Inca Trail -> Machu Picchu

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Sunday afternoon I hopped on a bus from Cusco to Ollantaytambo, the last town before the beginning of the Inca Trail. I sat outside with some of the group to enjoy the scenary and soaring lush mountains from the valley below. Before we arrived, we got to the town we stopped at this little shanty that produced corn beer. I didn´t care for it much, but I am sure it is an acquired taste since I´ve never had anything like it. We also played this game known as Toad, in english of course, where the object was to throw these larger than coin like objects into the toads mouth or surrounding holes. Needless to say, the two top scores where by females. After we finished the beer and games, we headed into town. The town is very modern in ways since hundreds, possibly thousands, of tourist frequent the town daily. I picked up a couple supplies I would be needing for the next few days, a chocolate bar and special candies.
Day 1: We hit the trail at about 9.30 with insect repellant and sun screen freshly applied. Energy was high for what was in store over the next four days. The first day we walked about 12 km and saw one ruin known as upper town to modern man. Restoratoin was being down to some of the houses to make it look original. I also tried tuna which is a fruit produced by a type of cactus. It reminded me slightly of an aprocot but with small seeds. It was very tasty and a good way to support some locals. Overall, the hike for the day was mild. The nights rest was all but pleasant. Locals rent out their land for groups to camp there so they have animals...rosters and dogs. Apparently the rosters can´t tell time or even see when the sun is rising. The dogs were in heat so a lot of barking and noises of sort took place.
Day 2: Wake up tea at 6.30, get packed by 7 for breakfast and on the trail by 7.30. Day 2 is suppose to be the toughest day bc of the steep inclines and declines and Dead Women´s pass which gently rests at over 4200 meters. With this day having so much hype, I was mentally prepared for what was in store. Me and two other guys from the group went ahead of the rest of the group bc a steady pace is very important and when the group stops every so many times an hour, it wears more on the body than trucking along. We found it easy to pull in behind porters, locals who are hired to carry all the groups necessities (I like to refer to them as sherpas in thought of this being an Everest expedition), bc they knew the trail and a good pace to keep. Time for me to boast here :::cough::: being the only American in the group I found it necessary to represent the home country with due superiority. Just kidding, but I was the first one to reach the top of the pass and witness the stone steps coming up both side of the moutain, the vibrant green brush and the clouds rolling in out the valley below and on distant passes. Being toe to toe with the clouds is truely humbling and gives a sense of peace and relaxation. Doing physcially exerting activities really brings the best (and sometimes worst out in ppl) but I met some really incrediable ppl at the top of the pass. It is amazing how lives can cross for only a few minutes but both ppl walk away with a smile on their faces. The minor commonalities that tie us together.
I suppose the Inca Trail would not be complete with all the elements. As we started the decent to camp we were making good time and Nathan made a comment about how slippery and difficult the stones would be if they were wet. Mother Nature wanted to show us first hand and the clouds rolled in above us and began to pelt us with rain drops. We pulled out our ponchos (thanks Maria) and continued the rest of the way down. The stones were difficult put we made it without down without an ass bump. Later at camp, we heard it began to snow at the top of the pass, pffffffff for missing that. Once in camp we sat in the dinner tent and watched the rain pelt the valley outside until tea and then I took a nap til dinner.
Day 3: Walking on the stone path and steps, it gives one pleanty of time to think about life and various doodads of life. As Dan Millman said, ¨There are no ordinary moments¨ as well as something along the lines of always being in the present and not dwelling on the past or future. As I thought of this, bouncing from inca stone to inca stone in order to keep my footing and not twist my ankle for a gracious fall it occurred to me that one can think of the future while still being completely present and without dwelling upon it. Reason being is while I planned my next step, I was concious of the step my foot was about to make. I am not sure if that makes sense but in my convoluted little mind it makes complete sense. We must stay fully aware when we go beyond the now. Today we were at much lower elevation and we were beginning to get into the jungle, which brought about new eye candy. We made two mt passes and somewhere around a 600m decent to our last camp. There were two ruins along the way we learned about but I´m not particularly in the mood for giving the history lesson on them.
Day 4: THE BIG DAY: Machu Picchu. Rising at 3.30 to be at the control gate first which opened at 5.30 was all worth the grogginess. Once through the gate, we had what was estimated to be over an hour hike but with spirits high Nathan and I made it to the Sun Gate (a temple over looking the wonderous Machu Picchu) in half the time. The sun had not yet made its morning call over the towering surrounding mountains. We were the first ppl to witness M.P. without any tourist scurring around like ants on terraces. No words can descripe M.P´s brillance and no picture can truely capture it eventhough I tried many a times. Ha. From the Sun Gate, MP does not look very big but as we descended upon the masterpiece the size of it was absolutely enormous. To take it in one glance was not possible. To truely appreciate, I dunno if I ever can. It produced the awww factor the whole time my feet rested upon this creation. Nathan and I got passes to climb Waynapicchu, the mountain behind all the pictures you have ever seen of MP. This was a 300m incline. My body was so exhausted from the previous days that I had to overcome it with the mind to make it up there. AND boy was it worth. It was a birds eye view of MP. Looking over the cliffs to the river valley below was a lil sketchy but I had to do it to get the tingly feeling in the stomach and toes.
Taking the bus from MP to the town of Agua Caliente was the turning point of my physically wellbeing. Once in town at the restaruant where I met the rest of the group I had a juice and beer to celebrate. At which point I began to feel utterly exhausted, and it was so difficult for me to make it to the train station 15 minutes away. My feet no longer wanted to carry and my arm didn´t want to support the duffle bag. But I made it, and once sitting on the train I had the worst pains in my stomach. Nothing I did was comfortable...going the bathroom didn´t help if you know what I mean. I ended up sitting on the floor moving every few minutes to try and get comfortable. During this, all I asked myself was ¨what is the purpose of this?¨What I came up with was to be greatful for all the goodness life puts in our basket and to acknowledge it everyday and if appropiate share it with others with no attachments. Or maybe I did something to piss the Inca Gods off. Who knows, but after the 1.5 hr bus ride back to Cusco, I spent the next 17 hours in bed to let the body recover. Not like I could do much else since I had no energy.
But when I got up, I spent the final day in Cusco at two pubs with some members of the group. We played pool and darts and the others tilted a few back and as I tried, I could only get down a couple before my body gave me warning signs to stop. But the day and time spent together was great. A real bonding experience.
I have more pictures but this computer is extremely slow so when you´ll have to wait til I return home and put together a slide show with tunes.

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