The coach collected all the hikers and then drove us out of Cusco for around 3 hours.

I realised that I had lost my hat somewhere along the way but fortunately the sale of hats seems to be a major business activity in Peru and I was able to pick up a new one at a brief rest stop. 

We stopped around 7:15 for a buffet breakfast. Then continued on our way.

A further short drive brought us to Piscacucho (about 2,700 metres above sea level) also known as "km 82" - the starting point for the Inca Trail - where we lined up at the "Visitor Centre" for passport control before we could embark on the trek. 

Around 9:00 am we started the trek proper.

We took occasional rest stops -an early one was opposite the Incan Canabamba ruins.

Cacti are common along the trail, some in flower. 

As in Nepal, the locals use donkeys or mules for transport of goods and we occasionally encountered them on the trail.

The weather was changeable, mostly dry but often overcast. A couple of brief rain showers had us reaching for our waterproof layers.

The scenery was often spectacular.

The main challenge was the altitude - going uphill in particular left us all short of breath. 

Because of the initial coach journey from Cusco this was the shortest day of actual walking on the trail. By the end of it I felt that I could walk further (as I would need to) but only with additional rest breaks.

Whereas in Nepal I stayed in teahouses, on the Inca Trail is a camping hike. We camped for the night at Ayapata (altitude around 3,300 metres above sea level), getting there at around 16:45.

Dinner was a buffet meal - the food was very good with a wide range of options.

We found we had lost any data connection along the way so were completely cut off from the outside world.