Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

When I was in Cusco with my family a few weeks ago, my cousin Boston and I hiked the Inca Trail to reach Machu Picchu. It’s a 3 day, 3 night hike in which you arrive to Machu Picchu at 7am on the 4^th day. Hiking the Inca Trail is not something that you can do on your own, everyone is required to do it with a guide and they only let a certain number of people in per day. Since this is the most popular trek in South America, when they say that they only let a certain number of people in per day they mean 500 people. While 500 people sounds like a lot, you still have to sign up to do the trek at least a half a year in advance or else you won’t get a spot.

Hiking the Inca Trail was one of the most incredible things I’ve done. Yes, there were a TON of people hiking it and a guide is required which made it feel less authentic, but the experience as a whole was so amazing. There were eleven people in total from all over the world in our trekking group and everyone was awesome. It was so much fun to get to know so many awesome and down to earth people that I would have never had the chance to meet who were literally from all over the world. And being able to spend some quality time with my cousin Boston who I don’t get to see very often was a blast. Great cousin bonding time. And our two trek guides were phenomenal!

The views were amazing, and we came across many ancient ruins on the way to the famous Machu Picchu ruins. It was so cool to imagine the Incas exploring the area and trekking through the mountains. I also loved that we started at high altitude and went through a few passes and then on the last day the terrain became jungle. Machu Picchu is at a very low altitude and is in the start of the jungle, or as the Peruvians call it “la ceja de la selva” (the eyebrow of the jungle). 

Our awesome group starting the Inca Trail!

We saw many beautiful ruins along the trail! 

Our camp spot the first night.

A photo with our awesome "chaskis" (it means strong men in Quechua) who carried all the extra gear! They are seriously rock stars and were so impressive hiking the inca trail super fast with over 50 lbs on their backs!

Boston and I giving our offering of coca leaves to Pacha Mama (mother eath in Quechua). It´s a Quechua tradition that everyone on the trail partakes in. 

Finished with day two at the highest pass! 

Eating one of our delicous lunches together! The cook that traveled with us did a fabulous job! I ate better on this trip that I ever have in Peru!

Parts of the trail got super congested at times because of the 500 people in total hiking the trail pero day. 

Another beautiful ruin along the way!

Cousin love!

Around when we started to descend into "the eyebrow of the jungle". 

More beautiful ruins. 

 On the 4th morning of the hike we woke up at 3:30am to start the 2 hour hike into Machu Picchu so that we could be some of the first ones to arive. We finally reached Machu Picchu and I was completely amazed. I’ve seen Machu Picchu in photos a million times but in person it was so much better and bigger than I could ever imagine. It was simply breath taking and so incredible. I was even able to meet up with my mom and aunt Wendy at Machu Picchu ruins :) They took the train/bus up and thankfully we ran into each other at the ruins since it´s such a big area with thousands of people visiting the ruins!

First view of Machu Picchu (it´s very far from this view). 

I was able to meet up with my mom at Machu Picchu to see the sun rise!

It´s even better in person! 

After arriving to the ruins we spend a few hours just exporing because it´s so big and there is so much to see! 

Exploring the ruins. 

 The whole trek was simply amazing and I would definitely recommend it to every one! It made seeing Machu Picchu all the more special.

Mom comes to Huallanca! (my lil' town)

After traveling to various parts of Peru, my mom returned "home" with me to my village up in the Andes. She spent five days in my site and basically did every day things with me that I do for work and every day life. She ran around with me and did all that encompasses my crazy job including teaching classes and leading various other activities at the schools and health center, she slept in my bedroom with me and froze to death, especially at night and she didn't bathe all week like I never do (we have no hot water where I live), she spent time with my amazing Peruvian family and tried lots of new (and scary) typical Peruvian food from where I live. My mom has said numerous times that she can't deny that it was a difficult week and that she was put out of her comfort zone in many ways (just like I was at first) but she says that it was a very eye opening experience for her. She loved meeting the Peruvians in my site; every one was so kind to her and happy to meet the mother of the gringa in Huallanca. She also says that she will now never complain about anything again back home after seeing some of the real poverty that exists where I live and how so many people truly live with nothing and are constantly freezing in their own homes with no heat or insulation, how there is literally very little to no sanitation and because of that people get sick all the time, how people have to wash all their clothes by hand in ice cold water, and seeing all the "interesting" food that people eat that often has very little nutrition.

It was SO much fun to have my mom in my site with me. I loved introducing people to her and showing her how I live and what exactly I do for work. I was reminded of the unending love that my mom has towards people in poverty and that she is the one who inspired me from the begining to help those in need. To share my current reality with my mom and all the struggles and joys in the life that I live here in the Andes of Peru was beautiful. 

Thank you for coming mom! It truly meant the world to me. I am so sad to see you go but you will always be in my heart as I continue my job serving with the Peace Corps. You are my biggest inspiration mom and I love you mom! 

  

Waking up on the first morning after arriving to Huallanca-freezing!

My beautiful and amazing Peruvian mother. My mom LOVED her!

Having a big sunday family lunch with my Peruvian family.

My host family raises guinea pigs for food-my mom thought that was very interesting...

Holding one of the many adorable Peruvian babies in my life.

Teaching the kids how to use the kites that she brought them!

Just hanging out with my Peruvian fam.

My mom was amazed that people wash their clothes by hand in the literally freezing cold water that leaves your hands aching and burning from the ice cold mountain water.

We were blessed with this beautiful rainbow after rain on the first day.

My mom froze every night!

She came to class with me to watch me teach!

She loved my school and the beautiful mountain setting.

She spent an afternoon watching me paint a section of my world map with my students.

She loved all the beautifu views of the mountains.

She was a bit disgusted by some of the daily sites that I see...

We went to the market to buy food for lunch with my  host family and I got to show her all the million different types of potatoes.

Spending time with my wonderful Peruvian family.

My host family prepared Pacha Manca so that my mom could eat the traditional dish of Huallanca.

To feel a bit more clean she wanted to rinse her hair.

She loved seeing me teach and meeting my students!

Introducing her to one of my favorite families in Huallanca and was shocked when she asked if what she thought was the kids playhouse (the home pictured behind us) was actually the house that they lived in.

My Peruvian family's home

My Peruvian family's home where we spent a lot of time.

She agreed with me that Peruvian children are so adorable :)

Homework time with my Peruvian sisters.

On a walk with my Peruvian sisters.

Cooking with my Peruvian mom

On the drive to my site Mom said that she felt like she was "spinning towards the center of the earth" because it was so curvy and windey.

Thanks for coming to visit mom! My students loved meeting you!!