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Published: October 8th 2008
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The Red Army
Faster than any Llama 5 months ago, weeks before booking any flights to South America, we had made a reservation for a tourgroup of the 'Classic Inca Trail'. It was a rather random selection of a company, but one that was beautifully made.
The briefly expansive, but very industrious Incan empire eventually spanned from present day Colombia to mid way down Chile. Connected with stone roads, buildings with multiple uses, including agricultural, military and religious functions. In all a great source of pre-worked stone, precious metals and gems for a colony keen to purge all reminders of pre-Columbian glory. But some terrain just didn't suit Spanish horses, and why walk somewhere this remote? And so after the defeat of one of the last Incan kings, Atahualpa, the Incas closed the doors to Machu Picchu and retreated to the Jungle fortress of Vilcabamba awaiting their inevitable and distasteful fate some five years later. The lush cloud forest did a superb job of enveloping this magnificent city until 1911, providing archaeologists, botanists, (and lots of other 'ists including tourists) an incredible time capsule to savour. And savour we did.
Four days of walking up hill and down dale - truly Incan terrain, along impressive stonework
Dead Woman's Pass
Great climb - just make sure you appreciate the views while your lungs and legs are complaining trails still beautifully intact. Caves, buildings, watercourses. Everything had a significance for these people, and we were so lucky to have our trusted guide Casiano (Llama Path) beautifully explaining the meaning of all these aspects, from practicality to spirituality, of these remarkable people. While we laboured our way up over 'Dead Woman's Pass' (the highest altitude climb of the trail), his flute floated the most incredible sound all the way up the valley to us. It is rare to appreciate an instrument in its natural setting, and we were in the grip of its territory and absoutely spellbound.
But the stars of the show were undoubtedly our porters - the 'Red Army'. While we slowly laboured our way along, they trucked along en masse, an inexorably moving, rolling steam train of sweat and uniformity, loaded down with all the essentials (and non-essentials) for us to sleep in and on, fabulous food, clothes. The little round of applause they gave us as we crawled heroically to the termination of our days exertion at camp. They even had warm water with a little Llama path face cloth at each stop. It was unbelievable. And to see the alternatives we bypassed when
Modest altitude atop the pass
... and a site of happy tourists. Note the Coca leaf chewing for altitude assist. choosing company - sandal clad men bent over under their massive bulk strapped to their backs in potato sacks or whatever else they had to hand. Dribbling along in ones, twos and threes aiming to reach their days destination with a haggard look on their faces. Benj made one of their days at the office more pleasant with an offering of a thick wedge of coca leaves, which was gratefully received.
Arising at 3am of the last day, we were harshly treated with cake for breakfast, before making team pole position at the queue to enter the trail to the climax of Machu Picchu. The gate opened at 5:30, and Benj was off at a run-walk to make the Sun Gate before sunrise - a thoroughly unnescessary expenditure of exuberant energy, as the Sun Gate is actually a point where the sunrise is seen from Machu Picchu some 3kms away - not from the gate itself...
Machu Picchu. We can say nothing to help you appreciate the sight of this city. Incredibly well preserved, amazingly spectacular, but not a patch on its former glory. The stone used when freshly cut is beautifully white. Its construction makes the most
of existing rock, and unfathomable man-hours of construction, to create (what is thought to be) a religious centre. The location is what makes it even more mind boggling, parked on a ridge with the river far below forming a natural encirclement, giving this site an Incan centre of energetic power and significance.
Benj was chafing at the bit to hit another hill climb, and the sentinel overlooking Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu, was a tempting target. Fortunate to snag the last ticket of the HP's daily ration of 400 tourists per day, he was off - to find terraces, tunnels, floating stairs, buildings, and stunning look out points all atop a sheer spike of rock. Unbelievable construction in an unbelievably difficult location. And not to mention the outstanding views over the rest of the area.
To Peru, our porters and Casiano. You have check-mated us with a life experience we could never have anticipated. Muchas muchas gracias para compartin con nosotros.
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Krista
non-member comment
WOW guys!
So cool for you to have had this experience. I'm sure you'll treasure these amazing photos your whole lives! Really pleased for you.