CUSCO & MACHU PICCHU EXPERIENCE
- Altitude: 1800-4500 m
- Temperature: 12-28ºC
- Distance biking: 36 km
- Distance hiking: 28 km
- Distance rafting: 11 km
- Speed of zip lining: 100 km /h
What an adventure! I think The Inca Jungle Adventure was the most challenging and fun things I have ever done in my life. Five days and four nights packed with activities and amazing views. I couldn’t wait to tell you all about it.
Day 1 - biking & rafting
With a 7 am start a group of 14 people set off in a minivan toward Abra Malaga, a point higher than Cusco, around 4500m. The van included our driver Carlos, the guide Ibra and 12 other keen travellers who were from Germany, Australia, Finland (!), France, Italy, Peru and Chile. Reaching the peak of Abra Malaga, we put on cool looking biking gear, hopped on mountain bikes and rode downhill for 36 kilometres. You did not need to pedal, it was all downhill with magnificent views of the valley and mountains. After lunch at our accommodation in Santa Maria - which is at pretty low altitude, making the weather rather hot - we boarded three rafts and paddled downstream the Urubamba River for about 11 km. It was a lot of fun, fast rapids, beautiful views and our rafting guide even flipped the boat so our group got a taste of the fresh water (read: cold). After such an activity packed day we were happy to enjoy some Pisco Sours and beers, along with a tasty dinner.
Day 2 - the hike
Probably the least fun day was the hiking day: getting up at 6:30 to start a 17 kilometre hike in a very challenging terrain, along the Inca Trail. Steep climbs and high ridges, Inca stairs and jungle vegetation, it was an adventure, but a little hard, at least for me. Kai and the other athletes of the group barely broke a sweat! On the way we stopped at a Monkey House to meet the animals: cute cappuccino monkey named Luna, who stole some of my passion fruit, a naked Peruvian dog, that shivered although it was quite warm, and a macaw parrot gawking rudely. We got to taste local tequila and chocolate, and paint our faces with a Chapi plant. At the end of the hike we enjoyed a fast cable car ride across the river because the bridge had been washed away by floods. The hike ended at the hot springs of Cocalmayo with four pools of naturally warm water, heated by volcanic activity. It felt like heaven to step into the 37-41C pools after such an exhausting day. Our lodging was a hostel called Loki, famous for its parties, and we could not avoid one this time. Everyone was on a good mood, drinking happy hour beers, and at the end we had played a tournament of beer bong (Kai and another German, Adrian were the champions) as well as many other funny games, and got to bed way too late.
Day 3 - zip lining & hiking
As people crawled out of bed at dawn, some with a slight headache from the night before, there was excitement in the air: It was the ziplining day! After breakfast we were harnessed into full gear and taken up to the mountain to start our activity. I must admit, I was terrified, as I have a minor fear of heights. However, I got through all the four zip lines, some with eyes closed. The lines were between 400m and 1km long, and the speed of which we zipped was at best 100 km and hour! What an adrenaline rush! The braver people got to choose different positions like Spiderman (head down, feet up) or the sexy lama (head first, tummy up). There are no photos of this as we could not carry our phones, nor could I have taken some, anyway… I was relieved to make it alive and felt my hands tremble when they were taking off the harnesses. The day continued with a 11km hike along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes, the nearest town to Machu Picchu. This trek was easier as there were no climbs, taking us only 3 hours. By the end of the day we were all so exhausted we went to bed around 21:00, ready to get up early for THE day.
Day 4 - Machu Picchu
Those seeking even more uphill hiking got up at 4:30 to walk up the steep steps leading to MP. It took them around 1,5 hours. Half of the group chose to pay an additional fee for a bus to take us up, I was one of those. And luckily I chose the bus, as when I woke up I had stomach problems, and was feeling quite uncomfortable the whole day. We met the hikers at the MP gate at 7:00 am and started exploring the site with our guide. It was as I remembered from 12 years ago: magnificent and breathtaking. Kai went off on his own to see the Sun Gate and other places the normal tour did not include. The rest of the group wondered around for a couple of hours, and I went back on the bus, feeling quite ill, spending the rest of the day in bed. Luckily Kai and I had chosen to stay an additional night at Aguas Calientes, so I had time to recover, and we slept about 12 hours that night.
Day 5 - the train
Being a genuine train enthusiast, I was excited about the last day as well. We got to ride the beautiful, old, blue & yellow train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, a two hour journey with the greatest view. The train was super-nice and the service was exquisite: coffee and cake, as well as entertainment and a fashion show of alpaca clothes! We continues the journey to Cusco in a private car, wanting to get there asap. Believe me, it is not pleasant to do a winding and bumpy road trip for 2 hours with stomach problems… We made it to Cusco finally, and booked an Airbnb for the remaining 3 nights, had dinner in an artsy place, and drinks with Tereza, the Australian girl from the tour.
The best things about the tour was the people. We made new friends, and had a really good time with everyone. Our guide was also great and on the last day he told us a secret: it was his first ever Jungle tour as a licensed guide. Good job! The weather was on our side as the sun was shining all days except during the hiking day, a blessing, as otherwise it would have been too hot. Machu Picchu day with sunshine is also a lucky draw, as in cloudy conditions you couldn’t see much. Everything went perfectly, everything was fun, I really recommend this tour if you’re ever in Cusco. And it costs only around 200 USD per person! Still stoked about this experience we are now taking it easy in Cusco, getting to know its surroundings before moving forward to Ecuador.