The Inca Trail to Machu Pichu

My sister and I decided to do the 4 day trek to Machu Pichu hiking along the Inca trail which is over 500 years old. Since the Peruvian government only allows 500 people on the trail per day, we booked well ahead. While the ancient Inca city of Machu Pichu deserves its new seven wonder status, the road to Machu Pichu is equally amazing. We hiked about 28 miles over 4 days in extremely high altitudes and mostly uphill or downhill the entire way. It was a challenge for everyone in our group despite the fact that we had a group full of people in generally good shape. For me, altitude was the biggest challenge, and on day 2, I battled some altitude sickness. Despite this minor annoyance, the trek to Machu Pichu was the most beautiful and most amazing hike of my trip yet.

The first two days were full of mountain views, while on the third day, we literally hiked through a rainforest. On day 2, I also stood atop a mountain at 14,000 feet...1,000 feet higher than my skydive! Just amazing to think about. Along the way, we camped out under some amazing stars and were fed very well by our tour group, SAS. Day 4, however, was the most amazing. We started the hike at 4 a..m (the inca trail is not for early risers) and watched the sun rise over the Andes on our way to Machu Pichu. Then, in the distance, we could see the ancient city after 4 days of intense hiking. We were so lucky because the skies cleared for us and the views were just unbelievable.

If that was not enough, I then climbed Mount Waynapichu for some more incredible views and I literally sat under the clouds on the summit of the mountain. I highly recommend the trek if you are lucky enough to get the opportunity. I am off now to meet up with the soon to be "top docs" or the group of medical students who we shared the trail with. More from Valparaiso, Chile which is the next stop on my world tour...