After arriving in Cusco we did some research around in town to find a good company to do an alternative inka trek. We decided to go with InkaJungleTrail.com by Lorenzo Cahuana, recomended by the Lonely Planet. After a special discount (you get always a discount) we paid 175 US dollars including the train tickets and entrance to Machu Picchu. Good price? HELL NO! Good trek? Yes. Good guide? HELL NO! Recommandation? No, sorry.

So when we booked we paid 140 US dollars for the 3 day trek. We had to book our train tickets our self and the woman at the office recommanded us to take the train of 14:26 leaving from Agua Callientes. We would have enought time to explore Machu Picchu after the guided tour. So we booked it. The train ticket costs 34 US dollars (one way to Ollyantambo).

Day 1

Pickup from the office were we booked at 7.30. The pickup was late and after 10 minutes a guy picked us up and we walked to the van. Our group for the tour would be 7 people. Perfect, not too big! After everyone was in the car we drove about 20 minutes to the house of the owner, Lorenzo. In car we had a couple from San Fransisco - Scott and Rachel - a gay couple from Canada - John and John - a girl from the UK - Lydia - and Cameron and me. At Lorenzo`s the MTB`s for this first day were put on the car and we received our free t-shirt. We also got a short tour around the ´free´ hostel Lorenzo was building. Of course all with the purpose to get more customers :) But anyway, we left there around 8 am for a 3 hour drive to the start point of our MTB trek. Underway we stoped at a viewpoint and Johan - our guide and the son of Lorenzo - told us much about the area and the Inka culture.

The bike tour started at about 4300 m and slowly made our way to Santa Maria - 1400m - were we stayed the night at a nice and clean hostal. The bike tour is half on a paved road and half on gravel. The gravel part was the most fun, exept for the part were I fall down and hurt my knee.. ah well..

At this point I must make a comment: more than asking if I am still alive and for him more important ´is the bike still okay?´ we didn`t asked anything of not even looked at the injuries I had. I asked for some ice at the hostel and got an icecream to cool off the wounds. I think as a guide he should pay more attention to accidents like that.

After some beers at the hostel we all went to bed.

Day 2

We woke up early and had a breakfast with panecakes, yummie!! While other groups started walking until a point were it went up the hill.. we took a pickup and drove all the way :) Defenatly a plus point because you follow the road anyway, and it was boring anyway. At our dropoff we start hiking up the hill.

The hike we made today went from Santa Maria to Santa Teresa - where the hot springs are - a hike of about 7 hours. The first part went pretty steep uphill with a nice rest point were we could chill for half an hour. Some nice attractions were a cute monkey and a energydrink-drinking bever! The hike went also over an original inka trail which is more than 600 years old!

We arrived at Santa Teresa and stayed there in tents. We quickly dumped all our stuff and went on the the hotsprings located at the other camping about 5 minutes walking from our camping. That was a nice treat after a hard day walking :) We soaked for a couple of hours - together with 50 other people who either stayed at this camping which is much bigger than the one we are staying at, or moved on to Santa Teresa to stay in a hostel.

After diner we all sat down at the campfire that was put on for us and Johan gave us a briefing about the next day plus some choices.

1. wake up in the morning and start walking to Santa Teresa and than 3,5 along the road to the power/railway station, have lunch, and than walk another 3,5 hours along the railway until Agua Callientes. This is the original way.

2. wake up in the morning and take a minibus to the power/railway station - about 1 hour - than walk 3,5 hours along the railway until Agua Callientes and there climb the Putucusi mountain to have an nice view over Machu Picchu. But this option would costs us 20 SOL extra per person.

Lazy as we are, we choose the second option :)

Day 3

We wanted to have our breakfast early at 7 o´clock.. we all got up early and were ready for it but our guide was terrible late so breakfast was at least an hour later. So our pickup had to wait for an hour which pissed him off as well. Around 9 we finally got started and it took about an hour to get to the power/railway station. From there we walked 3 hours to get to Aguas Callientes. During this `easy` hike we were again much faster than our guide. Somehow I got the idea he wasn`t really fit for the jop or is just being very lazy.

After a quick lunch we all started the hard trek up the Putucusi mountain without our guide who only pointed our the way to the start. This trail had about 6 stair latters which the longest one 20 meters. Now that was really fun, going up without any security :) After 45 minutes I reached the top and WAUW what an amazing view from here! All the hard work getting up here was defenetly worth doing! From here you had an perfect view over Machu Picchu and all the surrounding mountains. All of us took time to make enought photo`s before we started to head down again.

Down in the city it was time to relax! I was really tired after this hike and somehow didn´t feel very well..

Day 4

Yes Machu Picchu day! About 3 alarms went off at half past three in the morning :S and at 4 we started walking. First half an hour on a road, than 1 hour up and old Inka trail uptill the entrance. Once up there we weren`t the first people but had defenetly good placed on the stairs in front of the entrance. At 6 the gate opend and we squized in. After we got in we run to the other side of the Machu Picchu complex to get our tickets for the Wayna Picchu. Only 400 people per day are allowed to go this mountain to get another great photos of Machu Picchu.

So here we are, in Machu Picchu at 6 in the morning.. wauw! Being here is really amazing! Unfortunalty.. I didn`t feel very good, I was getting sick somehow :( Anyway, our group were joined with another group to follow a guide how gave us a short - 2 hour - tour around Machu Picchu. We got some great info again but I couldn`t really pay much attention because I was more focused on staying awake. After the tour we took a small break, getting some reast on one of the terraces. At 10 we were allowed to enter Wayna Picchu and we started the hard trek up the hill which took about an hour. But again, from up there the views were really amazing!

The rest of the day I spend walking through Machu Picchu or sleeping. More sleeping than walking excualy. But nevertheless I enjoyed it very much being at Machu Picchu.

Luckelz for me and Cameron, we changed our train tickets the day before! Instead of leaving at 14:26, we changed them into 9:26.. the next day! So we could spent the hole day at Machu Picchu :)

So it was an amazing experience this hole Machu Picchu trek and defenatly worth doing it!! But not with this company.

Thanks Rachel, Scott, John, John, Lydia and Cameron for this wonderfull trek, I am happy we had such a great group!

More photo`s here.