Our Inca Trail – Choque Quirao
28 Jun – 3 Jul, 2005
Maybe we would have done the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu if it had been possible to get in (booked out for months in advance), but to be honest, Jo was more enthusiastic than I was, and I was already “over it” before we got there. Too expensive, and too controlled. Anyway, it ended up not even being an option. So, we decided to head for Choquequirao.
They are contemporary ruins of Machu Picchu, re-discovered less than 3 decades ago. 30% is cleared and preserved, while 70% lays in the thick of the jungle that kept it hidden. No roads in, and 2 days walk each way. No crowds.
We underestimated the difficulty of this one. Maybe we got ourselves off to a bad start by walking to the start town rather than taking the bus, and joining in the late night celebrations when we got there. Additionally, the intense sun was almost unbearable, and despite the fact that it was downhill, the 1200m was an effort for the first day. The second day, while more protected from the sun due to being a north face, was equally hard with the 1200m ascent. Two nights were spent near the ruins, with a couple of visits to view them in different light. Found a farmer with a mule for our big backpacks, and this made the return to civilisation a lot less gruelling. By now, we were setting the alarm for 5:00 am or earlier, getting a fair bit of walking done before the sunrise.
It was truly worth the effort!
Maraupata camp site.
Tags: Architecture, Hiking / Going Bush, Peru, Peru, Travel
Richard and Jo