Day 399 was particularly fascinating and unique. Today, our journey continued by train as we set out to explore the renowned Machu Picchu. This ancient city lay forgotten and abandoned for over 400 years until it was rediscovered by American explorer and Yale University professor Hiram Bingham on July 24, 1911, after pilots spotted Machu Picchu from their airplane.
We marveled at the craftsmanship of ancient Incan builders, visiting landmarks like the Temple of the Sun, El Torreon, terraces, the local market, and other structures. At an altitude of 2,450 meters, there was a museum. First, we climbed about 100 meters up a long, multi-tiered staircase. Then, we followed a predetermined route for two hours, descending through meticulously crafted replicas of ancient structures, which were cleverly integrated with the original ruins, making for an immersive and unmissable experience.
Throughout the day, we covered a total of 195 kilometers using various modes of transport.
We celebrated a small milestone: day 400 of our expedition. Until now, we have traveled approximately 80,000 kilometers by various means. We have around 15,000 kilometers ahead of us.
After the previous day’s long day, we allowed ourselves a late start. Today’s final destination was the small town of Abancay. We covered 208 kilometers.
Day 401 brought another mountain stage. We are traveling northwest and will spend the night in the town of Puquio at an altitude of 3,300 meters. There was a heavy rain last night, causing many landslides on the roads. Along the way, we passed through stunning gorges and saw fascinating rock formations resembling stone yurts. At a mountain pass of 4,700 meters, it seems that it had snowed overnight. We spent the last two hours driving through continuous fog on a serpentine road under the rain.
We marveled at the craftsmanship of ancient Incan builders, visiting landmarks like the Temple of the Sun, El Torreon, terraces, the local market, and other structures. At an altitude of 2,450 meters, there was a museum. First, we climbed about 100 meters up a long, multi-tiered staircase. Then, we followed a predetermined route for two hours, descending through meticulously crafted replicas of ancient structures, which were cleverly integrated with the original ruins, making for an immersive and unmissable experience.
Throughout the day, we covered a total of 195 kilometers using various modes of transport.
We celebrated a small milestone: day 400 of our expedition. Until now, we have traveled approximately 80,000 kilometers by various means. We have around 15,000 kilometers ahead of us.
After the previous day’s long day, we allowed ourselves a late start. Today’s final destination was the small town of Abancay. We covered 208 kilometers.
Day 401 brought another mountain stage. We are traveling northwest and will spend the night in the town of Puquio at an altitude of 3,300 meters. There was a heavy rain last night, causing many landslides on the roads. Along the way, we passed through stunning gorges and saw fascinating rock formations resembling stone yurts. At a mountain pass of 4,700 meters, it seems that it had snowed overnight. We spent the last two hours driving through continuous fog on a serpentine road under the rain.
