Walking, eating and mosquito nets

This was a great experience that I will be strongly recommending to others.

Day 1 was especially enjoyable. The weather was sunny which helped because the scenery is amazing. We spent a long time viewing the inca site called Patallacta. This site was my favourite of the whole trip. The walking wasn't too challenging on this day and the campsite was the best of the three we stayed at - we even had our own western style toilet! One of our tour guides, Miguel, noticed that the heel of my walking boot was starting to come off during today's walk. Would you believe it - there was a small shop at our campsite that sold super glue! And it was good glue because my sole stayed on for the rest of the four day trek.

Day 2 was hard, as we were told it would be. There was A LOT of uphill and it rained for most of the morning which made it really hard work as you didn't have the great views to spur you on. The campsite wasn't ideal as we were on a slope so all ended up rolling towards one end of the tent. It was also VERY cold. But the staff really kept our spirits up by feeding us well and telling us tomorrow would be easier.

Day 3 was easier than day 2. There was more walking but it was a mix of uphill, downhill and flat so I really enjoyed it. Pancakes for breakfast put me in a good mood before I'd even started walking. The final campsite was busy but we had a good spot. The cook made us a cake to say goodbye. That was delicious.

Day 4 was my least favourite of the trek. We were up at 3am to ensure we got to the front of the queue for the checkpoint to Macchu Picchu. Sadly, we couldn't see Macchu Picchu from the sun gate because of fog and by the time we reached Macchu Picchu I was so tired I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. Miguel gave a very informative tour but I was too tired to take it all in. So I have decided I will have to come back to see Macchu Picchu again as it's such a beautiful site that I need to see it when I can fully appreciate it.

This four day trek has been really enjoyable. I've felt challenged and well looked after by the guides, porters and cook. I've not eaten this well in ages! The porters are inspirational; seeing them powering along the trail carrying huge amounts spurs you on to walk a little faster. Finally, the guides are extremely knowledgable and patient. They got us through a very challenging four days. I believe they enjoyed me wearing my mosquito net!