Machupicchu!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31366522@N08/

Wow another little while since my last post!
I checked out hte Nazca lines as promised in the last blog and quite enjoyed them. It was a little pricey to get in the plane, but I think it was definitely worth it.

On to Cuzco! Cuzco has been a beuatiful town although I have spent too much tim ehere now and am excited to move on to the next spot. The reason I spend so much time here first off was to acclimatize before doing the Salkantay trail to Macchupicchu, which reaches an altitude of 4800 meters. In those few days I checked out a few ruins around town, along with some old spanish churches. Very cool. The best named of all the ruins was Saqsaywaman, you say it...yup it is exactly what you think!. SO after a few days in Cuzco bumming around it was time to head off to Slakantay!

Woot. This was a 5 day trek and for a beginner trekker like me was great. Not easy by any means, but not too techinal either, and with our own cook and horeses to carry our gear, my life was made easier, I just had to walk. I will post pictures of the beautiful scenery on flickr later today, or tomorrow, I promise.
The toughest day of the trek was day 2 with 800 meters straight up to the hight point of the trek...in a snowstorm and then 1600 meters down to our campsite. Really quite touch but rewarding when it was all said and done. Did not really get cold in the snowstorm because e were working so hard but as soon as we sat down for lunch....wow were we cold and wet! But we made the most of of it by not drinking our coca tea, but merely holding it as long as possible to get warm.
The other days were tough but seemed easy in comparaison to day 2 so I will not bore you and simply post pictures later times. I loved every minute of the trek, even in the cold, me and my trekmates were able to find humour and have a good laugh. Speaking of my trekmates, we got a long super well and I hav eformed even more friendships to take with me through the rest of South America, I am running into people everywhere!

Once we arrived to Machupicchu on day 5, I was in awe. I loved it, it was more than I could have imagined. You see the pictures and read about it, but it is way different experienceing it yourself for sure. we also did the extra hike to waynapicchu.
so to leave off this kind of scattered post, so point form highlights of the trek.

-Meeting great people
- Awesome scenery
- Lots of altitude.
-PLaying Loup Garou with the group
-Our guide Nico
-Lots of laughing! some morning my stomach hurt more than my legs.
-Machupicchu
-Hot springs! woooot