It’s good to feel healthy again. After too many days of not being able to do absolutely anything, I was ready to move this week. And move I did. After a few days poking around Cusco, most of my week was spent on the Salkantay trek culminating in visiting the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. I hiked 54 miles in 4 days, and it felt amazing to have the energy to beat my legs down until I had no more. A very different experience than my Colca Canyon hike.
LOCATIONS
- Cusco, Peru (May 1- May 3)
- Salkantay Trek, Peru (May 3 – May 5)
- Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu, Peru (May 5 – May 6)
ACTIVITIES
Salkantay Trek
The Inca Trail is the classic historic trail to Machu Picchu. Being the classic route, there are regulations around needing permits and having a guide to do the trek with. That makes the trek pricier than I was willing to pay for a few days of hiking. I also was wanting to take advantage of being able to hike without a guide and big group. The Salkantay Trek was my solution. It’s an alternative route that winds its way through more mountains and valleys that’s supposed to give a more diverse range of scenery.
As we drove to the start of the trek the first morning, it was wet. Very wet. My concerns about conditions grew slightly as I looked down and remembered the Chaco sandals on my feet were the only footwear I had packed for the next 4 days. Thankfully it stopped raining as I started hiking, but I wasn’t sure how long my luck would last.
In short, day one was brutal. I opted to combine what is traditionally the first and second days of the trek into one big day. I started with a hike up to Humantay Lake before continuing up and over Salkantay pass, climbing a total of 4500 feet and descending 7000 feet down to the town of Chaullay over 18 miles.
Humantay Lake (pictured above) and the hour after was essentially the only part of the hike where I had any decent visibility. As I approached Salkantay pass, my luck of dry skies ran out and it started raining again. By the time I reached the pass, it was less than 45 degrees outside and the rain had turned to sleet. The cherry on top was that it was so foggy I couldn’t see any of what was supposed to be the highlight view of the entire trek. My hands were numb after taking them out of my pockets for a very quick picture (you can thank the nice couple from Florida I met on the pass for the picture below). My toes were wet and cold. I started the long descent down to Chaullay. The trail was like a creek running down the mountain, and I had to be very careful with my steps to not get my feet completely soaked and freeze more than they already had. On the other hand, I was trying to balance moving as quickly as I could so my body could warm up from the movement. Eventually, the rain let up again and my body began to thaw.
After another hour or two of descending, the river of a trail transformed into the muddiest trail I’ve ever hiked on. Another signal that my decision to hike Chacos was questionable. I had to convince myself that they were actually better than shoes, because they would be easier to clean off and dry later. Whether that was a reasonable argument or not is up to interpretation, but it was enough to stop my thoughts of wishing I had shoes.
After 8 long hours from when I set out, I finally made it to my hostel for the night. Minutes before I arrived, I happened to meet a couple who live an hour north of Seattle. It was fun chatting Washington hiking and trails for a few minutes before we went and stayed at our separate hostels for the night.
Day two the weather lifted, and I enjoyed a relaxing four hour hike to my next destination. The trail wound it’s way through a long valley filled with many creeks and streams.
The first section of trail was quite narrow, and I left later than most tour groups. This meant that it made for an interesting first two hours as I attempted to pass people with very little room to pass. Halfway through the day, the trail turned into bushwhacking with landslides further along, so after a few minutes of exploration, I decided to cross the river and take the road the rest of the way. Less exciting than a trail, but much faster.
As I sat at my hostel for the day, I was happily surprised to see the same Washington couple walk in. We spent the afternoon relaxing in some nearby hot springs and chatting away. It was refreshing having a bit of extended time to just chat with no other real activities or plans pulling us in different directions. With a few exceptions, I’ve largely missed out on these conversations in South America.
I raced up and down the pass for the day as quick as I could. Fog filled the sky again, so my speed was aided by the fact that there weren’t many views to distract me along the way. More mud was abundant in several sections on the way down, where I was practically trying to run down the mountain since I had no indication of when tickets would run out. I had a few micro slips and slides, but thankfully I stayed on my feet the whole way down. After six final long miles along rail tracks, I arrived in Machu Picchu town, went to the ticket office, and got ticket 836 out of 1000.
Machu Picchu
The next morning I set out with my ticket in hand to walk through Machu Picchu and climb Wayna Picchu, a small peak that looks down over the ancient Inca city. My weather luck finally turned around. I was met with largely blue skies, with clouds floating across the tall green peaks in the distance, creating a constantly changing view of a stunning setting.
The structures in Machu Picchu were composed of different architectural styles, each serving a different purpose typically depending on the function of the structure. The stone walls with clean edges and no mortar filling the gaps were the most impressive to me. There was a sense of perfect order with all the clean lines.
It’s unfortunate that so much of the Inca history has been lost, but it was incredible to see the level of intentionality and detail that the Incas put into building the city. I wish I had spent the money on a guide, as I think it would have enhanced the experience more than the details I read in a museum. But even without, there was a certain feeling of marvel wondering how much of the complex city was built without any of the technologies we have today.
REFLECTIONS
Finding Beauty in the Details
With the unfortunate weather I had on my trek, my eyes directed significantly more towards the small details of my surroundings. I couldn’t see any mountains, but I could see flowers. The grey skies contrasted with the bright yellows, pinks, purples and made them even more vibrant. Often, these are natural beauties that I would overlook because I’m preoccupied staring at the 18000 foot mountain in front of me.
Although I don’t think flowers will ever strike me as powerfully as mountains will, it was fascinating to recognize how much beauty there was only looking 10 feet to my right and left. I could have easily missed all this being too frustrated about not being able to see what I really wanted to see.
I think if there’s an application from this one, it’s this –
Unmet expectations have the ability to ruin an experience. Try not to let them. When we let go of expectations, our peripheral vision widens. We approach an experience from a place of curiosity and observation rather than attempting to achieve a specific outcome. You might make unexpected observations that bring you more joy than you anticipated.
I’m Tired
I’ve had moments throughout the last 7 months where I’ve missed home, but these last few weeks have been the first time where that feeling has extended more than a day or two. I’m tired. Not tired to the point of wanting to come home right now, but tired to the point where I’m eager for something dramatically different than my current method of travel. As with any feeling, I don’t believe this is inherently bad, and I don’t want to over-index on what it means. it’s part of the process, and realistically it was inevitable that this would hit at some point or another.
As I’ve reflected on it, I think there are several factors at play here.
- I’ve made fewer good connections in South America than I did in my first round of travels. It’s hard to put a why behind this. I don’t think it’s anything I’m doing inherently differently. There may be fewer events happening at hostels (that aren’t centered around late nights and drinking), which has decreased the number of people I’m talking with every day. At the same time, I have no control over where a conversation is going to go. I don’t know going into a conversation whether or not I will connect with the person on the other side. In some ways it’s just a luck of the draw situation, and I feel like I got really lucky in SE Asia.
- I’m missing having something consistent that I’m working towards. Having the freedom to do what I want to do each day began as an exciting feeling, but after enough time, the allure has faded. Each day requires planning and thought, and it looks completely different than the last. It’s difficult to have goals, to have structure, to have purpose. I’ve had several conversations around this last point throughout my time traveling, and it’s complex attempting to answer the question “what is the point of travel?” I know I have my answers to this question from before I started traveling, but as time continues, re-evaluation comes into play.
- I don’t think being sick followed by having less than ideal weather during what I had expected to be one of the highlights of Peru has helped maintain an attitude of excitement and hopefulness.
- Seven months is a long time.
All that said, I have two and half weeks left in Peru, after which I’ll join my family for a proper vacation. As much as I want to get to June, I’m also reminding myself that I want to stay present and enjoy the rest of my time here as much as I can. I’m very excited about all the activities remaining down here, so I think I’ll settle back in nicely.
NEXT UP
After nearly a whole month spent at high altitudes (> 7000 feet), I’ve dropped down to sea level for the first time. It’s meant to be a bit of a relaxing break before I start my next (and final) long trek in Peru. I spent the last few days exploring the coastal desert towns of Huacachina and Paracas. Now I’ve arrived in the small surf town of Huanchaco, where I’m stoked to try and learn how to surf over the next several days.
I’m a bit behind on newsletters, and I likely won’t have time to get another one out before I start my last trek. After that, I’ll essentially be at the end of my time in Peru. So I’ll probably just send out one last one before I leave at the beginning of June.
Even after 4 weeks with 2 to go, I feel like I’m only scratching the surface of what Peru has to offer. I keep hearing of more hikes that look incredible that I don’t have time for (if you need the inspiration – look up the Ausangate trek as well as Alpamayo). Another trip down might need to be in the cards in the next few years.
As always, if you know anyone that you think would be interested in anything I’m writing about, I’d ask that you consider sharing this with them.
Thanks for being here. Talk to you next week.
– Trevor