Arrival in Cusco / The Inca Trail

Today our second group of travelers arrived, bright & early, in Cusco.  Meanwhile our hikers were spending their first full day on the Inca Trail.

After a short drive into Cusco, the new arrivals enjoyed breakfast & checked-in to the Hotel Unaytambo for a 1 night stay in Cusco.  There was time to freshen-up before we walked through the city to the Central Market, a feast for all the senses.

Meeting some of the locals!

It seems that today was a religious festival, as we encountered 4 different processions/celebrations, featuring colorfully-attired dancers & strange folkloric characters.  What an introduction to Peru & its diverse cultures.

 Our welcome lunch today was pizza at the same pizzeria enjoyed by our first travelers, the best in Cusco.  And it was accompanied by live Andean music - Pachamama!

This afternoon our Cusco city tour included the Cathedral & Koricancha, both of which illustrate the clash of civilizations that the Spanish conquest of the Incas represented.   

 Taking turns to photograph the perfect alignment of windows at Koricancha.

Our local guide Thomas leading the city tour.

After our city tour the group enjoyed some free time before our first group dinner tonight.  

Finally we stopped for some shopping on the way back to our hotel.  Everyone seemed tired after their flights so it was straight to bed, ready for tomorrow's sightseeing.

The Inca Trail, Day 2:

From the first campsite, the trail continues over level ground to Huayllabamba, a flat grassy area at an elevation of around 6500ft where there are a few huts stretched along the banks of the river.

After Huayllabamba, the trail begins to climb slowly through fairly dense sub-tropical vegetation. The terrain changes with altitude, so that a little beyond Llupachayoc ("Place of Offerings") it gives way to light woodland. The trail continues to climb upwards beyond Llupachayoc, & the woodland gives way to scrub, then to puna, bleak grassland & bare slopes. The ascent becomes increasingly steep, & the terrain increasingly rugged.

The trail climbs steeply towards the first pass, the famous "Dead Woman's Pass",  marked by a green & white sign that shows it to be 13,300ft above sea-level. It tends to be fairly cold & windy due to the elevation.

After Dead Woman’s Pass, the trail descends steeply towards the valley of the Pacamayo river. At the bottom of the river valley is the second campsite, a welcome sight for our hikers after a hard slog today.