Day 77: Inca Jungle Trek, Peru

Dan and I woke up at 4am on the third and final day of our trek. We got dressed, grabbed our day bags that were packed with snacks, water and other essentials, and headed out. 

From the town of Aguas Calienties, people can get to Machu Picchu by bus or on foot. Our group would be hiking. Dan and I walked 15 minutes outside of town to get to the start of the trail. From there, we hiked up a neverending series of stairs--1,900 to be exact. There were a couple hundred people traveling along this route, and we all shared in each other's pain during the exhausting ascent. One hour and numerous water breaks later, we made it to the entrance of Machu Picchu. It was a great feeling, and we eagerly queued up to get to the Incan ruins. 

Although I had been to this site once before, I found it equally impressive the second time around. Our guide gave us a two hour tour of the legendary palace. Per usual, his explanations were barely intelligible, although we did manage to gather a few interesting tidbits about the ruins. We also mostly focused on taking in the sights on our own. 

After the tour, we sat with a group of our friends beside the ancient palace. We relaxed and talked as we mentally prepared for the next part of our adventure. In addition to buying entrance to the ruins, we had gotten tickets to hike up the adjacent Machu Picchu Mountain. This, of course, was before we knew how grueling the initial morning hike would be. Nevertheless, our group soon made our way up the mountain. It was an endless path of uneven steps that made the earlier trek seem like a beginner's hike. The mountain had double the amount of stairs and took twice as long as the trip to Machu Picchu. The closer we got to the summit, the steeper the steps became. 

We were completely drained by the time we arrived at the peak, but all agreed it was absolutely worth it. We had a 360 degree view of the beautiful landscape, and sat along the mountain's edge enjoying the scenery.

Eventually, it was time to go. Dan and I climbed down the over 5,000 steps to get back to Aguas Calientes. I was struggling so much by the end of our descent that Dan had to carry me for a little bit on his back. Before long, we had collapsed into our seats on the train back to Cusco. Our legs were absolutely wrecked from the day, and would continue to hurt for at least three days after (I'm still waiting for the pain to subside), but the amazing hike and breathtaking views made it all worthwhile.