We’re leaving on a jet plane…….

26/5/2006 

It all started at 5.30am on Monday morning! We arrived to catch the bus from Cusco to km82 and the start of the Inca trail! Our group consisted of 15 – four Brits (Chris and I included – the other two lads; Tom and James were from Harrogate of all places!), two Dutch – a mother and her 19 year old daughter, three Israelis – a couple and their son (who had just completed 4 years national service) and 4 New Yorkers (two boys and two girls aged 25). We were so lucky that our group all got on really well and were all up for a laugh which made the going alot easier.

Our guides were Isaac and Freddy. Isaac has plenty of personality. He is a quechan speaker (indigenous dialect) and is truly proud to be a desendant of the Incan people…….he had a very good grasp of English and occasionally threw in quips such as “rock and roll” and “hit the sack”…another favourite was “Gasolina” which we can only imagine was learnt from the good old Euro pop track!

Along with the guides our group had a total of 21 porters……or Rocky fighters as Isaac preferred to call them! The porters are amzing….they carry all the camping equipment and food on their back for the four days, most wear simply a pair of flip flops on their feet, putting us all to shame in our top of the range walking boots!

All but two (Chris and the Israli army officer) in our group hired an extra porter to carry their personal gear. Chris opted to carry our stuff which meant we had to pack light (by light- I mean really light!). In addition to our sleeping bags and sleeping mats we had one pair of trekking trousers a base layer, a fleece and a waterproof.. ….the days were really hot but the nights were freezing so this meant we pretty much wore the same clothes for four days and three nights….we stank by the end of the trail….but then so did everyone.

Day One – this consisted of about 14 – 16 km and was relatively easy in comparison to what was to come. whilst the trek was mainly uphill it was at a gentle incline. At one point we were walking between fields up a narrow lane when we had to stop to let a group of donkeys past…..then all of a sudden a bull came charging past! The scenery was out of this world ….surrounded by snow capped mountains everywhere….Hopefully the photos when posted will convey this better!

Day 2 – now day two was always posted as a challenge! The trek was about 12km uphill all the way. We were heading for Dead Womans pass which sits at a cool 4200m above sea level! (higher than everest base camp) The majority of the trek is up stone steps. Because of the altitude breathing is shallow and we found that we had to make frequent stops to get our breath back……it was simply a matter of focusing and trying to keep going. Chris and I found that we had to eventually focus on a point in the distance and make that our goal before we could stop again. A couple of people on the way were finding the going tough…..we saw one guide providing smelling salts. Our guides carried oxygen but fortunately no-one in our group needed any (although Chris found the local tradition of chewing coca leaves a suitable alternative!).

When we reached the top the view of the side we had come up was amazing but the other side was simply mist and clouds. By lunchtime we reached our lunch stop which was about an hour and a half down the other side of the mountain. Some groups stopped at this camp for the night but we decided to go on to the second pass….this meant day 3 would be considerably less walking.

Whilst at lunch the porters were staring at the mountainside …it transpired they were looking at two wild mountain bears!  We could just about make them out in the distance, thankfully andean bears are vegetarians so we could sleep safely! 

The second pass of the day was about 3,800m above sea level and by this time our legs were truly done in. Imagine being on a stairmaster for 7 hours! The last bit of the trek was though a cloud forrest and the change in scenery was breathtaking (what little we had by this point!)….We had to move quickly to get to camp before dark ….and the last people in the group had to use torches to find their way.

Day 2 saw us sleeping on a raised platform in marshland…..the frogs could be heard most of the night. It also was the coldest night ….I slept in everthing I took and was still freezing cold.

I guess if you are getting the whole story I should mention the toilets were pretty grim…….they stank so bad that the bushes were simply a better option. I found myself wretching on the few visits made to the toilet blocks.

Day 3 – The scenery on day three was amazing. We trekked up to a third pass and the down through tropical rainforest. The flora and fauna and views were incredible. It is approaching winter here so unfortunately I did not get to see any orchids. When I say winter we both had to wear SPF20 during the day.

The trek took us past a couple of Incan ruins and over wooden bridges and through tunnels in the mountainside. We reached camp early in the day so took the extra time to rest and enjoy a beer!

On the third night we each thanked each of the porters in turn….it was at this point (just before we were going to bed) that Chris saw the porters staring at something on the floor. That something transpired to be a scorpion!! (ok …it wasnt a big scorpion ….but it was still a bloody scorpion!!!). Chris and I checked opur tent thoroughly before going to sleep!

Day 4 – we were woken at 4am and left camp at 5am following a breakfast of pancakes. It was still dark so the first hour of the trek was by torch light. We were carefull to walk by the mountainside as it was a shear drop at the edge of the path which was extremley narrow in places.

At the start of the trek we were told that due to a landslide two months ago we would have to take a bus for the last part of the trek and would be unable to go through the sungate which is where you get the first glimse of Machu Picchu. Well the Incan gods were smiling upon us…..as half way through the trek the guide received news that the landslide had been fixed and we could arrive through the sungate…….Wow! It is truly everything that you can imagine it to be…..and all the more sweeter because we felt we had earned the right to be there after the trek.

We had a couple of hours in the magical machu piccu before the buses of (lazy!) tourists arrived and took the opportuinity to try and capture some of the beauty of the lost city. Our guide took us on a tour explaining the purpose of each building and the rituals of the Incans.

Following the tour we had a couple of hours free time during which Chris took the opportunity to climb one of the peaks above the city. My legs were way too tired and wobbly to attempt the peak so I opted to sit in the sun and enjoy the views.

Before returning to Cusco we visited the hot springs at Aqua Caliente (a local town)..the springs proved a welcome break for our achy muscles.

We arrived back at Cusco tired but extremely happy……treating ourselves to a bar of Milka Choclate for tea….a pretty perfect ending to a perfect trip!

Tags: Inca Trail, Macchu Pichu, Peru

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