Back in one piece
I returned from Peru this past weekend. It was a quick trip in hindsight, but I only had the one week to spend there. It was such an amazing experience. The Inca trail was definitely a rough hike and one where I would recommend spending a little time in the gym prior to going, but it was worthwhile nonetheless. I tend to consider myself as a fairly fit person, but day 2 of that hike was enough to make me regret not training for at least a week before leaving for the trip.
There's so much to post that I'm not sure where to begin...
My first day in Cusco was spent on a tour of the Sacred Valley. Apparently it's "Sacred" due to the climate and the fact that crops seem to flourish due to the weather and soil conditions in the valley. The area was incredible though. The downside was that I was so exhausted from spending the previous night at the Lima airport that I didn't comprehend half of what the guide was talking about. I don't really remember names of places or even the ruins that we visited. I tried to write in my journal on a nightly basis while I was there, so I'll have to consult that and my pics for memory references.
The most memorable experience about day 1 was the Pisac market. The guidebooks mention that you should go on Sundays since that's when the locals come down from the mountains to sell or barter their crops/art works/random stuff. The first thing I noticed was how tall I felt there. I generally feel like one of the shortest people in the room in the US, but over in Peru, I was like a giant. The natives probably average about 4.5 ft in height. Walking thru the marketplace was crowded, but easier since I was one of the taller people in the crowd. I wanted to buy some of the fruit and especially the corn, but I was afraid that my digestive system wouldn't be able to handle it. And I didn't want to start my first day in that way.
The entire tour took about 8 hours. I can't really even remember where the time went. Oh, I recall climbing a tall ruin at Ollantaytambo which was a small introduction to the 4 day hike that was to come. It was then that I had my first doubt that I was going to survive the altitude and uphill climb of the hike.
Got back to Cusco around 7 that evening and I ended up just crashing at the hostel. Had been a long 24 hours...
To be continued...
There's so much to post that I'm not sure where to begin...
My first day in Cusco was spent on a tour of the Sacred Valley. Apparently it's "Sacred" due to the climate and the fact that crops seem to flourish due to the weather and soil conditions in the valley. The area was incredible though. The downside was that I was so exhausted from spending the previous night at the Lima airport that I didn't comprehend half of what the guide was talking about. I don't really remember names of places or even the ruins that we visited. I tried to write in my journal on a nightly basis while I was there, so I'll have to consult that and my pics for memory references.
The most memorable experience about day 1 was the Pisac market. The guidebooks mention that you should go on Sundays since that's when the locals come down from the mountains to sell or barter their crops/art works/random stuff. The first thing I noticed was how tall I felt there. I generally feel like one of the shortest people in the room in the US, but over in Peru, I was like a giant. The natives probably average about 4.5 ft in height. Walking thru the marketplace was crowded, but easier since I was one of the taller people in the crowd. I wanted to buy some of the fruit and especially the corn, but I was afraid that my digestive system wouldn't be able to handle it. And I didn't want to start my first day in that way.
The entire tour took about 8 hours. I can't really even remember where the time went. Oh, I recall climbing a tall ruin at Ollantaytambo which was a small introduction to the 4 day hike that was to come. It was then that I had my first doubt that I was going to survive the altitude and uphill climb of the hike.
Got back to Cusco around 7 that evening and I ended up just crashing at the hostel. Had been a long 24 hours...
To be continued...
posted by KC at
2:23 PM
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