On the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Peru, 2006
All man must live in Machu Picchu for some time!
Over there, you will be closer to the universe and you will realise how trivial you are in this chaotic cosmos.
— Mehmet Murat Ildan
On my first trip to Peru in 1986 I was truly impressed by the beauty and energy of Machu Picchu. Back then we had made a day-trip from Cusco to the Inca ruins and had arrived by train and shuttle bus. I remember how I felt seeing the beaming faces of the people who had arrived on foot.
This time around I too wanted to hike to the ancient Inca city.
Right after we had finished our five weeks of Spanish classes Danielle and I joined a group to set out on the Salkantay trek. We had booked with the travel agent, who had taken us to Qoyllur-Ritt’i and were looking forward to setting out on another adventure with him.
The alarm sounds at 4 am. Yesterday we traveled from Urubamba back to Cusco. We had spent our last week of Spanish classes in the peaceful village in the Sacred Valley. Back in Cusco the day was used for laundry, emails, picking up our trail snacks, final trip info at the travel agency and a nice tea ceremony. It was followed by a rather short night.
At 4:30 am sharp we are picked up from the hostel. The bus taking us to the start of the trek is filled to the brim. In Mollepata we have breakfast in a local restaurant, before starting the trek. Including guide and staff we are a group of eleven. Never before having been on a multiple-day trek, both Daan and I had wondered how it would be. Upon booking, Danielle had expressed a bit of doubt about whether or not she would be up to the four-day trek. Her worries had not gone unnoticed; the travel agent has generously arranged an extra horse, so we can alternate hiking and horseback riding if needed. Although we had booked with the same agency, the guide is not the same. Apparently, a lot of travel agencies work together. If any of them do not reach the minimum number of participants for a trek, the groups are joined together. Bad luck for us; it was not our agency’s turn to provide the guide.