There are many different ways of getting to Cusco from Ica. We decided to get the nightbus from Ica, which took roughly 16 hours. Some people travel back to Lima and catch a flight to Cusco, for me this is a bit of a convoluted route and also worse for the environment. In hindsight, I think it is always better to catch a night bus where possible as it is also more economical as you are saving money on accommodation as well! Win win! Catching the bus is also better for adapting to the change in altitude, Cusco is 3400m above sea level and it is a more gradual change for your body. If you do take the bus, I would recommend taking altitude sickness pills (Sorochi pills are the name and you can buy them in any pharmacy), if you take them at the ‘Nazca’ stop then this will be perfect amount of time for them to effectively work.
When we arrived in Cusco, I instantly felt the change in altitude, I felt light headed and nauseous, don’t worry this is normal! In terms of altitude, you can not predict on how or if you will be affected, it is truly random! There are other remedies you can take to help like cacao leaves and also many hostels provide oxygen for you to inhale.
The first hostel we stayed in was ‘Kokopeli’, a chain of hostels in Peru.
On arrival, this place appeared clean and comfortable. The rooms were spacious and also the bathrooms were good. There is a bar and the hostel organise activities such as karaoke, girls night and 90s night. Although the 90s night did not happen which was disappointing! There is a decent free breakfast and the bar provide food for lunch at dinner which is good, not the greatest for vegetarians. The issue with this hostel is that there is not enough staff that speak good English, especially on reception.Also if you want to extend your stay (which most backpackers do), then you have to move room! Like most chain hostels, Kokopelli prioritises money over making the customer feel valued and comfortable.
Cusco is full of tourists and it can be a little overwhelming at times. There are hundreds of tourist agencies and hostels, so it is a good idea to do your research online as going from agency to agency to find the best prices for trecks can be tiring and takes a full day. The main thing to do in Cusco is trecking and of course Machu Picchu! If you do not have any trecking gear then do not worry, you can hire everything there.
Many of you would have heard of getting to Machu Picchu by the Inca trail, which is very costly and also requires you to book well in advance. A cheaper option is the ‘Salkantay’ treck which is advertised everywhere in Cusco. This is either a 4 day or 5 day treck which covers part of the Inca trail and also incorporates the Humantay Lake (a main attraction in Cusco).
The treck includes tents, sleeping bags, a guide and food. There are many different operators and prices can range from $150- $300 so do your research and negotiate if necessary! Some recommended agencies are ‘Machu Picchu Reservations’ which charge $200 but are very well organised.
After much research, we decided to go with ‘Marvelous Peru’. The cost was $150 for both the 4 or 5 day option. After an informative briefing the night before, we were ready. We were picked up from our hostel at 05:00 and we begun the 3 hour drive to the starting point! The group of 24 were split into 2 groups the 4 day and 5 dayers. We were lucky to have Brighton as our tour guide, he was so helpful and kind- one of the best tour guides I have had! After an introductory talk we were off!
From the first step, it was instantly tough, I could really feel the change in altitude and breathing difficulty. I also had a lack of sleep so found the first day the hardest. We walked roughly 15 km on the first day. The morning treck was to the first campsite, where we stopped for lunch. The food was so amazing. After lunch it was the upward treck to Humantay Lake (4120m). This was so so tough as I was still adapting to the change in altitude. But wow, the lake was absolutely stunning. As soon as I was over the other side I was blown away by the beauty of the lake. This was also the first time I had seen a glacier in real life. You could actually hear the ice cracking and moving. I could also see evidence of corries, aretes, hanging valleys, hanging waterfalls and eskers. How fitting for a Geography teacher! You could also see the extent of the ice changing, and the snow cover diminishing as a result of climate change. The way down was easy and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner. As we were all exhausted, we went to bed at 7pm!! It was pretty cold in the night so make sure you bring extra layers!
The second day of the treck was the hardest and consisted of 19 km of walking, it also involved hiking up the steepest incline of the treck which was 4600m. Again it was anearly start of walking at 5:30am. Getting to the top of the mountain was a struggle but an achievement! At the top of the peak was the famous Salkantay lake, another stunning turquoise glacial lake. The views of the Andes and glacial were some of the most stunning landscapes I had ever seen.
This was the final climb of the treck (until M.P so it felt good!). We then walked down the other side of the mountain to the lunch spot. The walk after the lunch spot was when the terrain and ecosystem transitioned into jungle. The altitude was decreasing and you could instantly notice the change in humidity, climate and vegetation. The second campsite had a bar which we were all super excited about as we had done the majority of the walking. This night was definitely the best as we had a camp site and beers were flowing!
The third and final day of the treck was the easiest as it was all downhill and in the jungle, so it was warm! We still walked a total of 16km. The biggest challenge was the mosquitos so make sure you pack insect repellent with a good DEET factor. After lunch the group split off into the 4 dayers and 5 dayers. We were heading straight for Aguas Calientes (the town at the base of Machu Picchu). Instead of walking we took the minibus to Hydro Electrica- this is also where you can catch the train to M.P. The walk from Hydro Electrica to Aguas Calientes, is roughly 2 hours and you walk along the train tracks which is pretty cool. It really feels magical as you know that you are so close to Machu Picchu. This is the last bit until you are finally there!
The third nights accommodation is in a hostel which is nice as you can have a shower and comfy bed. We all went for a final dinner with the group and received our ticket for M.P. We had an entry time of 7am so we left the hostel at 5am to make it in time. The treck to M.P. involves hiking up 1800 stairs, it is tough in the heat! There is the option of getting the bus to the top if you would prefer. As soon as I got to the top of the climb my heart sunk and I had butterflies in my stomach. This was it, I had completed the treck and I was at one of the 7 wonders of the world.
Machu Picchu really is a mystical place but unfortunately the number of tourists tainted my experience. Everyone was desperate to get ‘the’ picture and this lead to a rather pushy atmosphere. The tour guide that we had was also disappointing, his English was not the greatest so I did not really understand the full significance of this mythical place. Despite this, it was still amazing to see and learn about the story behind this place.
The transport back to Cusco was so badly organised and a complete mess up. The bus that we finally ended up on was broken so it would break down on the journey back to Cusco, a journey that was supposed to take 6 hours, ended up taking 8! After a fantastic tour, it was a shame to end it this way. Back in Cusco, we stayed in VIP house. A cheap and very basic hostel. The next couple of days in Cusco were spent resting our legs and enjoying an air bnb (super cheap in Peru!).
In addition to the Salkantay, another interesting landscape to see is Rainbow and Palccoyo mountain (the smaller one). We decided to visit Palccoyo as there were less people visiting compared to Rainbow mountain. This mountain was geologically fascinating as it consisted of different coloured stripes which were the different rock types. The treck up to the top was around 30 minutes which was a relief as the altitude was 4800m! It is best to do rainbow or Palccoyo mountain before you do the Salkantay so that your body can adjust. On the day that we went to the mountain, it hailed on the descent. So we were able to see the dry and snowy version of the landscape, super interesting!
As well as trecking, Cusco is famous for its markets. An excellent clothes market for alpaca wear is Mercado Artesenal, this is close to Kokopelli hostel. A good one for food is the San Blas and San Pedro markets. Cusco also has some excellent vegetarian restaurants, one of them being ‘Green Point’. This place is amazing! If you go on a Sunday you can get the menu of the day which included an AYCE buffet for starter, juice, main and desert. Another excellent veggie restaurant is called ‘Organika’, a cute place which offers many homemade vegetarian and also non vegetarian choices. If you need to get your haircut whilst in Cusco then Tiwegers is your place. Also a good tattoo place is Yroy tattoo.
In order to adjust to the altitude and enjoy a good rest after the Salkantay treck then I would suggest staying in Cusco for at least a week (that is including the 3 nights of the treck). We stayed for 10 nights which was a tad too long. I would strongly recommend the Salkantay, even if you’re not an experienced hiker (which I definitely wasn’t). The nature and landscapes are something that you will never forget.
Romy's Roamings 