The Cloud Forest

Between the high Andes and the jungle lies the cloud forest, an area rich in tropical vegetation that covers the mountains. Days 3 and 4 of the Salkantay Trek took us into this beautiful ecosystem, as we got closer to Machu Picchu.

It was fascinating seeing the avocados, passion fruit and orchids growing, and, as the temperature rose to a pleasant level, I enjoyed a refreshing mango juice in a tiny agricultural village.

We also saw coffee beans growing and stopped at a small farmstead, where we roasted and ground beans before tasting our own rich, freshly-made drink.

The accommodation on day 3 was amazing again: en suite domes in the cloud forest, from which I saw a red and blue macaw (I think) fly past soon after settling in!

There were colourful butterflies throughout this trek, and we saw a few more tropical birds: noisy flocks of parakeets (rather like London!) and others I couldn’t name. This is one of the few I managed to photograph:

Day 3 was a shorter walk of 16km, with the biggest challenge for me being the steep drops on the side of the narrow path. One of the guides, whom we called Puma, was very kind in escorting me through and trying to distract me from my fears!

Day 4 was a longer hike of 25km, which started with a 700m ascent just after dawn. In lower altitude, this was much more manageable than earlier climbs, and the conditions were perfect: dry and with the sun not coming out until we reached the top. During the first section, we joined the original Inca Trail and were treated to our first sight of Machu Picchu. It was so beautiful, had followed so many challenges and had been something I’d dreamed of seeing for so long, that I felt quite emotional as it appeared majestically amidst the green mountains – a definite “thank you, God” moment.

Near this viewpoint we also saw the Inca remains of Llactapata, with their own irrigation system for glacial meltwater and doorframes tilted at 14 degrees to give stability during earthquakes: all most impressive!

The remainder of the walk was hugely enjoyable: navigating our way down through the cloud forest, with the sun breaking through and spectacular views of Machu Picchu, the mountains or waterfalls at each clearing. Here are a couple of them:

The last section on day 4 took us across the river then along the railway track to the town of Aguas Calientes, hidden deep in the landscape below Machu Picchu.

The whole day had made me think of “Paddington in Peru”, so in the town it was heartening to come across a familiar spectacled bear, donated in January by the UK government, before our restorative evening meal and night in a hotel.