PERU: Walking the Saltankay Route to Machu Picchu, Day 10

 A tough walking day - we go up 1971 vertical feet, visit the Llactapata Incan ruins, and then walk down 3165 vertical fee - all in 7 miles: and then we take the train to Aguas Calientes.

The day did not dawn with bright blue skies and fluffy clouds.  In fact, the rain woke us up pounding on the roof and shooting off the roof tiles on to the ground.  But before the end of breakfast, the worst seemed to be over and we were left with low clouds and intermittent drips.  If it was a little cooler, it felt and looked like the rain forest of Southeast Alaska.

If you look closely, there are small farms dotting the landscape.  There is always a river at the bottom of the valley and in this case, a road follows the valley up from the river.

Now it really looks like Southeast Alaska: mountains and mist.

As typical, the trail is good walking - but it goes up and up - at a steeper incline than we've had to walk in the last couple of days - really since we climbed the Saltankay Pass.  But the habitat is completely different from the mountains - it seemed to get more and more lush.

Horses weren't allowed on this trail, so these are our two porters!  They carried the extra water and first aid supplies.  They wore tire tread sandals and the supplies were wrapped up in blankets and slung over one shoulder.  They were fun, though: smiling and always looking for edible plants that we could try.  I can't remember the different names (partly because they were either Spanish or Quechua but that may be an excuse), but I do remember raspberries that were good but different from the raspberries I know.

By the time we got to the top of the mountain, I was starting to feel like Indiana Jones.  The jungle was so thick it took on a mysterious aura.  Don't leave me behind!

We dropped out of the thickest part of the jungle and perched on the mountain was the ruin called Llactapata.  Some of it was redone, and part wasn't.

This must have been what Machu Picchu looked like when Hiram Bingham "rediscovered" it.

This is a lousy photo, but it was the "entrance" to Llactapata.  Don't you love the triangular door?

But, the fascinating part is that if it was a clear day, you would look right through that door across the valley to Machu Picchu high on the next mountain.

The skies opened up just enough so that we could see the city of Machu Picchu through an opening in the clouds.  There was no drum roll or spotlight of sun, but it was pretty cool.  After all, we had been walking up and down and up and down for the last 4 days to get to Machu Picchu - and there it was - a gray area in the middle of the photo.

But it was a long way down and up to get there.

Fortunately, it wasn't too far until we stopped for our 3 course lunch  on a small field clinging to the side of the mountain with a great view in all directions.  This photo is taken down the valley from our lunch spot.  (Lunch was a delicious avocado salad, fresh trout, and a dessert which was great but I can't remember exactly what it was . . .)

The number and steepness of the mountains were quite impressive to me. And there was no end in sight.

Down down down the mountain we went - pretty steep but not too slippery from the rain.  Finally, our knees got a rest at the bottom of the hill as we bounced across a suspension bridge and walked along the river.

Our boots got a little muddy as we slogged through the increased capacity hydroelectric plant construction, but we arrived at the pictured train ticket booth just before we were doused with a brief but intense rainsquall.

This is the train "station" with the train on one side and "stores and restaurants" on the other.  In the United States, there would have been 12 feet of chain link fence and barb wire to keep away the terrorists and keep everyone "safe."

We waited an hour and said good-bye to one of our guides, "Danee" (make sure you continue with your Spanish accent), who had faithfully and positively walked in the "way back" with ML and I and answered myriads of questions.  This was also where our tasteful and energetic cooks, Rosita and Paulina, took the train all the way back to Cusco.

It was kind of sad to see the walking part of our trip come to an end.  But I wasn't sad to be done with today's 2000 feet up and the 3000 feet down.

After a fun hour train ride, we arrived in Aguas Calientes and walked to the Inca Terra Hotel.  Now we were officially in high class status.  Someone in the group looked the hotel up on Expedia and supposedly it cost over $400 a night.  Now I can say I've stayed in that expensive a hotel - I doubt it will happen again in my lifetime.