lunes, 11 de febrero de 2008

MACHU PICCHU, THE INKA TRAIL 4 D / 3 N





Introduction
The Inca Trail has been famous all over the world for many years. The reasons are many: The fantastic nature with valleys, snowcapped mountains and great variety of plants, birds and animals. The amazing trail itself, with its stairs and tunnels, which is part of a network of 30.000 km. of trails, going from Mendoza in Argentina to the border between Ecuador and Colombia. Finally, of course, for the archaeological sites along the trail that reveals the great knowledge and organizational skills of the Incas, with the impressive Machu Picchu as a more than worthy final.
Amari Tours is an agency with a lot of pride in its work. We are a Peruvian/Danish coalition that try to take the best from two different worlds of doing business and combine it in a new and better concept. By going with our agency you support a way of operating the Inca Trail that secures the right and fair treatment of the porters as well as the rest of the crew. Also we are very concerned about the environment, and therefore train all employees incl. the porters in healthy environmental behavior and hygiene in general. With years of experience doing trekking in the Andean highlands, we also promise a good and professional service with room for everybody.
Welcome on our tour!
Expedition Program
1st Day
We leave Cusco about 4am to go to Ollantaytambo and from there to Km 82. At Km. 82 you can buy things that you may have forgotten such as walking cane, water and rainponchos as well as use the last real washroom for a while. We start walking from Km. 82 to Huallabamba; a quite flat and beautiful walk along the Urubamba River with a view of Mt. Veronica’s snowcapped peak in 5750 masl. Here we pass a few local villages, where people still build their houses with the traditional ichugrassroofs. Here we can see the famous tuna-cactus, some with the cuchinilla louse, famous for its amazingly powerful clothes-dye. We spend a little while resting at the hill with a view over Llactapata – an important agricultural place for the Incas. After Llactapata, we turn away from the river going up the valley along the Kusichaca River. Here we have a good chance to see hummingbirds around in the flowerbushes. We arrive to the village of Huayllabamba in the afternoon and continue upwards to our camp a little further in direction of Warmi Wañusca – known in English as Dead Woman´s Pass. From the camp we have a beautiful view of the valley and the surrounding mountains.
2nd Day
We get up early in order to start the steep tour uphill to the first pass, Warmi Wañusca, in 4200 m.a.s.l. We pass though the amazing forest covered with green and grey mosses. All through here we walk on high steps. After this, we come to the open area of the puna. Here we might see some llamas grassing just below the pass. Arriving to the pass, we all take a well deserved break and enjoy the view on both sides before we start the downhill climbing of the stairs on the other side. After some 1-2 hours walking we touch the valley floor at Paqaymayu, where there are washrooms available. Then we continue towards Runkurakay - another Inca ruin - and from here we walk on 100% genuine Inca trails. We head out towards the second pass in 3900 masl. At this place, on sunny days, we have a breathtaking view of the Vilcabamba Mountains, to where the Incas retreated after fighting the Spaniards. From here we walk the beautiful way down to the big ruin of Sayaqmarka. After a good explanation of the site, we continue through a small cloud forest towards our camp.
3rd Day
In good weather we wake up to a breathtaking view of the Vilcabamba Mountains. After breakfast we continue towards the third pass. This part of the way is very beautiful with cloud forest, orchids, ferns and a colorful birdlife. At this point the Inca Trail is quite extraordinary with semi-carved tunnels and perfectly placed stones. We lunch at the third pass near Phuyupatamarca before we start the long descent to Wiñay Wayna, the place of our last campnight. Those who have more energy can take a longer descent to see the site of Intipata and we all go in the late afternoon to visit the extraordinarily well made site just behind the camp.
4th Day
Very early we leave camp to reach Inti Punku in time for sunrise. From here we get the first glance of Machu Picchu between the mountains on its saddle high over the Urubamba River. We all meet at Machu Picchu at a decided hour to make the tour of Machu Picchu. We will learn about the importance – religiously and historically – of the place, and we will be able to appreciate the fine architecture of the Incas. After the guided tour you can go to the top of Wayna Picchu, from where one has a good overview of the whole area and the full site of Machu Picchu. Another possibility is to visit the beautiful temple of the moon. In the afternoon we meet in Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Cusco.
For more info, tours and prices, please have a look on our website: http://www.amarakaeriecolodge.com/

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