Cusco and Salkantay Day 1
Wednesday August 28, 2019
We arrived in Cusco around 3.30pm and checked into our Airbnb. We met the final two members of our group in town for dinner - roast guinea pig and alpaca steak! - before heading for our Machu Picchu hike briefing.
Unfortunately we didn’t really have time to walk around and explore the city. The main plaza does look quite pretty and there’s lots of really cool buildings and monuments. We had to hot tail it home to pack for the hike and head to bed for a 4am start.
We were picked up from our Airbnb and driven to Mollepata for a simple omelette breakfast. Then we drove to the start of the trail and began our ascent. It was tough, the altitude sickness was definitely still there but we took it slow and steady. We could see in the distance the snow capped Humantay Mountain, and our base camp in the foot of the valley. After the initial uphill, we were on mostly flat terrain and it was much easier to walk. We learned about the local flora and Andean medicine, as well as some customs.
We arrived at the camp in time for lunch, then we began our hike to the Humantay Lake, a glacial lake with stunning colours. Again, it was truly an uphill battle but we took it slow and were rewarded with a view of the mountain, its glaciers and the lake below.
It began to hail on the way down, which turned to rain and a brief thunderstorm, but it disappeared quickly. We warmed a bit and had food, and now it’s time to go to bed for an early start and our longest and hardest hike tomorrow - through the Salkantay Pass!
Posted by Jeremy at 6:00pm on Wednesday August 28, 2019 :: 0 comments :: 