Stories of peru- A new look at Machu Picchu

Stories from my trip to Peru filming Las Trabajadoras del Hogar with Annalisa Iadicicco (AI+MK) in conjunction with Artefacting

One of the the few days of "vacation" we had on our trip was when we climbed Machu Picchu. The Four day, three night hike was barley a vacation and certainly not restful. I was confronted with some of the most rigorous hiking I had done in years, and although I am quite active physically, the high altitude took its toll and slowed me down considerably. We had chosen to carry our own packs, either to prove a point or out of pride (I'm not quite sure which one) the 30 pounds packs ended up being a major challenge. 

With packs, or without, we could not keep up with the local porters that carried 60 pounds of weight on their backs. They left camp after us as they had to break down, and arrived to the next one before us to set up and have food ready. Usually on old tire rubber sandals, with ropes and cavass draped around their backs they chewed on coca leaves and laughed at our fancy hiking books and comfortable packs as they sped by us us keeled over gasping for air. A humbling moment to say the least.

I saw some of the most beautiful vistas I have seen, we hiked past ruins and villages, saw extravagant flora and lush fauna. We hiked through the heat and the rain, and froze at night. But we had an incredible time and I definitely recommend the boys at Chaska Tours. We enjoyed great company, great meals, a very small group (4 people) and an eco friendly approach.

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