Cusco and the Inca Jungle Tour (PER)

I have now arrived in Cusco, Peru. After another eleven-hour overnight drive from Copacabana, I arrived at the hostel in Cusco early in the morning. Since Easter was approaching, the hostel was fully booked and I could only check in at the regular check-in time at noon. I used the time to explore Cusco. On the same day, I also chose a tour to Machu Picchu - the Inca Jungle Tour.

In the center of Cusco, there are various providers offering tours to Machu Picchu. There is the original, approximately 88-kilometer-long Inca Trail, shortened versions, hiking tours over the Salkantay Mountain, or the jungle tour.

I chose the three-day tour, which includes mountain biking, rafting, and ziplining, so it's more of an action tour than a hiking tour. After another day of rest in Cusco, we set off in a minibus at 8 o'clock in the morning. The group consisted of 9 Israelis and 3 Germans. First, we drove uphill for an hour to descend the 40 kilometers of serpentine roads (unfortunately, it was raining at the beginning). The road was pleasantly paved this time, but since rivers regularly overflowed onto the road, we ended up completely wet. After a difference in altitude of 2000 meters, we arrived in the warm tropical climate and drove to accommodations for lunch in the minibus.

While the other 11 people continued by bus to the overnight accommodation, I was picked up for rafting. In total, about 40 people were divided into 5 rafts, each with a guide. After putting on swimwear and vests, there was a short briefing and then we spent about 60 minutes on the Urubamba River. My Irish-Dutch-Portuguese crew managed quite well, so we arrived at our destination in the already darkening evening without any losses. In between, we rescued a 'rescue kayak driver' (actually intended for tourists who fall overboard). His kayak had torn at the front and filled with water. There were a total of three of these kayak drivers accompanying the rafts. So, there was plenty of action!

Then we took a bus to the hostel where my actual group was staying and had dinner. The next morning, after breakfast at 8 o'clock, we went zip-lining. Five times, we were secured on a steel cable and then crossed a gorge - sometimes nearly 1000 meters wide and at an altitude of 600 meters. In addition, there was a bridge that could be crossed - for some people with a fear of heights, there was an alternative...

After zip-lining, we drove to the town of Santa Teresa for lunch. Then we embarked on a three-hour hike along the Urubamba River and railroad tracks (connecting Ollanta to Aguas Calientes) to Aguas Calientes, the 'Machu Picchu village' at the foot of Machu Picchu Mountain. The late afternoon and evening were free (fortunately, there were two locals from Mainz with us). At dinner, the guide gave us our entrance tickets for Machu Picchu and the train tickets for the return trip the next day - this time, everything was very well organized.

So, the next morning, we set off at 4 o'clock - first to the entrance of the trail up the mountain and at 5 o'clock, we started climbing 1800 steps, 2 kilometers long and 400 meters high to Machu Picchu. Hallelujah. In the tropical humidity, I was glad that I had brought a change of clothes for the day. The Israelis in our group chose the easy, $12 bus route - in retrospect, not a bad idea...

The hike takes 50 to 80 minutes, depending on one's fitness level, and our tour of Machu Picchu started at 6:30 a.m. A guide told us about the history and construction of the city and the Incas in general. After about two hours, we finished the tour - each visitor is allowed to go through the site three times (this changes in June!). In addition to exploring the ruins, there is also the opportunity to visit other buildings in the vicinity, a 20-60 minute walk away, or to hike to Machu Picchu Mountain - another 600 meters of elevation with only stairs. So, the group split up, and I took another walk around the ruins, where I met a Paraguayan tourist whom I could speak German with. His grandparents emigrated at the end of World War II, and in the Paraguayan village near Encarnación, there are only German descendants - German is the main language. Totally strange but also very interesting.

In the evening, my train departed from Aguas Calientes to Ollanta at 9:30 p.m., and from there, I continued by bus to Cusco. After a 22-hour day, I arrived back at the hostel in Cusco at 2 o'clock in the morning.

After a day of rest and doing laundry (still not dry after three days of mountain biking 🤢), I will continue by bus to the Peruvian capital, Lima. After the 21-hour drive, I actually want to continue directly to Huanchaco, a beach town halfway to Ecuador. However, due to flooding and resulting road damage, this is currently only possible to a limited extent, which is why I will have to inquire about the onward journey at Lima's bus station.

I will keep you updated!

Regards,

Kai