Nuevo Ritmo

One of the highlights of the trip so far was most definitely hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We spent 4 days and 3 nights with a tour group, via Alpaca Expeditions, with the last day ending in a visit to Machu Picchu. Alpaca Expeditions is a locally and indigenously-owned tour group, so our guide and all of the porters were from local, rural mountain towns in the area. This was an added touch that made our experience feel very authentic. For example, many local people still observe Incan practices and practice Incan religion, including our guide, Rodrigo. Many people also speak Quechuan: an old Incan language that is surprisingly not similar at all to Spanish. We often overheard tour guides and porters speaking to one another in this native language, far more commonly than Spanish. We were pleasantly surprised and grateful for this local charm that enhanced our Inca Trail experience.

As far as the trail goes, days 1-3 involve some tough climbing, and day 4 is a lollipop hike to Machu Picchu. Day 1 felt like an intro day – pretty easy hiking and lots of history. Our guide would tell us to stop at each archaeological site and say he was giving us a “speech,” which we all found cute and endearing. He’d tell us stories about Incan culture – human sacrifice, writing systems, architecture, and once he demonstrated how small bugs are used to dye textiles. We even got to watch a porter chug a big cup of Chicha, the local farm ladies’ homemade corn beer. Day 2 is certainly the toughest. On day 2, you climb up ~3,000 feet across the span of 2 miles to Dead Woman’s Pass (named due to the mountain apparently looking like the silhouette of a woman; no one died!), you immediately hike back down almost all the way to have lunch in the valley, and then hike back up another ~1,500-2,000 feet to the campsite. These stairs were brutal, both up and down, but the views were spectacular this day. Some of the stairs were original, rugged and uneven, built by the Incas. This day, we passed a tiny market and all picked up a beer to enjoy post-hike. Obviously, this was the best Corona we’d ever had. Throughout the trek, we were awed by a variety of terrains and climates: cloud forests, snow capped peaks, tropical rainforests, just to name a few. We were also amazed by the beautiful Incan archaeological sites (learned that it is not correct to call them “ruins” since they were not technically ruined by anyone), several of which were even more impressive than Machu Picchu. Not that it’s about comparison! The Incan architecture was beyond impressive. It’s hard to put into words – without advanced technology or tools, they were able to construct stunning temples, castles, and war compounds, with perfectly structured stone walls and windows, some even complete with water filtration systems. Additionally, these structures are all built in seemingly perfectly chosen locations – perched on cliffs and angled in ways to see a flawless sunrise. Needless to say, we were blown away by the magic of the Inca Trail and all the sites we were able to appreciate leading up to Machu Picchu. We highly recommend doing this to anyone who wishes to visit Machu Picchu, as it greatly enhances one’s understanding of the culture and traditions that once took place here.

Another highlight of the trip was our fantastic tour group: 13 perfect strangers that meshed so well from day one. It was rare for there to be a quiet moment, from chats along the trail, laughs and stories at meal times, to heartfelt moments when people opened up about personal struggles and feelings. We had people from the states, South Africa, Australia, and Hong Kong, and I genuinely think some of us will see each other again some day. We could not have imagined a better group, and I am so grateful for this lucky draw we had.