4 days and 0 showers- Saoirse

It’s our first day back in Cusco after the trail! We began the inca trail on Saturday morning, leaving at 4am! We got to kilometer 82, the starting point, around 9 am to start the 4 day trek! Day one started pretty easy, but after lunch we faced the “stairs from hell” that we had been hearing about since October. To keep it brief, they were awful, but Lisa and I managed them together, and after a few delusional fits we made it to our first camp ground. The chasquis (amazing men carrying all of our stuff) set up an amazing campsite which included a dining tent. Day two included 2 two-hour sets of very steep stairs that made me reevaluate how badly I really wanted to see Machu Picchu! Once we got day two out of the way, I was very excited for the “easy day” of day 3. Day 3 was a short 4.5 hour hike to wiñaywayna, a stunning archaeological site located about 6 km from Machu Picchu. The views of the mountains were incredible and the Incan structures were beautiful. We had a relaxing night before getting up at 3:30 am to get in line to start the last couple of hours to Machu Picchu. On our way there it was incredibly cloudy and foggy, keeping us from being able to see the sunrise. When we got to Machu Picchu, it was raining and the sky was opaque white. We were all horribly disappointed, afraid that we were going to miss the 7th wonder of the world. Luckily, just as our amazing guide Zaul predicted, the clouds lifted at 9:30 am, revealing the incredibly beautiful Machu Picchu. It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen. The four day hike was such an unbelievable experience, so physically demanding but so rewarding. I couldn’t be more grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to such an amazing place with all of my best friends. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I’m so sad to be leaving, but very excited to share all the stories and pictures with friends and family.