Climbing Huayna Picchu

We were saturated with Inca history and had explored the ruins - now for something a smidgen more adventurous: Huayna Picchu (´young mountain´).

Only 400 people are allowed to climb Huayna Picchu each day. Huayna Picchu is the steep, signature mountain behind the ruins of Machu Picchu. After a slightly gruelling climb to the Inca bridge, we embarked on this precipitous climb in the searing heat.

As the path up the mountain became more precipitous, I clung to the iron rail and dared not look down at the deathly drop inches away from the rail. After much puffing and huffing and scrambling through a cave I finally reached the summit. An ancient Inca guard house, terraces and ruins clung to the mountain, it seemed like they would topple over any second.

The way down was precarious - it involved slowly manoevring down narrow Inca stone steps and clinging desperately to rails to avoid the 500m drop over the cliff.

Huayna Picchu really knows how to kick the guts out of you but for all you tramping folk, I would really recommend it :)

Now we are back safe and sound in Cuzco. Every time I walk down the street ladies jump out at me and yell, ´Senorita, massage? Massage?´

A few days ago we all piled into a taxi and were waiting at the traffic light. Suddenly a street kid jumps out onto the busy main drag and proceeds to display his cartwheeling skills. Cartwheel after cartwheel, he weaved in and out of the cars chugging by the traffic light. After a cartwheel he ran up to the window of our taxi and held out his hand. This was probably the only way this kid would get money to survive.

This afternoon I chanced upon an ex-pat British restaurant, which served all the familiar goodies like roast dinners and Worchestire sauce...Yum! NO more guinea pig burgers.

Brittany