In Search of the Inca

 We are still in the land of the living!! Sorry for the radio silence but we without internet whilst out on the Inca Trail then travelling back to Lima then flying home - via Miami, Heathrow, train to Paddington then Stroud. Paul marched up the hill home to collect the car then back to the station to pick up Raine and the suitcases. Good to be home. Some pictures of the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. Small but perfectly formed group at the start of the Inca Trail Our guide, Nestor The first of many bridges we crossed. This was the largest, crossing the Chocolate River that flows through the Sacred Valley, joins the Amazon before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. We climbed up out of that valley. One of many Inca ruins we visited First night camp The hikers with our support crew, including a chef! The food was amazing The ecology changed along the trail from highland scrub to cloud forest jungle. Loads of bromeliads growing on the trees Waterfalls everywhere Looking back Climbing up t...

 Yesterday we had our last full day in Cusco. We spent it exploring a few new areas of the city and enjoying some lovely food. We left our apartment where we had been staying for the last two weeks and moved to the hotel for the first night of our Inca Trail experience.  Today, Tuesday, we spent visiting sites in the Sacred Valley including visiting a textile woman’s collective workshop and a traditional pottery. We are now staying for one night in Ollantaytambo before hitting the trail on Wednesday morning.  Sorry only 2 photos as the internet is slow

The last of our training hikes today. I decided to take my full backpack to make it a realistic experience! We started on one of our regular routes…up 300 steep steps and then towards San Blas district. I’d read about a park with hiking trails on the outskirts of Cusco so we walked towards this. It was beautiful, way above the town and so peaceful. We had no idea what we would find as the area is not well mapped. There were a couple of houses along the route with dogs barking loudly. They are not aggressive but they are very persistent ! We walked on through a forest of pine and eucalyptus trees. Following the main path would have taken us down into a deep gorge so we decided to take the path less travelled through the trees. We eventually arrived at a waterfall. I sat on a boulder in the warm sunshine listening to the waters flow and watching a humming bird dip back and forwards to the river. It was magical and one of those experiences that you wish would never end. Later we crossed t...