watch. We then had a lunch buffet and I tried some Alpaca - not bad. You can also do Colca Canon tours where you hike into and camp in the canon. We were considering doing this but it was more expensive and we decided to rest up for the hike to Machu Picchu!

Once we got back to Arequipa we hung around at the hostel for a couple of hours before our overnight bus to Cusco.

 Hot springs

 Condors

 Colca Valley

Alpaca

Lima, Peru

We arrived in Lima reasonably late and were ready for a good sleep but unfortunately they overbooked our hostel room so we were woken up several times while they tried to sort it out!


We decided to get the bus to Arequipa the next night so we just had one day in Lima. Lima is just a big city and there is not a whole lot to do so this worked well. We checked out the beach, checked out the shopping mall on the cliff overlooking the ocean and went to the Huaca Pucllana pyramids. We also went to a hole in the wall local place for lunch where they have probably never seen tourists before and had our first of many set menus to come - soup, main and a drink for 7 soles (approx. $3)!

 Beach in Miraflores

Huaca Pucllana Pyramids

Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

There are a couple of ruins you can go to in Merida but we decided we had seen our fair share of ruins and decided to do something different. The first day we just had a relaxing day and wandered around and checked out the markets. Our second day we went to the San Ignacio Cenote, which is a natural pool in a cave. It was quite a long way to get there but it was really cool and we just swam and hung out there for awhile. From there we then headed to Progreso Beach which was also quite far but it was a sunny day so we thought we could relax on the beach for awhile. Unfortunately when we got there it was super windy and so not so pleasant! We decided to walk around the town while we were there but there wasn’t a whole lot going on so we headed back to Merida.

The hostel we stayed in was really cool and had a really nice pool. Also, a guy came in each night to teach free salsa lessons. We did the free lesson on our second night and lots of people got involved and it was really fun. Unfortunately it was a Tuesday night so we couldn’t go out to practice our moves!

Being our last days in Mexico we also tried to eat all the cheap Mexican food we could.

The next morning we headed off to the airport to fly to Mexico City and then on to Peru!!

Motorbike taxi to the Cenote

 San Ignacio Cenote

 Progreso Beach

 Pool at the hostel

Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

We took a day bus to Palenque which was nice for a change and only took about 5 hours. We got to Palenque late afternoon and took a taxi to El Panchan which is an area just out of Palenque in the jungle with lots of cabanas, a restaurant and a couple of bars. We stayed there one night in a cute cabana and it was nice wandering around in the jungle. 

We booked a tour for the next day to the ruins and two big waterfalls, Misol-Ha and Agua Azul. The ruins were very cool and definitely my favourite ones in Mexico. The Misol-Ha waterfall was crazy! We walked behind the waterfall and it was like being in a really intense storm. Luckily we put rain jackets on because you got soaked instantly. The Agua Azul waterfall was huge with a few different sections that you could swim in. There had been quite a bit of rain so the water was a bit brown and murky, not the beautiful blue we saw in all the pictures, but we still went for a swim!

Once we got back we had dinner at the restaurant in El Panchan and then got an overnight bus to Merida.

Our cabana

 Palenque ruins

 Misol-Ha waterfall

The poncho that saved the day

Agua Azul waterfall

One of the swimming areas

San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico

The bus to San Cristobal took 10 hours, a bit nicer than the 12 hours we were told. We stayed at the Iguana Hostel which a few people had recommended and Andy, who we met in Mexico City, was staying there too. A lot of people head to the same places so we were constantly bumping into people we knew which was nice. We hung out with Andy and went and explored the markets, which were huge, and walked around the city. San Cristobal is a cute city with some nice pedestrian streets and we were surprised to find lots of Italian restaurants and French bakeries. We also found an English book shop and I finally decided to buy a Spanish phrase book so I could improve my Spanish.

The next day we went with Andy to a small town called San Juan Chamula. The main attraction of the town is the church which was full of candles and pine needles all over the floor. There were lots of locals in the church chanting and they had chickens with them. After reading about it later it seems that chicken sacrifice takes place. We read somewhere that if you are ill, the illness can be passed onto the chicken and then it is sacrificed. We also explored the markets in San Juan Chamula which had lots of traditional clothes, bracelets and handicrafts.  

Earlier that morning Anthony and Finn, who we met in Puerto Escondido, also arrived at the hostel. We all pre-drank at the hostel and after unsuccessfully trying to find a bar written about in the Lonely Planet, we headed out to some local bars. 

The next day we left around 11am to get a bus to Palenque.

Markets

 One of the pedestrian streets

 Church in San Juan Chamula

Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico

After another overnight bus we got to Oaxaca early morning and, after getting wrong directions from the bus driver, we finally made it to the hostel. We set out to explore the city and wandered around the markets and then headed up to the Monte Alban ruins. In an effort to save 9 pesos, the equivalent of about 60 cents, we decided to catch the local bus not knowing that it would only take us halfway up the mountain. Not our smartest idea! We had quite a walk ahead of us with a slightly increasing gradient the further we walked but we looked at it as training for the Salkantay Trail in Peru......just another day in the adventures of Nicole & Louise! By the time we got to the ruins we were pretty exhausted but we walked around and tried to take in all the information. We decided that this group wasn't so smart building their city on top of a mountain. We decided to be a bit smarter on the way down and got one of the tourist buses. Once we got back to the hostel we went and had dinner and a couple of beers with some guys from the hostel. On the way to dinner we tried some grasshoppers at the market. You can get them in a few different sizes and flavours and they don't taste too bad. We crashed reasonably early after not having a whole lot of sleep and having done a lot of walking!!


We booked a tour for the next day which included going to see a 2000 year old tree, a textile factory, a Mezcal factory, a ruins site and a waterfall. It was a big day but was really interesting! At the textile factory they showed us how they get the colour red for the threads by using the insects off a cactus. They can then change the shade of red by using lime juice. They also use different plants to get lots of different colours. They also showed us how they weave the rugs, they can take a couple of months to weave depending on the size and complexity of the pattern. At the Mezcal factory we learnt how to make Mezcal from the agave plant. Tequila is also made from agave but uses a slightly different process. Mezcal tastes like smokey tequila and then they also make lots of different creamy flavoured ones. We got to taste lots of different flavours and I bought a choc mint flavoured bottle which we are yet to drink (the creamy ones taste a bit like Bailey's). The waterfall didn't have water but I think it is called a petrified waterfall where the limestone on the rocks looks like water (refer to photo because I am having trouble explaining it). There was also a natural pool on the side of the cliff that had a great view. The ruins were also pretty cool and you could actually walk down into some of the tombs. Once we got back to the hostel we had a couple of hours just to relax before another overnight bus to San Cristobal!

Monte Alban ruins

Grasshoppers

 Part of the Mezcal process

Natural pool

Petrified waterfall

Mazunte, Oaxaca, Mexico

When we got to Mazunte we asked for the prices of some of the cabanas near the beach and decided on the cheaper ones. The guy gave us the cabanas right at the top of the hill because there was a nice view of the beach. They were cheaper for a reason and were very basic with a little curtain as a bathroom door. We were happy with it because it was just for one night and went off to spend the afternoon at the beach. When we got back to the cabanas we were all quite keen for a shower because we were sticky and salty but we discovered that all 3 of our cabanas didn't have water. The guy finally suggested that we could go down to some of the lower cabanas to have a shower. We were very confused because the cabanas were much nicer and roomier and were the same price - and more importantly had water - so we asked to move!


The next day we hung out at the beach again and I finally got a hair braid which I had been wanting for awhile. Louise and I were getting an overnight bus to Oaxaca so we said goodbye to new friends (yet again) and the journey continued...

 Our small waterless cabana

Group shot at lunch

 Girls at the beach

Getting my hair braided

Saying goodbyes

Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico

In Puerto Escondido we stayed at Tower Bridge Hostel. The owner is an English guy but he was away so his brother, Chris, was filling in. We arrived reasonably early and we were pretty tired but before we could relax Chris gave us a tour of the hostel. You have to understand that Chris is absolutely crazy and so it was a reasonably long tour and full of contradictions. He was so relaxed about everything with rules like don't go in the pool after 12 because we don't want people swimming when they are drunk but lots of people go swimming at 3am so go swimming if you like.....??? Also his explanation for everything was "It's Tower Bridge". Tower Bridge was an awesome hostel with a pool, hammocks and lounges outside, and a bar. We also met a really cool group of people and it was really social. 


The first day we hung out at Carrizalillo Beach which is the closest to the hostel and was really beautiful. The weather was really hot and humid and there were lots of stairs to get down to the beach. By the time you climbed back up and walked back to the hostel you were hot and sweaty again so luckily we had the pool. That night around 7:30pm we headed down to Turtle Beach to free the turtles. Chris drove us down and we had 11 people in the back of the ute (pick-up truck for those non-Australians). The turtles hatch and then instead of just dropping them into the ocean, if you let them free on the sand and let them walk into the water themselves they remember the smell of the sand and they will come back to the same beach in 10 years. Later we headed out with a group of people from the hostel to some bars down at the main beach. It was ladies night so the girls got free drinks from 10pm-12am. 


After a big night we had a pretty slow start the next day and just hung around the hostel and played pool volleyball. Kyle, who I stayed with at the beginning of my travels in Whistler, has rented a place in Puerto Escondido for a month with an American guy so we met up with him late afternoon and grabbed dinner with them. They came back to the hostel with us and we swam and pre drank before heading back to the bars on the beach. 


We went back to Carrizalillo Beach the next day and met Kyle down there. Louise and I then decided to check out some of the other beaches, Puerto Angelito and Playa Manzanillo, which were also really pretty. We booked a bioluminescent algae boat trip through the hostel for that night. It was so much fun and such a surreal experience. We left around 8pm so you are driving out into the lagoon in the pitch black with the only light coming from the drivers torch. It was so quiet and you could see the fish jumping out of the water. The algae move everyday so we drove around for quite awhile before we found it. When you put your hand in the water and move it around the algae lights up, it looks like sparkles in the water. Jumping in the water when you can’t see anything is a bit creepy but the water was really warm and the water lit up as we moved. You could lift your arms out of the water and it looked like lights were running down your arm. We swam around for awhile and they took us back to the hostel around 11pm. Everyone was pre drinking back at the hostel so we joined in and headed down to the bars. They were having a salsa night at one of the bars and we all had a bit of a go which was a lot of fun.


We met a group of English people who were heading to a small beach town about an hour away called Mazunte. We had talked about going there as well so the next morning we packed up our stuff and tagged along with them. 

 Carrizalillo Beach

Freeing the turtles

 Night out at the beach

 Driving into the night

 Tower Bridge pool

Pool volleyball

Taxco de Alarcon, Guerrero, Mexico

Our hotel in Taxco was owned by a cute old man who used to be a doctor but has retired and likes meeting people so opened the hotel. His english was quite good and he gave us lots of advice on what to do while in Taxco. By the time we got there it was late afternoon so we walked around for a bit and then got some dinner. We went to a restaurant with a terrace on the roof that had a beautiful view of the city. It looked like a storm was coming and we had a great view of the lightning flashing over the mountains. When we got back to the hotel the old man made us a drink and played guitar and sang mexican songs to us.


Taxco is a silver town so there were lots of shops with silver jewellery. It was a very cute town that reminded me a bit of Guanajuato. There were lots of narrow steep cobblestone alleyways and white houses with terracotta roofs.


We wandered through the markets and looked at lots of the silver shops and then headed up to the Christ statue for a good view of the city. We then got a random gondola into the mountains on the other side of Taxco. Louise was freaking out because the guy pushed the gondola onto the cables. However, we got over safely and they let us walk through one of the hotels for a view of the city. The hotel was really nice and had an awesome pool....if I ever return to Taxco and have a bit more money it would be an awesome place to stay!


We just stayed one night and then got an overnight bus to Puerto Escondido. We had to stop in Acapulco and then change buses. All up it took about 13 hours.

 Dinner with a view

 View from the Christ statue

 Cool hotel

Steep narrow alleyways of Taxco