The 4-Day Hike to the Magical View of Machu Picchu

MelissaE — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:04:54 GMT

You have to book the Inca Trail months in advance to secure a spot. Only 500 people are allowed on the trail each day and about 300 of these spots are reserved for workers. If I've done my math correctly, that leaves only 200 spots left for tourists. These strict regulations were set to protect the trail, the natural environment and the Inca ruins.

About six weeks before I left for Peru, I got an email from my brother, in Australia at the time on his around-the-world journey, telling me that he heard it was difficult to get permits for the trail. So I went online and found a website with a counter that tells you how many permits are left on the trail for the day you want to go. The site also said that you needed passport numbers to book the hike, and I didn't have my brother's. I called some travel agencies to see if they would book us without one number and had no luck. As I watched the counter slip from 42 spaces, to 27, to 12, I tried sending him telepathic messages to call me or email me with his passport number. But that didn't work either. The permits were soon gone for our chosen day.

He finally calls with the necessary information. I got us the last permits available for the following day. The following week was already booked solid, so we really lucked out. Que suerte. We ran into many people on our trip who tried to get permits for the trail months before their trips and had no success.

But we did. And the trek was amazing. I don't think there is any other way to see Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail was equally as amazing as Machu Picchu itself. Hiking at sunrise, nighttime skies full of stars, strong sun, heavy rain, cloud forests, jungle, Dead Woman's Pass, coca tea...

You feel like a talented photographer because the views offer prize-winning photographs. The people are kind. The vibe is magical. The ambiance is mysterious and unpredictable. One moment you are under strong sun in a valley, the next, you are in the clouds, and a moment later you are in a rainforest. A true vacation. And you end up in an ancient city in the clouds.

Below is a video of our journey on the Inca Trail. I highly recommend the trip. Tourists are now required to do the trek with a tour group--we used SAS Travel and they were excellent. But make sure you book it early!

You Know You're Trekking in Patagonia When...

mvalenti — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:59:43 GMT

Excerpts from We Shall Continue in Style
by Adrian and Kirsten Korosec

A few final thoughts and photos of our time trekking in Torres Del Paine and other parts of Patagonia. The following happened to us or people we know.

You know you're trekking in Patagonia when ...

1) You say "Hola" about 100 times on any given day passing trekkers on the trail.

2) Three-fourths of the people you just said "Hola" to are not from South America and don't speak Spanish.

3) You quickly learn there is a huge difference between trekkers and tourists. The trekkers you meet are far more interesting than you are and they all seem to speak four languages.

4) You get dirty. So dirty that buses often have signs forbidding trekkers from taking off their shoes.

5) Random dogs follow you for miles into a national park where NO PERROS ARE ALLOWED. Everyone asks the gringo ... ¿Su perro?

6) The wind knocks you over.

7) A mouse chews through your tent and eats your crackers while you're sleeping.

8)It's so hot that you strip down to a T-shirt and shorts, and then it rains. And then the wind picks up. Five minutes later it's so hot you strip down to a T-shirt and shorts again.

9) Rain gear is the only effective mosquito repellent.

10) The "trail" you're following may have been erected by a blindfolded, drunken Chileno.

11) Maté is like having your own guide. It is never lost in translation and when shared all language barriers seem to fall away.

12) The bridges seem like they might fall apart. Sometimes they do.

12) It's entirely possible that the ice in your Pisco Sour came from an iceberg.

Active Travel

The 4-Day Hike to the Magical View of Machu Picchu

You Know You're Trekking in Patagonia When...