Hello friends and family!
Today our trekking team sadly left our last lodge behind. The lodges have been amazing. Each one with a unique cultural theme, so much attention to detail and comfort while strewn throughout the mountainous Andes of Peru, we will all miss them!
After an early breakfast we hiked a few thousand feet up to Llactapata, an Inca site that aligns with Machu Pichu across the Urubamba river valley. It was a steep hike up following an ancient Inca trail, and we were rewarded with views across the valley that few see. Clouds rolled in and out, offering our first glimpse to the incredible archeological site.
We stopped for lunch on our way down the mountain and had one of the best lunches yet, which is saying a lot, of garlic trout, avocado, lentils, rice and papas Fritas, followed by fried banana.
Down, down, down we hiked after lunch on switchbacks to the river valley below, to the train station at the hydro electric plant. This was the end of our Salcantay trek; over 41 miles trekking and thousands of vertical ft/m, stunning mountain landscapes, gorgeous starry nights, cultural exchanges and great company. We celebrated while waiting for the train naturally with ice cream and/or beer 🙂 We then caught the train to Aguas Calientes and settled into our hotel after a long journey.
Tomorrow we explore Machu Picchu, one of the 7 new wonders of the world.
-Anna Zajicek
