The Inca Trail-Day 4 of Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

Maggie and I are under the impression that the first 2 days of the hike were the hardest and the rest was smooth sailing. Not so we learn this morning! Today will be about 6 hours of hiking with the first 3 hours all uphill. Oh wonderful! A cake is served for breakfast this morning! Alfredo, our cook, made it over a fire even. I pretend it's my birthday cake :)

Today we see our first views of Machu Picchu and hike on actual Inca Trail!

Once we get to the top and see some of Machu Picchu from a distance, it is a couple hours of downhill. Again, I am being careful because I can't seem to keep my balance very well when I try to go faster. Sabino and Maggie are pretty much running down the hill. I'll admit...I am a little annoyed that they go so much faster than me (my competitive gene in full force haha!). Anyway, there are some great views, so we stop often to take pictures. Soon enough, we have made it to the bottom and cross the river (allybama???? or something like that...eventually this river flows to the Amazon). After we cross, it is about 30 minutes more hiking to hidroelectrica. We eat lunch here and wait for the train to take us to Aguas Calientes...the tourist town we will stay in tonight.

The train has different cars for tourists versus locals. For tourists, it costs 45 soles for the train ride, Peruvians 10 soles and locals 2 soles! Aguas Calientes is real pretty...definitely your typical tourist town! Tonight we stay at a hostel with hot water and everything! Tomorrow...Machu Picchu!!!