We have had enough of our hostel. Leaking roof, leaking sink flooding the bathroom, bits of roof falling on top of us, plus cold showers - yes, it´s ¨all part of the experience¨ but this is too much! We´re even looking forward to camping on the Inca Trail, it will be better than the Mirador Del Inca hostel...The Inca Trail is a 4-day, 3-night hike of 28 miles, through valleys and over mountains to the sacred Inca site of Macchu Picchu. the Inca empire is fascinating. lasting just 330 years from around 1200 to 1533 when the Spanish conquered them. They developed unique technologies in building and even astronomy, and gained all kinds of knowledge from co-operation with other countries. (To read more about the Inca´s, click here.)
This is the major reason we came to Peru so we´ve been looking forward to it since we left. We´d been told that the first day is ¨easy¨, the second day a ¨challenge¨, the third day hard but easier than the 2nd, and the 4th day would be an easy saunter down to see Macchu Picchu. We spent a lot of time preparing and ensuring we had all the right gear and back-up clothes and medication.They also warned us of the altitude - on the second day we would reach 4200m (13,000ft) above sea level. We´ve been struggling for breath at 3300m in Cuzco, so we´re prepared with a lot of water, snacks and altitude sickness tablets just in case.
Our day started with being picked up at 5:30am and we took the bus through the hills to
Ollantaytambo where we bought sticks from the locals to make walking easier. On to the start of the trek where we gave part of our stuff to the porters. These guys carry 3 x 6kg of tourists´ belongings plus around 5kg of their own stuff and as the tour unfolded we all became utterly amazed at the abilities of these porters, some of whom looked no heavier than 50kg. Carrying at least half their body weight, they run across the stones in flip flops - making a mockery of our boots and tiny backpacks holding a few bits and pieces. More on the porters later.We set off on the trail, stopping regularly to take in the scenery. It is true to call the first day ¨easy¨, because we walked on the flat or on gentle upward slopes. But what I realise is that the Inca Trail is not about the walk. Gradually, the 15 person geoup of tourists starts to interact and we learn that people came from New York, Chicago, Washington, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Belgium, England, Scotland and Brazil. This was anything from a 7-10 day trip to part of a larger world tour for different people. As we walked along at different paces, we got talking to different peopl
e and as the trek developed, we became a tight-knit group, supporting each other and enjoying the journey together.Our guide is Percy, a wiry, happy guy who gives us great explanations of the Inca sites and draws diagrams to explain with his stick into the gravel. He spent 6 years studying to be a tour guide (¨it normaly takes 5 years,¨ he said with a smile, ¨but sometimes the professors go on strike...¨) I said that it seemed a great job to do and he waved his arms in the direction of the fantastic valley around us at that moment and said ¨welcome to my office¨.
The countryside, very simply, is stunning. I have never been
anywhere like this. Huge, lush green mountains, rushing rivers and beautiful valleys with air that is so incredibly fresh (especially appreciated after the Cuzco smog!) The sheer size of some of the mountains is daunting, knowing that we will scale some of them. We catch a glimpse of a snow-capped mountain in the distance, but sadly these sights (which the Incas considered Gods) are rare nowadays, due to Global Warming. As the years go by, there is less and less of the sacred snow to be seen on the way to Macchu Picchu.The Inca Trail and Macchu Picchu are in protected land - you have to sign up for the tour months in advance as only 200 tourists per day are allowed on the trek to minimise erosion to the paths. We are priveleged to be able to do this.
Amazingly, the Peruvian crew of 22 porters and 1
chef rustle up Avocado salad,pasta soup and fish and vegetable for lunch. Unbelievable that they do this in the middle of nowhere.The trekking is indeed relatively easy but we prepare oursleves mentally for the second day. We sit together with the group, sharing travel stories and jokes, as the crew prepare our dinner.
