Peru Trip

November 5 - 7, 2009 - The Inca Trail

Day 1

I´m sitting here in my tent watching 4 of the porters that had just scaled a mountain begin the process of sowing a new crop for a local farmer in a little village situated along the Inca Trail.

Full of excitement, I woke up at 5:30am ready to begin the three-and-a-half days of hiking/walking that will lead to Macchu Picchu.

After breakfast, Chris, Michael, Richard and I are bundled into another mini-bus with another guide from another tour company, Colibri (Spanish for "hummingbird"). Elias, will guide us along the ancient trail used by the Incans to the "City in the Clouds".

After an hour or so, we arrive at Chilca, a little town near the starting point of the trek where the souvenir sellers are more stubbrn and aggressive than anywhere else I´ve been so far. After several, "No gracias" to the repeated request of "¿Banana bread, banana bread...?" one particular lady followed us to the mini-bus continuing her sales pitch. Growing annoyed, I firmly said - "Senorita! NO, gracias". She soon left.

"KM 82" is the starting point and is located 42Km from Macchu Picchu with today apparently the easiest of the four so I opt not to use the walking sticks I´ve hired unless I absoultely need them.

Elias advised us to alwaysgive way to our right so that the many porters for the many tour operators can get by. Recent changes to the laws outline that the porters are to carry no more than 25Kg with a check point ensuring that they don´t. This means that of the 500 permits given to be on the Inca Trail, about half are for guides and porters.

Most of the porters wear only sandals and move at a pace that is very impressive on it´s own let alone with 25Kg of equipment strapped to your back!

After about three hours of walking - taking in some amazing scenery along the way - we stop at Hatunchaca for lunch.

With the porters zipping past us earlier, they had already set up a kitchen and dining tent for us - impressive. Even more impressive was the food; expecting sandwiches and a juice, we were all surprised to be served a three course lunch:

1. Tortilla chip things
2. Tomato Soup
3. Vegetables/salad with shredded chicken

After resting for about half-an-hour, we´re told that the next leg should take about 90 minutes or so. Taking the lead, I decide to push myself and try and keep pace with the porters.

At the next rest stop, after passing several other groups, Elias tells me that I managed to cover the hour long section in 37 minutes - not bad for a little fella with stumpy legs!

Not wanting to be one of the last to arrive at the camp site and with a boost of ego feedeing confidence, we set off once more with me at the lead - the other three I think thought to conserve their energy for the whole trek and not go off like a frog in a sock as I did...

Passing some Americans that had stopped on a broad bend, I saw the slight incline ahead and my little body, flushed red from the heat, felt some ease from the splattering of the odd rain drop but not wanting to get caught in a downpour, I pushed on.

Hearing the aluminium "clank" of walking sticks on rocks behind me, I turned to see one of the Americans a few metres back. His asthma attack like breathing a few minutes later confirmed he was gaining on me and quite possibly, actually having an asthma attack. Though I was distracted by the self posed question of whether to check if it was an asthma attack, I surged on with the campsite in sight - minutes later, I had arrived! (The American was spotted later, tragedy avoided).

Elias caught up soon after and told me that tomorrow, I should ease up and perhaps he should lead as we had arrived before some of the porters and a few of the tents, etc had not yet arrived so we would have to wait....

However, the sleeping tents were good to go and the earlier sprinkling of rain was getting heavier amd heavier. Bet they´re all thanking me now for making this, like I do most things, a competition - how do you like them apples, huh?!

Dinner Menu
1. Pumpking and Potato Soup
2. Beef and vegies with garlic bread
3. Pears in a sweet caramel type sauce

(all meals were served by our very own waiter - and they call this camping!!)

The Inca Trail - Day 2

Day 2 was a day that we were told, had heard or read about as the toughest day of them all. Despite the warnings or others recounting their experience, nothing could have given me an insight of what was to come.

Chris had taken ill with traveller´s tummy so Elias had decided to stay with her and assist where and how possible. After my feat yesterday, I thought I had better slow it down so I wouldn´t wear myself out for the remaing two-and-a-half days.

That train of thought lasted until the end of the first leg.

My competitive streak and need to push myself arose once more to the surface and from the second leg onwards, I set off to get to each sucessive stop as quickly as my little legs would allow.

Elias had let us know of the average times for each leg which, given the diverse age range, made me think I had to do better than the average otherwise I was an old man living in a midgets´29 year old body.

The next two stages were tough, very tough. The incline alone made it tough to propel one leg after the other with my leg muscles becoming sore and knee joints aching from the constant motion of lifting my legs repeatedly and seemingly endlessly along a steep and stoney path.

The landscape changed into a jungle like setting which meant a lot of the path was wet and/or slippery which made the need to ensure correct footing more paramount. Again, I tried to keep pace with the porters and most of them were dripping with sweat and stopping frequently along the way.

I managed to finish the second leg in 55 minutes (07:42 - 08:37) with an average time of 90 minutes - there was still some distance to travel though!

The toughest part of the day was the incline up to "Dead Woman´s Pass" - named for the shape of the mountain and not after a fallen trekker though, apparently there have been some deaths along the way...

The terrain had changed again, this time into a sandy coloured landscape with steps even higher and steeper requiring me to lift my legs into my chest cavity in order to get them to the required height in order to ascend to the top.

Knowing that I had to set a pace and keep going no matter how sore or tired I got was a good strategy unitl the rain came. Putting on my rain jacket and placing a poncho over my backpack to protect the contents meant that I was also dealing with a bit of blue plastic that was blowing in every direction the wind went and because of the waterproof material, was sweating like a pig at a slaughter house (there were also very small pellet like hail stones for a few seconds at the beginning of the leg).

Still, I perservered and progressively made my way along the trail and eventually, thanks largely to the multi-coloured parade of rain ponchos ahead of me, saw the crest of the mountain that would be the next rest stop before the descent into the next camp site. Using this vision as motivation, I made the decision not to stop until I got to the top and using my walking sticks, hoped that I could actually do it.

Tagging along with a group of three, I kept pace and passed them during one of their stops only to stop myself some metres past them but also at the base of the final lot of steps that lead to the apex. Heaving to take in as much air as possible and slow my heart rate down, I set off up into the clouds to finally finish the hardest part of the trek.

The 3rd leg was completed in 51 minutes (09:18 - 10:27) with an average of 2 hours.

Arriving at the summit after a surge of determined energy, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and made my way to an area off to the side of the small area and with the rain passing, took my jacket off and wrapped my poncho around my backpack. Taking in the 360 degree view as I slowly returned to a normal breathing pattern, I didn´t yet realise that the hardest part was over. I think it was perhaps the annoying and inane chatter of a group in front of me that expected a Las Vegas style sign to announce their arrival and one lass thinking she could buy a pack of cigarettes somewhere nearby....

About 50 minutes later Mike and a rejuvenated Chirs reached the top - they spotted me a few minutes earlier standing atop the summit in my brightly coloured, almost fluoro, boardshorts further down.

I was more excited than the other two now that I could share the accomplisment - perhaps it was because they had just finsihed and were still trying to settle?

Another 30 or 40 minutes later, we spotted Richard who soon joined as at the top where we took the obligatory shot of the sign and of the path we had just travelled - I was too slow to get a picture of the eagle that was gliding overhead though.

The path down to the camp site was hard on my knees as it was a constant and steep descent and I again was in a rush to get to the end so decided not to use the sticks which may have softened the impact.

Arriving at the camp site, already set-up by the porters, I was welcomed with a small round of appluase whcih I showed gratitude for but promptly asked to be shown the toilets (#1). Meandering through the other camp sites of the tent city, I take in the size of the tour and how many others are actually here doing this!

After just under an hour of walking down (12:58 - 13:56) my legs are like jelly and trying to keep them flat on the ground is near impossible with them shaking as though I´m an Elvis impersonator which, given the matter at hand, could prove to be quite messy (not that the toilets are exactly pristine). I manage to keep still by arching my feet and I hope that my normal posture returns soon.

The other three soon arrive and we partake in a late lunch followed by some rest time, afternoon tea and a few rounds of Uno before dinner - Day 2 was complete! (and I still hadn´t showered!)

Lunch
1. Spinach wrap with fetta cheese and shredded chicken
2. Spinach Soup
3. Chicken with tomato base sauce, rice and potatoes

Dinner
1. Pastries with either cheese or banana filling
2. Vegie soup
3. Beef "stir fry" (llomo saltado)
4. Warm pineapple jelly (nicer than it sounds)

The Inca Trail - Day 3

Day 3 had been promised to be easier and for the most part, it was. Though there were some steep inclines and seemingly endless paths, by comparison, was far easier than the day prior.

Taking it easier and not needing to push myself (and perhaps worn out from the two days thus far), we also took in some Inca ruins that were dotted along the path to Macchu Picchu.

Having Elias and being the small group of four trekkers allowed us to see more than I think the other groups did. Rather than taking so called short cuts built by the government when erecting large overland electricity towers, Elias took us the traditional way that was longer but also flatter and lead us to ruins that others bypassed.

We had our photos taken atop an Incan terrace and had a bit of fun trying to jump in unison to make it appear in our photos that we were high above the Incan ruins. Whilst Richard managed to capture some good shots of me, Elias was not as lucky (blaming my camera). The group shots were also mixed with Richard again getting the best shot on his camera with my shots looking like a quartet of dyslexics trying to do the "YMCA" dance.


Lunch
1. "Saltada" - vegie salad with fetta
2. Barley, pumpkin and potato soup
3. Stuffed capsicum with rice, yakka (local potato) and fried chicken

Dinner
1. Mixed vegie soup
2. ?¿?¿?
3. Peruvian style apple strudel served in cake form

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Part of trip: Peru 2009

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