Wrap up 2025 / january:
The next morning, it was again very humid, foggy, and a bit rainy.
To make it safely over the last steep hill (muddy, slippery path) we started early. It was very beautiful to walk this path in the morning, surrounded by pure nature and with the sound of only some birds, the raindrops and our breath.
On top of the hill Lactapata, —the surrounding area was fully covered in fog and deep hanging clouds— we waited, always looking in one specific direction, the camera ready, to get the first glimpse of Machu Picchu. 🤩 Wow, imagine how wonderful it would have been! But sadly, the clouds and fog did not want to reveal the magical place.
So, we continued and made it o Hydroelectrica by lunchtime. From there we 'just' 😉 had to follow the train tracks for the last 10km. Yes, its is the officially path, we had sometimes to walk on the tracks. Luckily, the trains honked very loud all the time, so there was plenty of time to find a spot where we could squeeze ourself into the bushes to let the train pass. 😎
Finally we made it to the super touristy village 'Aguas Calientes' aka 'Machu Picchu Pueblo'. We were so, so, so done! I barely could walk anymore (I had so crazy swollen calves and ankles, from sand flies that bit me while sitting in the garden of the coffee plantation guesthouse).
It was amazing to step under a warm shower, to relax the muscles a bit after these exhausting days!
(we walked 75km: arrival day ~7km, 1.trekking-day 20km, 2.day 16km, 3.day 22km)
In the evening, we went to Machu Picchu ticket office, to ask if there were any tickets left for the next day. We expected to step into a looong queue and, with luck, get a ticket for one of the slightly less interesting circuits... Big thanks to the low season— there was only 1 person in the queue! 😂 I could even choose between several time slots, and tickets for the famous circuit were also still available. Wow, I felt so grateful 🥰
—> 📸 16 photos in this post
#travel #peru