If courage is an accumulation of small steps, then success is an accumulation of courageous ones

- Ian Nicholson

So here I am, still in the ruddy airport waiting for my flight that will no doubt take off, but probably turn round and come back when we cant land! At least the clever bitch has waited till the other dogs fell asleep beside her and quietly snuck off! (see last blog entry)

Well, Cusco, what a delightful place, in the inner city anyway. Full of quweky old colonial buildiings and historically beautiful. I had a few days before I set out on the Inca trail. Enough time to get all the right equipment and spain my ankle rather severely, well done you fool. Well, bag over packed and ankle strapped, I was picked up at 6am and took the hour long bus ride to the start of the trail. The rain started quite heavily and we all prepared for the worst, full wet weather gea was put on by all as we decided to have lunch at the start of the trail. We were a large group of 20 walkers, 20 porters and 6 guides, one of the biggest groups your likely to see on the trail.

Thankfully

First camp

already tired beyond beliefe

after lunch the rain stopped and we all set off. At this point, looking at everyone elses bags, i realised I had rather a lot with me. In fact it was about 15 kilos and I had no idea how much of a tough terrain lay ahead! It was a good five hours of walking on the first day, the last two of which were up hill. When I finally reached our first camp, I was in bits, a complete physically drained pathetic and feeble mess. I didnt think it would be possible to do the next day. It was 7 hours straight uphill, all the way. I really began to doubt my ability to tackle dayb two and spent the night contemplating hiring a porter to carry my bag! But there is one thing about being a Leo that holds true, pride and stubbourness. I thought about the porters themselvs. These guys, some of whom are 65+, carry up to 20 kilos on their backs (it used to be a few yerars ago that they even carried upto 40 kilos at times before the government interviened!) and have nothing but a pair of old tyre treads fior sandles, actually

day 2

stunning morning view, reminded me of scotland

run ahead of the group to setv up camp for you. Well, no matter how fit and used to the altitude they are, if at their age, with that footwear and heavier weight, they can do it, there was no way I wasn´t going to aswell.

Colca Canyon was a walk in the park by comparison, barely even training for this. Up at 6am, fed and watered and praying to the stomach and toilet gods to be kind this day, I set off, mind set on the monumental task that lay ahead that was this day. A lot of the group caved that morning and gave their bags to the porters, making the porters job even harder. I had a load of coca sweets that help with climatisation and had my supply of coca leaves and ash to help too. With the leaves, you select about ten and remove the stalks, cutting off a small section of the ash and roll it up in the leaves. Place it in the side of your mouth and let it soak up saliva. You don´t chew it but keep it slightly compressed in your teeth, rolling it from time to time.

day 2 view

one had little thought as to the surrounding scenery

Sure enough after a while it feels like you have been to the dentist and your mouth goes numb. It does give you extra strength and energy for the hike, there is no doubt. It was definatly a help for day two. The thing that got me through the day was strangely enough, a slogan from an advert from when I was studdying my GCSE´s. There was this little orange guy with a pointed nose who was, coincedently, trying to climb a mountain. It was too big so he took out a hammer and broke it up into "Bite sized chinks" in order to get passed. Any of you rememebr that add? So, I just kept saying, "bite sized chunks Ian, bite sized chunks" and sure enough, every hour I stopped, bag off the shoulders, ate some sweets, drank water, got my breath back and moved on.

That day I saw one of the most remarkable things. One man attempting to do the trail. He must have been about 55 years old and a good 25 stone in weight. Walking stick in each hand and sweating heavily, no, prefusely as waterfalls ran down his head in the sun,

uphill

a glimpse of the top, 7 hours of walking

with a rope tied round his waist. On the other end of this rope was a young porter, running up the hill, pulling this tub of lard upwards at a apainfully slow pace! Now Maybe it was a personal challange and he was ill and wanted to do it before he died. Or maybe he just ate all the pies and shouldn´t be there, either way, it was an increadible sight and one which I wish I ahd taken a photo of!

Most of you will know I am found of quotations and a lot of philosophy. Another that popped into my head half way through the day was a quote by George Konrad, "courage is an accumulation of small steps" many of you may have seen it on various inspirational posters. So I though about this in relation to what I was undertaking, many, many small steps with the top of the mountian being our goal. To which I furthered the quote "When courage is an accumulation of small steps, Sucsess is an accumulation of courageous ones." That day, those 7 hours uphill, 15 kilos on the back, was easily one of the hardest challenges I have

looking back

a tremendous feeling of achievement

taken. Well challanges are what I was looking for on this trip! The last 500 yards were the hardest of the whole hike. The steps up got twice as high, the slope steeper. to make it worse was seeing all the people already at the top, resting and looking back down at you. This made it harder. You had to keep going, keep pushing step by step up the hill, struggling for breath but cant stop so close to the top. Making the level ground was the best feeling in the world!

The next few hours down to camp weren´t much easier. Hard on the knees but the worst was behind. The really annoying thing about that night was that one would have thought after such a physical day, sleep should have come easily. It didn´t come at all. I have no idea if it was the altitude or being over tired, but I lay there, in the tent, wrapped up in almost all of my clothes, awake for the entire night. Onward slog for day three. As our group left later than all the other that day, and because we had more numbers than the rest, we

now down

two mors hours down hill now to camp

found out that there was no space at the next proposed sight so camped behind everyone by a couple of hours. At first we were all really annoyed and would have got up earlier given the option as it meant that on our last day, we were two hours behind out target and wouldn´t get to the sungate to witness the sunrise over Machu Picchu. Our frustartion was very short lived.

Our campsite was at the top of one of the mountain peaks. One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen or am ever likely to spend the night.The view all around was unbroken panoramic of dramitc mountains in the distance, covered in amazonial jungle, with snow capped in one direction and the sun starting to set toward it. This place was increadible and everyone in the group, delighted to be there for the night. Despite having to surface earlier and depiste having to waer all my clothes that night to stay warm, I was very happy to be there and slept soundly.

Up at 2am for breakfast and walking in the dark at 3am, we were all in good spirits due to our

camp for the 2nd night

i have rarely been this exhausted

surroundings and knowing that we were heading on the last stretch to the sungate and Machu Picchu. It wasn´t easy in the dark as our Irish couple didn´t have tourches. I lent the one i had which was on the walking stick and had to angle my head lamp forward for them to see, ridiculously annoying for everyone. However, we eventually realised that there was no rush to get to the sungate for sunrise as at this time of the year, its a blanket of mist until it can be burnt off. Reaching the sungate was awesome, the few ahead of me already sitting and hoping for the mist to rise. There were teasing suggestions of possibilities and gaps in the mist, but after a half hour we thought to move on the last straight. It was at that very moment, the mist began to clear and we all got out first glimpse of the goal that we had all slogged so hard to see.

The city was increadible to witness. Sitting up so high in amongst the mountains. Every one grinning like idiots and forgetting how tired we were. Snapping photos and running about like children at

group shot

porters and all, our oversized group of about 40 people

a a fair. We all glided cherrily down to the entrance to leave our bags and walk amidst the ruins themselvs. Alex our guide took us on a tour for an hour, explaining as much as he could. the only problñem with Machu Picchu is that there is no documented history about it. No one actually knows anything about the Incas there or why it was deserted. There are many theories and different people will share different ideas with you, but there are very little facts about the place.

One thing that did annoy me a little was I had expected it to have a more profound effect on me. Like how I felt when I wondered around Palenque. Well, when the tour finished and we all got to explore the place on our own, it began to hit me. Looking down at the city from the top of the gardens, I felt quite overwhelmed by the site. For over ten years I had wanted to walk the Inca Trail and see Machu Picchu and it didn´t disapoint. It was more than I had hoped for. The site, the ruins, the buildings and the layout, the mystery and

Dead womans pass

nothing so gory. can u make her out ?

wonder of this ancient civilisation were more than I could have hoped for to see and experiance. I doubt very much that my photos will even come close to the magic that is this place.

It began to pain me that I knew I had to leave here. Everyone in the group already having left to the village of Aguas Calientes and ready for the train back to Cusco. So with one look back, I turned round and left one of the most magnificaent things I have ever seen, for the 3 hour train back to Cusco. Getting back and showered was a good feeling, but meeting the guys from the trip for a beer didn´t last long. In fact I actually fell asleep in mid conversation having had half a glass of JD. It was time to call it. The next day was a feeling that I wont forget for some time. I dont think I have ever known such contentedness and pretty much just floated around the city centre saying bye to the guys from the group.

So, end of another chapter of this journey, Machu Picchu. Onward now to Bolivia. Took the overnight

no evil?

one of many mayan ruins along the way

to Lake titicaca and stayed a few days chilling in Copacabana before doing the same on the Isla del Sol. The views there were stunning too and reminded me a lot of the Isle of Jura. It was a great place to relax in, to be surrounded by water again. I met up with an Irish friend called Rob whom I had met in Cusco and we both headed for La Paz, ready to take on the infamous, Death Road.

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