This was my second trip with Exodus, my first being to Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The trip originally had 5 people on it, but due to last minute cancellations, presumably because of news of strike action in Peru, only 2 of us ended up travelling. Ultimately, we experienced hardly any disruption throughout the entire trip. As such, it made the trip much more bespoke.
As the trip flew directly to Cusco, at 3400m, the first couple of days were designed to assist with acclimatizing and we soon got used to the altitude. There was plenty of free time to explore the city and take it easy. We also spent the first morning on an acclimatization hike exploring Tambomachay, Puca Pukara, Qenqo and Sachsayhuaman in the hills above Cusco. This hike was very gentle and downhill. On the first day of the hike, we set off early (0630 start) for Mollepata, stopping at Tarawasi to explore more ruins. As Mollepata is below 3000m, we immediately noticed the drop in altitude and this helped ease us into the hike gently. In addition to meeting our wonderful Quechua chef, Florentino, we were accompanied along this stretch of the hike by local horsemen (and a dog who we nicknamed Condor, who would provide no end of amusement along the way), who provided support for us. We found the first few days of the hike rather quiet, as this route is frequented by far fewer hikers than the main Inca Trail. The first day was a 4 hour hike with a gradual climb up to 3500m. The second day of the hike was quite tough as we had a 17km hike going from 3500m to 4400m. This involved a 0600 start, though was mostly on the level during the morning. The afternoon was shorter though quite a bit harder as it had several steep parts, as we ascended to the camp at Inchupata. An emergency horse was on hand along this stretch. The views of Salkantay were stunning, though the camp was quite cold at night. We even saw a couple of avalanches on Salkantay. On the third day of the hike, we climbed up to Incachiriaska pass, at 4950m, and were rewarded with stunning views in all directions. This was followed by a rapid descent to the Inca Canal to our camp site. Day four of the hike was quite leisurely and short as we descended to Huayllabamba. We said goodbye to the horsemen, and had several amusing attempts to part company with Condor, then met up with the porters who would carry our kit along the main Inca Trail. We also had an opportunity for a brief cold shower; our first proper wash since the hike began. Having ascended Incachiriaska pass earlier in the hike, the ascent to Dead Women's pass on day five of the hike was much more straightforward and we got to the top in far less time than we'd planned for. The descent down to Pacaymayo was quite steep, and we got a taste of the steps which would be a common feature of the latter part of the hike. As we'd joined the main Inca Trail, things became much busier at camp sites and on the trail. We timed our departures to avoid the early morning rushes, and soon found we had the trail mostly to ourselves. On day six of the hike, we climbed over a second pass and explored more Inca ruins at Runcurakay and Sayacmarca. We camped at Phuyupatamarca and marveled at the views of Machu Picchu mountain, far below us down the notorious Inca Steps. The next morning, we also had stunning views of the other side of Salkantay. On the last day of the hike, we descended to Winay Wayna, and then completed the trek to the sun gate and our first glimpse of Machu Picchu itself. After an hour or so snapping pictures of the classic views of the site, we took the bus down to Aguas Calientes and several much needed showers. The following day, we had a tour of Machu Picchu and then had a few hours spare to explore the site on our own. As it turned out, this was only sufficient time to visit the Inca Bridge and take more pictures close by the main site, though I certainly didn't feel I was missing out on any opportunity to ascend Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. We descended back to Aguas Calientes mid afternoon to get the Expedition train to Ollantaytambo. This was an enjoyable and relaxing slow train ride with great views, and included free drinks and snacks in the ticket price. The next morning we explored the ruins in Ollantaytambo and headed on through the Sacred Valley to Pisac. We arrived back in Cusco by early afternoon, where we planned excursions for the following day. The main trip on offer was to Moray Maras and the Salt mines in the Sacred valley. I opted for this trip and found it very relaxing. While other excursions included a (long) day trip to Rainbow Mountain, Exodus don't actively endorse this due to mixed reviews, though (discrete) arrangements can be made if you want to try it.
The last morning of the main trip involved transfers to the airport, either for homeward flights or transfers to Puerto Maldonado to the jungle. As I'd opted for the Amazon extension, the jungle beckoned. The flight was short though the change in climate was huge. After transferring to the river launch, and a two hour journey up river, I arrived at Cayman Lodge. As the only traveler on this part of the trip, I had another personalized trip, and guide to myself. The pace of the jungle was quite leisurely and involved afternoon and night walks around the perimeter of the lodge, a 10km trek to Sachavacayoc Lake (an oxbow lake) in the jungle where we spent a couple of hours canoeing around looking for anacondas, an early morning river trip to Colpa Chuncho clay lick to view macaws feeding, a night safari along the river looking for caimans and quite a few hours chilling in hammocks out of the sun. Soon though, this part of the trip came to an end and I transferred back to Puerto Maldonado for my flight home.
As Peru were attempting to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, we also sampled the local excitement of the regions enthusiasm for football. This could only have been matched by a papal visit.
