Chat on WhatsAppI had a great time on the Inca Trail. My expectations for the trek were pretty high and I found that all my expectations were fulfilled and more.
Our first day was pretty mellow. It was a gentle incline with a couple of short, steep parts. All the scenery was beautiful and the guide, Ramiro, would stop every now and then to tell us some of the history of the valley and the trail. He encouraged us to try different foods and drinks along the trail that were native to Peru and the Incan culture. The explanations were helpful as most of those things we had never seen before. When we stopped for lunch as well as dinner and to camp for the night the porters were already ahead of us ready and waiting. We always had water and soap to wash our hands and faces as well as hot water for tea. Each day included breakfast, lunch, tea time, and dinner. The porters did a great job and the food was excellent.
The second day was the hardest. It was almost all directly uphill using stone stairs. Our guide went last and let us take it at our own pace with no rush for anyone that wanted to take a breather. We hiked up through canyon and up over pass. The scenery again was stunning. The path went along a river and all the vegetation was green and provided plenty of shade along the trail. The path was all stone that had been made by the Incans.
The third morning we woke up to a rain storm! It made the trail a little more interesting but since we were hiking down a canyon and through some ruins, we were able to see the clouds come up the mountains toward us as we hiked over them.
Finally we came to Machu Picchu and the day was perfect. No rain or clouds. Our guide gave us a great tour of the site and knew the history of the Incan empire really well.
I would definitely recommend Inca Trail Reservations for the Inca Trail expedition. Everything was very professionally done and my expectations were exceeded in every way. If you do only one backpacking trip in your entire life, make sure it´s this one.
