The Inka Trail - Day 3

The last full day before we would make it to Machu Picchu. Since it would be the longest day in terms of km to walk, we woke up early (4.30am) and - similar to yesterday - started the day with a 45 minute incline to a gorgeous viewpoint and an old Inka site. This really was the last big incline of the trail and when we were told this, we all were very relieved.

But it also meant we had to descend these uneven steps, stones and what not. To be honest, at this point, I would have rather walked up slowly than going down as the unevenness of the path became really annoying.

After the end of the descent, we visited what was probably the most beautiful Inka site of the day. It was sitting at a high point on a cliff with views over the Andean Mountain range. So we spent some time exploring the site and taking in the views before heading towards lunch, which was about 1.5-2h away. Luckily, the path towards it was mostly flat and thus a welcome change to the constant up and down we were facing before.

Once we arrived at the lunch spot, we could see a first glimpse of Wayna Picchu, the famous mountain that serves as a backdrop to Machu Picchu. We couldn't see the city yet, as it was on the other side of the mountain, but knowing it was within 'reach' gave all of us a little motivational boost. That was further enhanced by an incredible lunch. There was so much delicious food, we dug right in and the chef even surprised us with a cake - A CAKE(!) - for desert. No idea how they made that one in a tent.

There was only one slight problem ahead of us. To get to our next camp site, we had to survive what the locals call 'The Gringo Killer'. Basically, we had to descend 1250m within 6km and afterwards our legs would probably gonna be dead - hence the name. Luckily, on the way there were a few Inka sites where we stopped to give our legs some rest. In all fairness, it was strenuous but not as bad as we all expected and our legs felt okay after reaching the end of 'The Gringo Killer'. By the end, I mean the last Inka site before reaching Machu Picchu.

That site served as the agricultural hub to feed the people in Machu Picchu and looked stunning the way it was carved into the mountain side with its many terraces. We stayed there for a while to soak in the views and to wait for the rest of the group to arrive. We also spotted our lunch spot in the far distance and could not believe that we walked all of this in just 2h - it looked miles and at least a day's hike away.

After reaching camp at around 4.30pm, we had a snack and then it was already time to say goodbye to the porters as they would not come with us to Machu Picchu. We also got one last briefing, were told wake-up time is at 3.30am the next day and then went to bed right after dinner. Rain started to set in, but the tents were sturdy and we were just hoping that the rain would stop once we wake up and get ready to walk to Machu Picchu.

The excitement in me was definitely building up for Machu Picchu after three days of walking almost 40km. After all, visiting Machu Picchu has been on my mind for a long time and tomorrow, I would finally stand there and see the city with my own eyes - if there were not too many clouds obstructing the view. I was hopeful and in very good spirits. Machu Picchu, bring it on!Читать далее