We have learned a valuble lesson in the last week... The rainy season in Peru in really really rainy! We spent the 15-19th hiking the Inca trail, which (to be honest) was not quite what we were expecting and perhaps a little bit of a disappointment. It was pretty dirty and the "facilities" aka banos were terrible. The trail itself is a construction marvel, how anyone could build that, let alone 500 years ago, is amazing. The Inca ruins that we saw along the way were equally incredible along with their history. We were the only Americans in our group, the other 10 folks were from Argentina and Brazil. They were great, we practiced our spanish and they were supper excited about teaching us some portugese.
We toted along our masive back packs with all of the extra stuff you could imagine, we wanted heavy pack to help us aclimatize for Aconcagua, but every one else thought that we were rediculous... We thought lots of other people were pretty silly when we started examing footware choices that people made. We saw teva sandals, rubber rain boot, slip on keds and lots of fashionable white tennis shoes. I couldnt belive it! The trail is pretty hard, lots of up and down, on the seccond day we gained 1,200 meters of elevation in 3 hours, then proceded hike down the same elevation on a steep stone staircase. If I wasnt wearing hiking boots I would have rolled my anke for sure!
Machu Piccu made up for our dirty Inca trail experince, it is absolutley amazing!!!!!! The only downside was the day that we were there was the most rainy of them all... we got totally soaked to the bone and as a result didnt take many picture for fear of soaking our cameras. Our clothes are still drying out! The upside of the rain was that because there was so much water we got to see the fountains and amazing irrigation canals in their glory, their irrigation system and the fountains were the most impresive thing that I have seen in a long time!
Because of the rain we only spent a few hours in Machu Picchu itself before heading down to Aguas Calientes where we went to the hot springs and spent the night. The following morning we headed back to Cuzco on the train (the only way to get in and out of agauas calientes). It was my first train ride ever! And it was a good one, the tracks follow the Urubamba River which is ripping at the moment with all of the rain water. The river is one of the most insane waterways that I have ever seen. Huge boulders and massive hydraulics, as far as we could find out, it has never been run, and you can see why!
Presently we are back in Cuzco, we get on a bus tonight at 6, to head to Nazaca. It should be a long 14 hour ride over the Andies ( we sprung for the super cama- super bed)! We hope all is well in the northern hemisphere and that people are making some turns in the fluffy snow for us... we are both tan (and peeling).
ps spell check is not working on blogge so please forgive my mistakes...
Forrest's P.S.
I have a few quick "Shout Outs!"
Grama Vogel Shout Out: Thanks for keeping me dry with the REI waterproof Jacket...a lifesaver!
Tango Bravo Shoutout (Trev): Thanks for the water proof pack cover... a huge help or i would have had wet undies
Geoff F and Dad Shout Out: Peruvians dont have roofs not because it doesn't rain...they have no credit system here, so they build in stages and often the roof is the last stage...or they can not afford a roof..
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