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Published: March 21st 2010
Sun 14th - Tues 16th March 2010: Hell.
Because of the flash floods in Peru, my trip to Machu Picchu was cancelled. Instead of refunding the money, GAP sent us on the Lares Trek (a budget, bad replacement.)
I would love to say that I had fun but I didn't. Well maybe I had 5% fun at a push.
On the first day, it rained quite a bit and it was quite foggy too so I spent most of the first day with my head facing downwards. Our group leader ('Washington') said that we were the fastest group he'd ever had and I managed to keep up for a while and then I dropped back with an Aussie girl called Brit who turned out to be my trekking companion for the whole trek. Being cold, wet and out of breath from the high altitude was wearing a bit thin by the first day.
We eventually reached our campsite and the porters had put the tents up for us (this is luxury camping afterall) and there was a spare tent so I did have one all to my self which was nice.
We had our dinner cooked for is (which was actually tasty) and all sat at a big dining table inside a tent. After dinner, most people went to bed but a few of us stayed up to play Yatzi. I came secon last because the only thing I seemed to be able to roll was some form of straight. The first night's sleep was a good night's sleep and they brought us hot chocolate in the morning to wake us up0.
On day 2, we began to trek at about 8.15am. Today was the big section of the trek up to 4500m above sea level. Pretty much immediately, the group split into fast and slow and I was in slow again but I didn't feel out of breath at my pace so I was happy (for now.)
I think that I have already started to block out day 2 because I'm struggling to remember much of it.
I do remember however, giving food and toys to the local children who live in the mountains who were all very polite. Although I had a big bag of sea animal toys and every time that I have one out, they looked at me like 'what the hell is this?!' Guessing they don't have many sharks and sea turtles in the mountains then. Their faces were entertaining for me but I think they would have preferred bread.
The weather did start to clear up too (until the hail came) and some of the view were amazing. There were lots of little steams that Brit had to help me over that I am pretty sure that I would have fallen in but for her!
The big problem for me arrived at approximately 4000m above sea level. Where I began to hiccup. Violently. I get them all the time at home but up that high, each one feels like a punch in the chest. I was already steep and difficult enough without the added lung pain! Washington was kind enough to order me to give him my backpack and he carried on up the hill with it.
Eventually the hiccups went and I trekked on pain free a bit higher. But... they returned with a vengeance and I was quite sure that they were going to knock me out. So Brit and I sat down on a big rock until they faded. I got up, got half way up the next hill and realised that I had left my rain poncho behind on the rock. My saviour Washington, who was at the top of the hill, went all the way back down it to get it for me. What a guide! By the time he returned though, I was on round 3 of hiccups and sat back down again.
The next hill was the steepest but also the last big one before the top so Brit and I sucked it up and went for it! This bit was worth it. There was a lake at the bottom, mountains everywhere and a big glacier. We got to the bottom of the hill, were served lunch, and headed on to trek to the campsite. Round 4 of the hiccups and I was about ready to give up. But I didn't.
When we reached the campsite, it was set up by a waterfall and stream which was really cool. Five minutes after arriving, it started to pour with rain (and hiccups round 5 began) so I curled up in my tent and watched films on my Ipod in the freezing cold.
During the small break from the rain, I went to meet up with my group in the big tent and had a nice pasta dinner and my last round of hiccups for the day. Ran back to the tent in the rain and tried very hard to fall asleep in the cold.
I think the altitude is messing with my sleep slightly as I 've been having the weirdest dreams and that night, I went to sleep vertically across the tent and woke up (in my sleeping bag) horizontally across it. It also rained so much that my tent leaked and fair bit of my stuff received a drenching. I woke up to the rain and it continued throughout the trek down but I didn't mind so much this time because it was nearly over!
Because of the excessive rain in Peru at the moment, there have been many, many landslides and the path down was covered in rocks and water and streams and cascades and I can't say that I took any of the scenery because of the intense rain.
I was so happy to finally reach the end of the pointless trek through the rainy mountains. There was nothing at the end of the trek but horses eating grass which was a big disappointment after all that hard work.
They put us on the bus and drove into the nearby town 'Ollantaytambo' where we saw some Inca ruins. We climbed up 300 steps and the views were great but I really just wanted to be somewhere where I could sit down and be warm.
Got to the hotel (which hadn't put on the hot water so cold shower for me after 3 days of no showers) and pretty much went straight out for a hot chocolate and then on to a really good restaurant called 'Blue Puppy' which I can definitely recommend.
Conclusion: Don't do the Lares trek in place of Machu Picchu because it is a bitter disappointment. If you're just doing it for what it is, you might actually enjoy it.
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Lewis
non-member comment
What a shame!
I read about the floods affecting tourism to Machu Picchu about a month ago in the Economist and had hoped that it wouldn't cause you to miss out. Obviously, that wasn't the case. The article did say that travel companies were offering tours to the Nazca Lines and Colca Canyon as alternatives. As you already had those booked, the Lares trek may have been all they had to offer by way of compensation.