El Condor Pasa

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We left Puno on the 16th November, with our Inca Trek booked for the 20th, and headed for Cusco on a Cruz Del Sur bus. The company is probably the most reputable of Peruvian bus operators. In order to prevent accidents and hold ups they put you through strict security procedures akin to getting on a plane and apparently the drivers are breathalysed. Firstly your luggage is 'checked in', then you and your hand luggage are scrutinised with a metal detector, and you are filmed getting on the bus and again in your seats. It is both scary and reassuring at the same time. Obviously it is necessary as the frail elderly Peruvian lady in front of us was carrying a very large kitchen knife in her carry on luggage, and was surely planning to mug us at some point; needless to say it was appropriately confiscated.

The bus journey was reasonably uneventful and the movies were played in English with Spanish subtitles which were a real bonus in helping to pass the time. We pretty much felt we were living on buses at that moment. As we approached Cusco the road became windy and descended down to 3300m, which played havoc with my sinuses as I had picked up a cold off the Dutch lady in our hostel at Puno.....typical just before a trek!. By the time we reached Cusco we were feeling pretty fed up and looking forward to checking into our hostel.

We had booked a room in the encouragingly named 'Home Sweet Home', which was a short walk from the main square in a region called San Blas. We had splashed out a little and booked the room with a bathroom, as we were to stay there until the trek, and our stomachs were a little delicate. The taxi driver dropped us at the bottom of the steps as was no direct road access, we trudged up the steps puffing and panting (altitude and heavy bags), only to round the corner to find another set of giant steps to the door of the hostel. By the time we rang the doorbell we were hoping for something special, only to be greeted with 'oh we don’t have your room available.....there must be a problem with the website...' No 'sorry' appeared in the sentence. We were beginning to fume from the inside. 'I can offer you another room'. 'Yes you had better' we thought. It was dark and soulless and cold. Annoyingly, the communal area was tiny and used as a general lounge area for the owners who lived there so it was not possible really to have anywhere to relax. We decided to stay as we were too exhausted to search the cobbled uphill streets. That night we didn’t really explore as the colds were really setting in, so we stayed in and wallowed in it.

The next morning was brighter, both in weather and mood. The breakfast that was included in the price was worth staying, and it was served on a small terrace with amazing views out over Cusco. They then informed us that we could move rooms to the one we had booked originally. Great news we thought. It was still very cold and there were a few mushrooms on the wall in one corner, but it was much more private and homely than the first offering. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all. It turns out that it is cold in Cusco at night everywhere, inside any building. There is no heating there. During the day with the sun high in the sky, it is very warm, but at that altitude it soon changes once darkness comes.

Cusco is a real gem. The main hub is at the Plaza de Armas. It is very touristy, and the cries of 'massage.....maybe be later....' fill the streets and everyone is trying to sell something. Bars and restaurants tout for your business. All that aside, it is very beautiful. It has stunning churches and squares and cobbled streets. The Inca history and the Spanish architecture make an interesting and beautiful combination, if it is still a very sore point for the indigenous locals. Ladies and children dressed in traditional costume offer to have a photos with you and a llama....not sure I agree with this one...But there is something interesting on every street corner. It is also very cosmopolitan, and I can see why people end up staying for weeks. There are enough restaurants that would be possible to eat somewhere different everyday probably for a year. Although it is a bit disheartening to see 'Dirty Mackers' busier than those offering really good cheap Peruvian fodder. As with most towns there is a bustling central market where it is possible to get a bargain or two, as generally the popularity of Cusco is reflected in the higher prices of everything.

We had jobs to do, we had a few things to pick up for the trek, and we had to go and meet at the trek operator office, go to the post office, laundry and so on. It wasn't much, but somehow, we spent 3 days doing these things. Obviously we took in the atmosphere of the area and got some great photos. We were still nursing our colds and hoping that they would be better in time for the trek, so it was early nights and healthy eating. Well, we indulged in the 'menu del dia' of the area which included giant bowls of soup and alpaca steaks. And of course we were hoping that at some point we would finally acclimatise and not feel like dying every time we walked up the steps back to our hostel! How would we survive a 4 day trek??

Anyway, having enjoyed our time milling around the streets of Cusco trek day finally arrived. Unfortunately, we weren't feeling 100% yet and the 4am wake up was a killer. We trudged through the empty streets, except for the odd reveller still looking for the next party venue (of which there are many in Cusco...it has a 'lively' party scene) towards the trek office for our meet, feeling sorry for ourselves. The 'Red 'Army' were waiting. This is what the group of 22 porters from the Llama Path agency was jokingly called for the rest of the trip, on account of their red uniforms/trekking gear. In fact it turns out that the treatment of porters on the trek by various companies is very variable. Our porters each had a weight limit of what they were to carry, all had appropriate footwear and wet and cold weather gear. Others on the trek we were to later see were carrying obscene loads, with no decent protective clothing and battered sandals, in the rain, wind and cold. Our porters stayed together the entire time to help each other out. Some from other companies looked really rather pitiful.

Anyway we got on the bus with the rest of the bleary eyed group of 15, and noticed than the Texan we had met the night before, Jonathan, was green, literally. At this point we stopped feeling sorry for ourselves, as it was only a cold. He had a bad case of d + v, and was planning on continuing with the trek. We obviously tried to help him as much as possible in plying him with anti diarrhoeal meds and rehydration powders, but really he did not eat a thing for 2 days, and barely drank and still successfully made it over 'Dead Woman's Pass' - amazingly determined. I would have given up much sooner.

So the trek began with a 3 hour bus trip to the first Inca town of Ollantaytambo, where we had breakfast and were able to spy our first ruins. We also spotted a pen of guinea pigs in the garden that were waiting to become someone’s dinner. 'Chuy' is a popular local speciality, and when it is served resembles road kill, it is really rather expensive too, and a novelty for the tourists. We didn't indulge.

After brekkie it was back on the bus for another 45 mins or so to an area called Kilometre 82, which is where most treks begin. This was the point at which our bags were firmly packed and porters organised and brief introductions were made. Our guide and hosts were Cassiano up front, general leader and motivator, and Jose at the back, carrying the O2 and moping up any slow coaches or casualties. Well the first casualty came at the first check point in the form of one girl who had used a fake student card in order to get a reduced rate on her entry ticket and was refused entry on the trek. So now we were 14.

There was a great mix of characters, but on the whole we were all pretty similar. The ages were 20s-30s and everyone spoke good English. The group was made up of Americans, Brits, Irish, Croatians and a German lady. It was a real laugh; the guys were great jokers and kept the spirits up. Most of the group was pretty fit, so the pace was roughly even.

By the time we actually started walking it was almost 11 am. We had a gentle start with a nice walk with a gentle incline and the sun was shining. The scenery was stunning. The Andean countryside is truly beautiful. It was about 3 hours until we stopped for lunch. At this point we realised it would be unlikely that we would lose weight on the trek. We were fed like royalty. A large tent was erected and we all sat at the table and were fed a 3 course dinner. After this we trekked maybe for around 5 hours, passing through the second check point, with the last 2-3 hour being significantly steeper. It was actually a welcome relief when the rain started as it cooled down, but a bit of a bind to realise that walking in waterproofs is a lot less fun.

Unfortunately the waterproofs were in to stay. We reached camp in the evening to be faced with 'happy hour', which was snacks of popcorn and crackers, followed an hour later by another 3 course meal. As you can imagine with such a long day and so much food everyone was ready to sleep by 8 pm.

Day 2 was a 5am wake up, with a cup of cocoa tea brought to your tent and a bowl of hot water, it was luxury camping. Except the toilets which were of the squat variety and obviously some people are not very good at using them, as misses seem to be commonplace. It was with some trepidation that we started the days trek as it was to be the hardest. Before lunch we were to ascend to 4200m steeply, over 'Dead Woman’s Pass', followed by a couple of hours downhill before lunch. As a group we made great progress for the first few hours, at 4000m some of us found the altitude and gradient a little tougher, especially when the wind and hail storm set in! We were a little gutted that we could not see the amazing drops and views around us, but it was still exhilarating to reach the summit. The downhill that followed was a little testing on the knees and lunch was a welcome relief. We spotted llamas, wild deer and humming birds, but unfortunately no condors, even with Cassiano's best efforts of playing Peruvians music such as 'El Condor Pasa' on his recorder as we were trekking.

After lunch we had another peak to master, about 2 hours uphill, with the interest of some Inca ruins on the route. After another period of 3 hours downhill we reached our camp for the second night, after walking more than 11 hours that day. Unfortunately it was enveloped in cloud, and the toilets were still a challenge, but the next morning the weather cleared just for an hour or so to reveal the stunning mountain scenery. We had a lie in that day, just a 5.30 wake up and on the trek by 7am.

It was an easy day, just a gentle 5 hour hike before lunch a then a free afternoon at check point 3. The sun had finally come out and we were able to take a much need shower and cold beer. We finally felt relaxed, the worst was over, and with the good weather in to stay we trekked over to the nearby Wayna Winyu ('forever young') ruins which were amazing.

We reconvened for dinner that night and became prisoners in the dinner tent as a huge thunderstorm settled in for a few hours, almost washing us down the mountainside if it wasn't for our resourceful porters who dug a trench around us. Oh and the Croatians treated us to 'Croatian Rum Punch', it certainly warmed your insides if nothing else!

The 3am wake up for the last day was not funny, especially as I had to try and bandage my bleeding blisters on my feet to squeeze them into my hiking boots in the dark. We had to be up so early to queue at the checkpoint to make it there first, in order to then be the first to make it to the 'sun gate', which was about another 2 hour hike away. It was a little strange as it became a bit of a stampede with some groups literally running and pushing past ....which seemed really stupid. The fittest and quickest of our group went on ahead and certainly made it there for sunrise, with my sore feet I held us up a bit but was not too far behind. By the time I reached the final steps however, I was so exhausted I actually climbed them on all 4s, they were pretty steep!

It was all worth it in the end. It was amazing. Just like the pictures. We arrived before all the lazy day trippers arrived off their air conditioned buses and luxury trains. We were able to stroll around the ruins, and chill with the llamas. We had a bit of a tour from our guide, which I am sure was giving us loads of useful history and info, but too be honest, we were too tired to listen. Some of the guys and Stu went that bit further and did the 45min climb up the steep steps of Wayna Picchu for some great photos. At this point I retreated for a much needed sit down and cup of coffee.

We all headed down to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes, which had some hot water springs, but not a lot else. Unfortunately our train wasn't leaving until 7 in the eve, so we had the whole afternoon to kill, and with not a lot else to do we all went for our final beer together, and learnt about each others lives and travel adventures.

After a 2 hour train journey we had another 90mins in a bus.......but due to having a tyre blow out on the way, it was gone 11pm by the time we got back to Cusco, we were exhausted after such a long day, so after a much needed bite to eat we crashed out in the solace of our cold hostel.

We spent the last day in Cusco preparing for our onward travel, and the next morning we took a flight to Lima, it was our treat to save us another 20 hour bus journey. A 1 hour comfortable Star Peru flight later we landed in Lima.

Some people say the Inca trek is selling out. It is so full of travellers all doing the same thing, that it takes the magic away. Well to some extent I agree, and there are alternatives that can change that and reduce the environmental impact, but having done it, I am very glad I did. It is still an amazing experience and worth all the pain. It is a lot harder than I thought it would be. So many people of all ages and fitness levels do it, that I thought it would be easy. It is not. It takes some determination. I would strongly recommend the company we trekked with, as they were professional throughout, and the equipment provided meant we were very comfortable and safe. The last day was a bit poorly organised, but no one is perfect.

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Photos

Cusco and Inca Trail 001
Hey Duncy, check out the name of this pub? Look familiar?

Cusco and Inca Trail 007
For some reason, wherever we go, local groups of girls think it is hilarious to have their photos taken with us and always ask, and there is usually about 20 cameras among them! Are we really that funny looking?