Salkantay trek
By Jaimy de Vries
The Salkantay trek is one of the popular treks in Cusco that leads to Machu Picchu. It’s a challenging trek of 88 km at a max height of 4.600 meters above sea level. It starts in the high Andes that brings you through the jungle to Machu Picchu. It was an up hill and down hill adventure. Literally and figuratively. We shared great and lucky moments, and saw many beautiful sceneries. But we also had some downhill moments. Some got really sick from the high altitude and I woke up blind. But finally we all got back safe & healthy and we enjoyed this amazing trip.
A rough start
On the 15th of may I went on the Salkantay trek in Cusco. I was a bit nervous for this trek because I experienced a hard time breathing while walking and climbing at these heights. Cusco is at 3.600 meters above sea level. Two months ago I did a 4 day trek in Argentina while carrying lots of baggage. So probably I can manage this.
I was going with Machu Picchu reservations, but booked through a travel agency Machu Picchu tours for 210 U.S. dollars (excl train ticket). I would’ve been picked up before 5 am, but after waiting for an hour I got worried. This is not the average Latin time of being 20 minutes too late. “Will this be the same on the 2 day bus tour?” I was thinking (back then they didn’t picked us up). I got really cold standing outside for so long and my nails turned blue. I got quite mad. “They forgot me again!!” And the day before at the briefing I warned them about his, that my place is difficult to find. But they said: “No we know where it is, no problem”. I said “well call me if you can’t find it” And they didn’t listen!
But after two hours waiting I received a call from the travel operator (not the agency), they couldn’t find me and asked to send my location. I got picked up by a taxi 5 minutes later by a nice man. He brought me after a 2,5 hours’ drive to the breakfast spot where I met the rest of the group. They were luckily kind and asked me what happened, instead of being angry and thinking I overslept (like the 2-day bus tour).
Lake Humantay
After meeting the group we went straight to Soraypampa where out trip started. After a speech of our tour guide Edgar we started the hike. The first part was quite flat and easy, but soon we needed to climb a descent of 350 meters total to the mountain of the Humantay Lagoon. It was a day to practice and to get adjusted to the height. Lots of people were having a hard time. It was hard to breath and that made it not an easy hike. One couple got really sick of the altitude and went down. But the rest of the group made it, and we enjoyed the view over a beautiful glacier and the lagoon that reflects this place. After an hour all the day tourist went away and then we had a nice quiet view over the lake. Our guide told us about the spiritual meaning of the lake.
The quechua people (natives from the Andes) called this lake mother lake. Because here is the start of life. He explained about the elements of life. It starts with Pucha mama – mother earth. Water is the start of life, it feeds the earth. The next element is the sun that comes from the cosmos and warms up the earth. The last element: air/wind, comes from the earth spinning around. The four elements create the balance and harmony of life. Without one you die. And when you die, you give back to the elements. When you die, first you breath out your last breath (you give back air), then your body gets cold (you give back warmth), then your body dries out (you give back water) and then your body disappears in the earth (give back to the earth). I found this interesting to hear…the circle of life.
After an 1,5 hour descend we needed to make a little climb to our accommodation. There we finally had lunch. After that we checked in our cabin. I had the possibility to stay in a glass dome. Of course I took this chance. This was just such a special place to sleep. I had an amazing view over the Salkantay mountain. We had some relax time, so I laid down in my glass dome, enjoyed the view and read a book. I was quite tired, breathing on such height is more difficult than somewhere else. What helps is chewing on coca leaves. It’s not my favorite, but it helps to get adjusted to the height and gives you more energy.
At night we saw many stars and it was a special day. There was a full moon and it was possible to see a moon rise. And we saw it, we saw the moon coming up from the mountains. That was amazing! Later that night there was a red moon. I didn’t see it, but others who went to the toilet did.
Lake Humantay
Glass dome houses
Inside my little dome
The hardest day?
We got waked up at 5 am in the morning with coca tea. We get coca tea every morning in our cabin to get adjusted to the cold temperatures outside and for the high altitude to prevent us from getting sick. We had breakfast and when the sun was coming up we left for our 9 hour hike to the next campsite. This day is the hardest part of the trek, because of the duration (9 hours) and the climb to the highest altitude (4.600 meters). There was the possibility to go by horse to the top, but I want to do this my own!
I started the climb with the first group. I had some nice conversations with the other trekkers and this is a nice distraction from the heavy climb I thought it would be. I walked at my own pace, this is quite difficult because if others go faster you want to join them. But I stayed on my own pace and it was good that I did. I had full control over my breathing and I was surprised that I was actually quite fast.
I really enjoyed the journey on the Salkantay pass. The sceneries over the mountain rage were amazing! In less than 3 hours I arrived at the highest peak of the trek at 4.600 meters high where we stand next to the Salkantay mountain, a sacred mountain since Inca times. I was proud that I made it and still had lots of energy left!
After everyone arrived we stayed there for an hour to marvel at the amazing view over the Salkantay mountain. And of course to take some nice (group)pictures.
On top of the Salkantay mountain
Group pic
On top of the Salkantay mountain
Dance my way down
Then we walked down 800 meters and for 6 hours long to reach the next campsite. I loved walking down and was quite fast. Walking up is not my strongest suit, but walking down is. While walking down the scenery changed from snowy mountains, to a lord of the rings scenery with moss covered rocks to a cloud rainforest.
We had lunch at a campsite along the way. After that it was still 3 hours downhill. “Let’s go” Vamos!” I thought! I put my music on and danced my way downhill. I almost felt like running. You probably think that’s crazy and dangerous. Well bouncing your way down is way better for your knees and you actually have a less slighted chance to stumble. I went down like a rockstar, I was the third fastest of the group. I arrived early at the next campsite in Collpapampa, with no pain on my knees, but I had some muscle pain in my butt. Ah yeah, that’s good for my butt shape! And because I was quite early I got a nice cabin for myself!
I had a nice hot shower just before it turned dark. At 6 o clock we had happy hour with hot choco and popcorn. I had interesting conversations about life events with other Dutchies from the trek. Lots of travelers you meet have interesting life stories. Everyone caries their own baggage.
After dinner I brushed my teeth and cleaned my face. When I was rubbing my face I got pain in my eye. I had this before this day when I was rubbing my eye, but now it got way worse! I tried to read a book on my e-reader but the light hurts my eye too much, so I tried to go to sleep. I needed to wake up early the next day any way and probably it would be better the next day.
On our way down
Donkeys carrying tents and food
My little cabin for the night
Blind trust
That night I woke up at 2’ o clock because of pain in my eye. I tried to open my eye, but the little light of the moon really hurts my eye. “Wow the light of the moon is so soft, why does this hurt?” My eye started to tear heavily because I tried to open my eyes. I touched my eye and it turned out to be very swollen. “Nooo!!! Why now!? Why in the middle of a 5-day trek? Timing couldn’t been worse” I was thinking. I tried to stay calm and go back to sleep. There’s nothing you can do at 2 o clock at night. At 5 o clock we will be waked up with tea, so then I can ask for help. That was my plan! But I couldn’t fall asleep…
My head was filled with worries. I’m in the middle of nowhere, how do I get to a clinic? I can’t walk down blind, that’s too dangerous. Do I need to be carried by a horse blind? Can I get the right help? Will I stay blind? Do I need to go back home? I was so worried and was thinking about the worst scenarios of becoming blind. That’s a scary thought. I was thinking about a flying doctor I met in Arequipa. She said that the eye care in Peru is bad. So the idea of getting blind felt like a real possibility. And my eye really hurts.
I put the alarm a little bit before the guys with the tea come, So I have the time to get dressed and pack my stuff. I couldn’t really see, so I tried to pack my stuff just by feeling. I can look with one eye for just a couple of seconds, but this really hurts. I protected my eyes from the light by wearing a sleeping mask. When the guys came to wake me up and bring tea, I said “Yo tenga una problema” and showed my eyes. They were shocked and asked the guide to come by.
After waiting for a while one of the guides came by. He told me they’re going to help me and it’s possible to bring me by car to a clinic. A doctor need to check me. They brought breakfast to my room, so I could have all the rest. I waited for an hour, till the others had finished their breakfast and packed all their stuff for the hike. In the meantime I was sitting alone in the dark with my worried head. I put some music on to pep myself up, because I was feeling down. On the picture you can see how I looked. I tried to smile and pep myself up.
At 6 o clock I got picked up by my guide. I couldn’t see a thing so he was holding me and guided me to the group. I was thinking about the saying “blind trust”, well now I literally need to trust people blindly. Lots of people from the group came to me and said so many kind things before I headed to the taxi. One of my Dutch friends sat in the taxi too to the next campsite. After an hour ride we split up and I drove with my guide to Santa Teresa. I was so happy and grateful the guide joined me. I couldn’t see a thing and the people only spook Spanish. And we needed to look where the doctor was in that small town. After getting checked the doctor said I had conjunctivitis, an eye infection. She gave me an injection in my butt, I got two kinds of eye drops with corticosteroids and antibiotics, oral antibiotics and ibuprofen. One of my eyes opened quickly after that. The other eye got patched up. And when I get back to Cusco I have an appointment with the ophthalmologist.
After that I said goodbye to the guide who went back to the campsite. He arranged a taxi for me to agues calientes (the Machu Picchu village) and a train to get there. I will meet with the group the next day. In that place I have a hotel to rest and a clinic if my recovery is not going well. I got help from the taxi driver to the restaurant for lunch, and the lunch guy brought me to the train. From the train I got help to the hotel. Everyone was just so sweet and they all wanted to help me. They saw my eye patch and didn’t let me carry anything haha.
At the hotel I had dinner and straight after that I went to bed. I was so tired. I slept for 12 hours straight.
Enjoying some alone time
The next day I needed to wait for the group to arrive later that afternoon. I was feeling okay-ish. But I can’t stay inside for a whole day or I get crazy. So I asked the nurse if I could go on a hike that day and that was fine. So with my eye patch and one eye I went on an adventure in the jungle. I walked along the railway to Mandor. Mandor is a botanical garden that leads to a waterfall with lots of flora and fauna. I walked at my own pace, alone, with sounds of nature on the background. It was so relaxing, nice to put my mind at ease after the adventure yesterday. After 3 hours of walking I walked back and stopped along the way at a butterfly park. I saw many different caterpillars, cocoons and butterflies. They’re studying them at the park. A guy explained the studies to me in Spanish and showed me different kinds of caterpillars. I was surprised that I fully understood him in Spanish. I even got to pet a hairy caterpillar. Then we walked to the butterfly garden and I could free one of the butterflies who just came out of the cocoon. I took some pictures and videos of the butterflies. I filmed one big blue butterfly in slow motion and I was amazed how strange it looks… a butterfly flying. They use their whole body to transport themselves in the air. It was an interesting day….
I was starting to feel quite tired, but that was no surprise. I walked more than 20 km that day I saw on my watch! So I’m actually not that far behind from my group, exercise wise. I went back to Agues Calientes and relax for two hours at the hotsprings. The hotsprings were actually quite disappointing, because they’re just swimming pools and the water was green and dirty. But the water was warm and I met a nice Peruvian lady. When I headed back to the hotel I met up with the group. After a shower we had dinner together and a briefing for the next and final day: Machu Picchu!
Machu Picchu
The alarm went off at 3.30 am. I woke up with no pain in my eye and no troubles with my sight. Everyone advised me to take the bus up to Machu Picchu, but I was feeling good and I want to finish this trek well. So I decided to climb up Machu Picchu at 4:30. It’s a 1.5 hours climb to the top and we needed to be there on 6 a.m. It was still dark when we climbed up. We needed to climb around 2000 stair steps. While I was doing it I though what a good morning routine this would be. Your fitness will increase rapidly. The whole group made it in time. I was proud that I did it! It felt like a victory, especially after my eye problem.
At the arrival at the citadel of Machu Picchu, we began our visit of 3 hours. And then I saw the seventh wonder of the world. Well actually I didn’t. This time not because of my eye, but it was really foggy! When we arrived at the viewpoint over the citadel we couldn’t see a thing. The whole group was disappointed. We made a picture with the foggy view and a photo of Machu Picchu (still a little bit of it on the picture). I had the luck that I’ve been to Machu Picchu before two weeks ago with good weather. Underneath you can see the difference. Both photo’s are taken at exact the same place.
After waiting for an hour at the meeting point in the hope the skies would clear (it didn’t) we walked through the citadel. After you go down to the citadel you can’ t walk back to the view point anymore. With a guide we walked at the main square, urban sector, the circular tower, the sundial and the Inca cemetery. I was confused and a bit agitated that the guide said a whole different story than the guide two weeks ago? What is the truth about Machu Picchu? I’d found the answer and wrote it down in my article about Machu Picchu. Click on the button to read more.
After the tour we walked down. This was quite dangerous because the rocks where very slippery. One of the group fell really hard, luckily she was fine. After being back down we needed to walk to hydrolectica, a 3 hour walk, because the railway company was on a strike. What a luck! Then there was a long bus ride of 7 hours. At 10 pm we finally arrived back to Cusco. It felt like coming back home. I slept like a baby that night… what an adventure!
This Post Has 2 Comments
Wat een avontuur jaimy! Gelukkig dat de medicatie voor je oog snel begon te werken. Wel heel spannend zo te moeten vertrouwen op relatief onbekende mensen!
Ik ben heel benieuwd naar het echte machu picchu verhaal maar helaas krijg ik een 404 page not found error als ik op de read more button klik.
Het is echt leuk om je avonturen te volgen en je hebt echt een fijne schrijfstijl❤️
Hoi Florine! Wat lief, dankje. Ja klopt, het artikel was nog niet online. Maar sinds een paar seconden wel, dus je kan lekker verder lezen!