Machu Picchu Travel Vlog Hiking the Inca Trail for a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

Bom Oliver

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Transcript

00:00Do you guys have trouble getting here with the roads and everything?

00:04Our time in Peru was made extra interesting by coinciding with some of the largest economic

00:09strikes Peru had seen in many years. The strike forced major roads and highways to be shut down

00:13and just earlier this morning we had to hike seven miles from the Star Lodge to the Tambo del Inca

00:18in Urubamba where we were supposed to spend the night. However, due to the planned continuance

00:23of the strike we were picked up at night and shall we say smuggled to the camp. It's now 1130

00:28and all the roads are blocked. After like seven hours we finally made it and now we're walking

00:36to the campsite. However, all the trouble was well worth it for one of the most beautiful

00:40treks in the world and while this journey was a roller coaster of emotion this story has a very

00:45happy. I'm so happy.

00:53Things are a little hectic this morning. It's an interesting campsite situation.

00:57It's our view from camp. It's beautiful out here trying to remain calm. We got an early morning

01:04wake-up call at 4 35. 5 a.m. I don't really know what we're doing. I think we're beating a big crowd.

01:13We're headed to start hiking and then we're going to have breakfast and look at the view we have.

01:17You see the bridge down there? It is close.

01:20Because it is straight? It's strange.

01:23As the bridge at the iconic kilometer 82 was closed we took the scenic route to the Inca trail

01:28along the Urubamba river and even walked on the train tracks which were vacant due to the protests.

01:32Is that the Inca trail right there? No. Keep going this way.

01:36This alternate route added about three miles to our day one track but we were assured by our guide that once

01:41we crossed the river there would be no more trouble from the protest and thankfully he was right.

01:49Taking a quick cat nap while we're waiting on breakfast.

01:52The porters ran ahead to set everything up which is pretty crazy.

01:55We're like six to seven kilometers in. I think we have like 14 today.

01:58We need to wash our hands.

02:00Chocolates. We have orange juice.

02:02A little avocado man.

02:04Yeah.

02:06How you feeling?

02:07I am feeling incredibly proud. The guide said that we have

02:10great pace and called me quote Speedy Gonzales so

02:15I don't think that's going to translate in tomorrow when we have to go over dead woman's pass but right now

02:21I'm feeling great especially considering at 3.5 hours of sleep.

02:24We made it to lunch.

02:26We have this big wide open kind of green space that we get to hang out at.

02:30Nap time.

02:32Just drinking a little bit but I don't mind.

02:35Day cheers.

02:36We have no idea what this is but it's delicious.

02:44Rainbow trout.

02:45That's a nice deal right there.

02:47Avocado and veggies and rice.

02:49I can't believe this corn with the cheese.

02:51That drizzle around lunchtime quickly turned into an afternoon shower so we had to gear up

02:56in our ponchos and rain gear.

02:58And we all had the rain jackets, rain pants, and this poncho on and we were like

03:03felt like we were in a sauna for about 30 minutes so we're trying to undress a little bit now.

03:07Felt like a baked potato wrapped in foil.

03:09Just made it to our campsite.

03:10We started today at about 8,900 feet above sea level so we hiked for about six hours or so.

03:16And then we made it to Ayia Patsa.

03:17I probably screwed that up which is about 10,900 feet above sea level so this is where we'll be

03:22camping tonight.

03:23Overall the day was not too crazily hard.

03:26It was challenging towards the end.

03:27There was definitely some climbs but it was really just a day to get acclimated.

03:31We're about to go get some tea and some snacks and dinner and then we're going to call

03:35it an evening for the night and try and rest up before the big hike tomorrow.

03:38It's crock o'clock baby.

03:40Time to put them in sport mode.

03:41How does that feel?

03:45Feels great.

03:46So breathable.

03:50Feels pretty good.

03:52It looks warm too.

03:54I can see the steam coming off it.

03:56One thing I do wish that we brought of our own was a towel.

03:59They give us these towels and they told us that it was small and that you should bring your own

04:02but we didn't listen.

04:03Welcome to my crib.

04:05We have an inflatable mattress pad and a foam pad.

04:11Included with your expedition you get a sleeping bag and here's a liner which is deep down in

04:17here as well.

04:17It's bright green which is the color of alpaca expeditions.

04:21You also get a pillow and then all of your personal stuff that you keep at camp goes in

04:24this green duffel bag down here.

04:27So you just put everything in there but this and the sleeping pad and your tent and your trekking poles

04:34which I don't have.

04:34You can get all that from the expedition company which makes it really easy so you really just need

04:37yourself in your gear.

04:39This is our toilet tent.

04:43Just a second, some toilet paper and a compost toilet.

04:48It's not much but it sure as hell beats having to go in the wilderness

04:52or share with random strangers because some of these bathrooms out here have been gnarly.

05:00Time to take a dump.

05:02Snack time.

05:05Each evening we would have snacky hour with bites and tea while chef cooked dinner.

05:09We were always blown away by how much food came out from the other side of that dining tent.

05:17Vegetable soup.

05:20We got pasta, cauliflower, quiche, chicken stew, yucca and a whole bunch of veggies.

05:28We have a wake up call tomorrow morning at I believe it's 4 45 and we leave here at 6am to start hiking.

05:35I'm going to follow their advice and put my clothes in the bottom of my sleeping bag so that they

05:42are nice and toasty warm when I put them on in the morning.

05:44All right we each got some earplugs in.

05:48We're going to go to sleep and start the hardest day of the track tomorrow.

05:52See you tomorrow.

05:53Good night.

05:57We were woken up each morning by the porters with a steaming hot cup of coca tea which has

06:02caffeine and is said to help with altitude sickness.

06:05We would then get ready for the day and meet in the breakfast tent.

06:09So the green tent here is where we eat our meals so we every day we get breakfast lunch and dinner.

06:16They cook in this tent we also eat in this tent so we eat breakfast

06:19here every morning and then we start our hike and then they take the tent to where we stop for

06:24lunch and we eat there and then they take it to our next campsite and we eat there.

06:27I do taste that sugar.

06:29This morning we could tell they were fueling us up for the big climb with

06:32all the carbs and sugar on the table.

06:35I like just flop it on top of my pancake.

06:38Day two of the hike starts with about four hours of straight uphill and the peak we get to is about

06:4313,800 feet above sea level so I guess I'm reclining for the next four hours but

06:48right now I'm in like a kind of like jungly area.

06:52Today is a lot of steps not only is it uphill they're like steps inca steps so

06:57kind of just feels a little bit different you know it works the calves more.

07:07I'm already sweating so bad I gotta take off this jacket.

07:09Taking a little snack break.

07:11They gave us these oranges before we left so

07:14we'll take the sugar as we get ready to summit to dead woman's pass.

07:20Two hours away.

07:22Hopefully.

07:23How are you feeling?

07:23I'm feeling great.

07:25I'm feeling really good.

07:27Keep sunscreen all over your face.

07:29Oh my gosh.

07:30I think you need to keep rubbing it in.

07:32Or like your mustache.

07:34It seems long overdue in this vlog that we introduced the rest of our crew.

07:38My aunt and uncle joined us on the hike and our fearless leader Javier was our tour guide from

07:42Alpaca Expeditions. We also had with us 10 porters that took amazing care of us. While we were exhausting

07:48all of our energy just walking these guys ran circles around us literally while carrying 50 pound

07:52packs. We also almost added this cow and her calf to our team but they weren't interested in joining

07:59us for the most grueling part of the hike. We are officially halfway to dead woman's pass. We've been

08:04hiking for just under two hours so I think it's going to take us four hours total so we have to

08:09go up and then two hours down and then we get to eat lunch but these stairs are no joke.

08:15Onward and upward.

08:17He's not even out of breath. Good God.

08:19Oh, so many stairs.

08:24Our tour guide gave us some mystery liquid which I equate basically to a smelling salt

08:28that let us power up the mountain.

08:30This is like, uh, ever clear.

08:39Three times, three times, very deeply.

08:45Just a few more steps.

08:54Dead Woman Pass is right there.

08:57Should be like two minutes.

08:59You made it to Dead Woman's Pass.

09:03How do you feel?

09:04I feel my heart beating in my head.

09:05Hey, well done.

09:09We made it to Dead Woman's Pass, the highest point on the Ica Trail.

09:12All right, two hours down until we can get some lunch.

09:21We're out down from Dead Woman's Pass.

09:24Those green tents back there is where we're eating lunch.

09:27We are on the downhill section and we should be there in about 20 minutes so

09:30vamanos.

09:31My knees are starting to hurt.

09:33It's just, it's a more intense downhill than it looks on these stairs but

09:41morale is high because food's on the horizon.

09:45The porter just met us at one of the forks in the road and

09:49showing us the way to lunch and I can smell it from here.

09:52It smells so good.

09:54I am so hungry.

09:54I've ate more today probably than I have in the past three days combined but

09:59still starving and so excited to see what they have cooked up for us

10:02because everything has been delicious.

10:08Some flour mixed with some vegetables.

10:10Tortilla.

10:11Tortilla.

10:12Tortilla.

10:14Tortilla.

10:15Tortilla.

10:16Tortilla.

10:17Tortilla.

10:18Tortilla.

10:19Tortilla.

10:20Tortilla.

10:21Tortilla.

10:22Tortilla.

10:23Tortilla.

10:24Tortilla.

10:25Tortilla.

10:26We just finished lunch and took a siesta.

10:29I didn't think I'd be able to fall asleep but I was out and Garrett tells me I was snoring

10:33but I don't fully believe him.

10:36So we're going to use the toilets here one more time before we start off with the rest of

10:41our day.

10:42We have two hours uphill and then two hours downhill.

10:45It's about 1 30 right now so we're hoping to be done with all of our hiking by 5 30 so that

10:51we can eat and get another good night of sleep.

10:57And they said the Inca Trail is a lot of stairs.

11:01They weren't lying.

11:03I'm pretty sure we're only 15 minutes into this two hour uphill after lunch but

11:08the view is incredible for reference.

11:12That is where we came through Dead Woman's Pass.

11:15We came all the way down that trail.

11:17There's where we ate lunch.

11:19Now we're all the way back up here.

11:21And turns out even the Incas needed a resting point.

11:24Because we have to go

11:27up these.

11:29Doesn't look that steep in the video but they're very steep.

11:31These stairs are no joke.

11:32They're like half of them come up to like mid-shin.

11:37So.

11:38Working those glutes.

11:40Alright.

11:42This part's pretty gnarly looking.

11:44We've made it to our first archaeological site of the day.

11:48Mkake? Mkake?

11:50I don't know.

11:51I'm sure Javier will tell me how to say that properly.

11:54Alright, 45 more minutes up.

11:57Then we get to start the town hill.

11:59Shimmy through there, huh?

12:04That's awesome.

12:07Still climbing.

12:12Summit number two for day two.

12:17We definitely had a breath.

12:19We made it.

12:20Happy to see some flat ground.

12:24Gonna take in what they have to offer up here.

12:26And then head down.

12:27The weather changes pretty drastically.

12:29It'll be really hot one second.

12:30And then next thing you know it'll be like freezing cold.

12:33So I had to just add gloves and a thermal underneath this jacket.

12:37And yesterday I was hiking in short sleeves.

12:41Back and forth.

12:42Back and forth.

12:44These are some pretty big steps.

12:46Some of them come up to my knee.

12:55Site six.

12:56We made it.

12:58How are your knees feeling Garrett?

13:01My knees hurt.

13:02I have a sore throat but.

13:04Optimism is high.

13:05I think I have a sore throat from like breathing through my mouth so much.

13:08So happy to be here.

13:11See those green tents.

13:13Successful day.

13:15Staying on pace.

13:16Now we're oh.

13:18I can't.

13:21Made it back to camp.

13:22Just in time to avoid the rain.

13:26I'm gonna wash my face.

13:27Bucket of hot water never sounded so good.

13:31Happy hour consists of tea.

13:32Snacks such as this donut kind of fried thing with banana and chocolate in it.

13:36As well as some popcorn.

13:38So we're gonna have this.

13:39Have dinner.

13:39And then get a good night's sleep before we have our day three of hiking tomorrow.

13:44Cauliflower, cheese, stuffed peppers, fried chicken and rice.

13:50Good night from our tent.

13:52We just finished dinner.

13:53We are exhausted.

13:54We both have pounding headaches or at least I do.

13:58Just took some medicine.

13:58I'm gonna try and get some sleep and hopefully we feel better tomorrow.

14:01Tomorrow is an easy day.

14:02I think we're only hiking for like five hours.

14:04Um, so it shouldn't be too bad.

14:06And then we camp one more night before Macha Picchu.

14:09All right, get some sleep.

14:12Good morning from day, what is it?

14:15Three?

14:15Three.

14:15Day three on the trail.

14:17I look like I'm hung over.

14:19Got really baggy eyes.

14:21I slept pretty good.

14:23Feeling pretty sore from day two.

14:24Oh, my legs are stuck.

14:27Can't have some great bed.

14:32I've slept here for three days.

14:34Haven't showered with this beautiful lady.

14:37Supposedly we have an easy day.

14:38It's like five days.

14:40Five days, I hope not.

14:41Five hours of hiking.

14:43An hour and a half of it is supposed to be kind of easy.

14:46And then three and a half or so hours of it is supposed to be straight downhill.

14:49So theoretically we should be down around noon to 1230 today.

14:53And then we get to kind of just hang out at the campsite and enjoy some ancient ink of ruins.

15:00Oh, thank you.

15:02Good morning routine.

15:03I don't know what looks.

15:14Yeah, we got bagels.

15:16I have no clue what that is and no clue what that is.

15:21Or that mystery liquid.

15:23Looks good.

15:25All that rain last night gave us a beautiful waterfall to look at today.

15:32I hope I look more athletic than I feel.

15:36No, you don't.

15:41On this day, we took it slow and really enjoyed the scenery,

15:44including all of the incredible plants along the trail.

15:46Thanks to this, the jungle.

15:48Whoa, it's thick.

15:49Thanks to this, the jungle always green.

15:53And while there was some uphill, it was mostly an enjoyable walk.

15:56We just took a quick break, had some bars to fuel up.

16:02Now we have three hours down to our campsite where lunch is.

16:05Did a whole lot of stuff to prepare for the up.

16:15Really should have done more to prepare for the down.

16:18This is why my legs are so sore today.

16:21We made it to camp.

16:27With a very beautiful view.

16:29Lunch time.

16:32What do you hope we get?

16:35I'll pick anything.

16:40The guacamole has alpaca chips.

16:42Fall off your rocker there.

16:44The weather was perfect and we enjoyed what was probably our favorite meal of the trip outside.

16:50After lunch, we had a short walk over to Wainawaina, which is an archaeological site that's kind of like a mini Machu Picchu, but way less crowded.

16:58So it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves to explore.

17:02Ancient Incan water fountain.

17:04Each one flowing into the next one.

17:14We were able to take in golden hour here with some incredible views before heading back to camp for our last night on the trail.

17:24Carrots taking a siesta.

17:28Dinner's almost ready though.

17:31Pasta.

17:32Second case.

17:33That looks really good.

17:34Potatoes.

17:36Purple.

17:36Potatoes, carrot, beans, and beef.

17:40Chicken with some basilis.

17:42Oh wow.

17:43Thank you, gracias.

17:47Sometimes we don't know if the group might eat somebody.

17:50Okay.

17:54All right, good night from our tent from day three.

17:56We have an early wake-up call tomorrow morning at about 3 20 a.m.

18:00Today I think was definitely the most fun day.

18:02Lots of ruins.

18:03The downhill is pretty brutal on our beat up legs, but it was a really good day.

18:08We had some really good food, saw some really cool ancient Incan ruins, and now we're ready to sleep for an early wake-up.

18:15It's 3 a.m.

18:18We're supposed to be leaving, and it is pouring down rain, thunder, and lightning, so give Pachimama a pour.

18:26Please Pachimama, let this rain end.

18:30I'm saying like coffee.

18:32Well, you're supposed to give for your favorite thing, and coffee is definitely one of my favorite things, so.

18:39All right, it's 4 a.m.

18:42We're setting off in the rain.

18:45Headed to Machu Picchu.

18:46Vamos.

18:47We are at the last mission control place.

18:50They open at 5 30, so we are under this nice covered roof, and it's pouring rain,

18:55and at 5 30 they should let us through, and then we have like an hour and 10 minute hike to the

18:59sun gate where we get the first view of Machu Picchu, and then it's like another hour after that,

19:02and then we'll actually be at Machu Picchu, so.

19:04Yep.

19:05If all goes well, we should be there about 7 30-ish.

19:09We woke up extra early so we could be under this roof instead of out there in the rain.

19:14All right, it's 5 23.

19:19Gates are about to open, so we can start a two and a half hour trek up to the sun gate.

19:25Still pretty heavy cloud cover.

19:27We used to be able to see a ton of mountains over there, and now you see fog, so.

19:32We took a chance by coming in the rainy season, really hoping that it pays off for us, and

19:39these clouds lift and we get a good clear view of Machu Picchu, so.

19:42We're staying optimistic, staying hopeful, and getting ready to go hike.

19:53What do you dream last night? Good weather or bad weather?

19:56Good weather.

19:59I'm still hopeful.

20:00Come on Pachimama.

20:02We call these stairs the Gungo Killer.

20:09Good to making it look easy.

20:11We will likely not make it look that easy.

20:16So it is very foggy, still raining.

20:18We're probably about an hour away from Machu Picchu.

20:22Lauren is feeling very sad, trying to keep her spirits high.

20:26She was really hoping to get a good view of Machu Picchu.

20:28But, you know, trying to remain thankful.

20:31We had a lot of good weather in the first three days, and we did come in the rainy season,

20:36and it hadn't rained that much.

20:38So, you know, all in all, we're still here, and gonna see what I can do to cheer Lauren up.

20:46All right, we hiked up to the sun gate completely in the rain, but we just got up here.

20:50The rain has stopped.

20:52Clouds look like they're lifting, so we're getting really hopeful.

20:55We're gonna hang out here, maybe eat those chips ahoy they gave us this morning in our snack packs,

21:00and hopefully, hopefully watch the fog lift, but spirits are getting higher.

21:07Machu Picchu looks sunny, and we're almost there.

21:11Just gotta get there while it stays that way.

21:15Nope. We're requesting good earth and giving an offering of

21:19coca candy because we don't have any coca leaves.

21:24We finished the trail.

21:25We made it!

21:27Four days, three sleepless nights, no food, no water, no shoes.

21:33Except for we had everything.

21:35We had the best meals.

21:37It was easy, but it was hard.

21:39Hike was hard, but man, was it worth it.

21:43I'm so happy.

21:46Is this number?

21:46I made it. The sun is shining.

21:48Seven wonders of the world are done.

21:51New seven wonders.

21:52I'm happy. I forgot my sunglasses, so I'm squinty, but I'm really happy.

21:56Aren't you glad that we did the hike and it's so much more enjoyable after hiking for like 30 miles than it is just riding a bus here?

22:02Yes, but I wish that I was showered for my photos because I feel very gross.

22:08Checked our bags and spent about an hour and a half exploring Machu Picchu and taking in all its wonder.

22:13This was an extra special trip for me because it was my seventh of the new seven wonders.

22:17A goal I had been chasing after since May of 2018, made it even more special by sharing it with family.

22:23Doing one final look.

22:25On the bus back down to Aguascalientes.

22:27We're going to have lunch, explore the town, and then we're going to take a train somewhere,

22:32and then a bus somewhere, and then we're back in Cusco.

22:34There's Bambi.

22:37God, this turn. Oh no.

22:38Thank you so much.

22:58Thank you so much for everything.

23:00Time to board the Vista Dome train.

23:03Trains Peru Rail Vista Dome and Peru Rail Expedition 74 with final destination Ollantaytambo Station.

23:13We treated ourselves to a luxury ride back on the Vista Dome train,

23:16and these panoramic views were the perfect end to our adventures in Peru.

23:20Hey, this is Uncle Chick from Cusco, Peru, and we're culminating our trip here with Lauren and Garrett

23:27after our summit on the Inca Trail and having a lot of fun in Machu Picchu,

23:31and it was Lauren's seventh wonder of the world.

23:34That's super fantastic.

23:36Safe travels home, Lauren and Garrett.

23:38We'll see you over Christmas.

23:40Yeah.

23:40God bless.

23:41Bye.

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