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Published: November 30th 2006
Machu Pichu
Postcard ImageWell, Its Wednesday afternoon and I´m sitting here with aching bones wondering if the last 4 days really happened. We got back from Aguas Calientes last night and have slept most of the time since...I have left Pierre still asleep as he is convinced he has Dengue Fever...though I think its just a cold from the freezing cold washes he had up in the mountains....more of that later.
So, our adventure began on Saturday with an early start to get a bus with our 4 fellow trekkers and the guide to Km 82 where the walking would begin. First impressions were, good a couple our own age...Catherine and Stuart, and 2 Americans in their 50´s!! As it turned out Catherine and Start were friends from NZ and Aus respectively, and Cathy (USA) and Barb (Canadian) were great, they trekked harded than the lot of us! The bus ride was through wonderful countryside, amazing views of snow topped mountains and many hacienda´s, until we got to a little town for breakfast, then continued along the Urubamba river (a tributary of the Amazon) to KM 82 where we got ready to walk for 3 1/2 days.
We were all really enthusiastic
and as we set off the weather was fine and the going not too hard....this is a piece of cake we thought....until the rain started and we began to go up hill. Thankfully our guide Ernesto let us stop fairly often, and we were given snack packs for along the way! The first day was good, we were all grateful to stop for lunch however, most of all Catherine who had a dodgy stomach the whole 4 days (sorry Catherine!). The first lunch was a complete suprise....the porters had gone ahead and set up the cooking and dining tents, we sat down to a huge meal...the food just kept on coming. "we´ll need this" said Ernesto...but it was impossible to finish.
We set of again soon after...walking up hill is quite hard after a big meal, but the energy soon kicked in and we walked for another few hours until 4pm when we arrived at the campsite...with lots of cactus breaks (ernesto insisted on educating us on the flora and fauna, as well as various Inca ruins) along the way! At the campsite our tents were already up as was dining tent...all we had to do was relax and wait
for dinner! At 6pm we had tea...popcorn, cookies and hot drinks...this is the life....then at 7pm we were introduced to the porters and 2 cooks, before another huge meal. We all tucked in, and were in bed by 8 o´clock!!! Well we were up at 5am and had walked for 6 hours. Slept fairly well in our down filled sleeping bags; we´d need the energy for the next day...by all accounts the worst of all.
After being woken up by the cooks at 5am with a hot drink in the tent (!) we got ready for breakfast and were walking again by 7am. This was the day we were all dreading...non-stop up hill for 4 hours....
The journey was actually OK, we walked through a forest microclimate alongside a fast-flowing stream/waterfall, and had amazing views of where we had walked from...we reached the top of the mountain - Dead Womans Pass - at 4215m above sea level, a climb of almost 1500m in a morning. The last few hundred metres of walking were the hardest...we used music from our I-pods to spur us on...Pierre´s favorite being Highway to Hell by AC/DC...
We were promised amazing views from the
top...however the clouds had been moving in, and when we finally got to the top it began to hail!!!! Visibility was just a few metres...and we had to get down the other side yet. This was the hardest part...about 800 steep steps (original Inca, of course...) down to the campsite and lunch. This was certainly not the best part of the trail! It took a good couple of hours, with Catherine and I moaning most of the way!!!! It was really hard on the knees, and you needed a lot of concentration so as not to slip. We were sooooo happy to reach the campsite. As was becoming the norm, our tents were up and lunch on its way. After we had eaten and relaxed a little in our tents, the weather started to clear and the most amazing view began to take shape before us....
We had a little nap then all sat around dressed in all the clothes we had brought as it was so cold. Slept really well that night, I can tell you.
The next day was the best of the whole trek. We began again at 7am and walked up and over the 2nd
pass...this time the weather was clear and on one side were the mountains, snowed capped peaks, and amazingly deep valley´s; and on the other side, high jungle rainforest covered mountains...really beautiful. We stopped at the top for a little while and soaked up some sun...it was pretty warm considering we were nearly 4000m up again. Then it was time to walk down again...more steps....our poor knees. However, it wasn´t too far, then the going was OK...some up, some down, and very nice scenery. A couple of Inca ruins later, we were up at the 3rd and final pass...and we could see the final destination...Machu Picchu mountain. The fact that it was in site made us all feel good. We stopped for lunch on the pass, then began the 1000 steps down to more ruins and eventually the campsite. This part was harder then the treks up...our knees were really feeling it (pierres especially, which was swollen again). For small people those Incas built some huge steps. Although the going was tough, we enjoyed it as it was all so beautiful, and we knew that at the end some hot showers were awaiting us...and did we need them!!! You don´t want
to know how bad you can smell after 3 days of treking with a backpack.
Our destination was Wiñay Winay campsite...unfortunately it was also the destination of all the other trekers on the Inca Trail. we all enjoyed our 10 minute hot showers, and a couple of well deserved beers afterwards. We had our last dinner together and looked forward to the last day when we would finally get to Machu Picchu.
We were woken up at 4am...a little early seeing as we had to queue at the checkpoint which didn´t open until 5.30. We got walking, with Barb in the lead, who set quite a pace...we were at the sun gate in 50 minutes (Ernesto predicted 1hr30mins). After we had walked up the final 100 steps, the view from the sun gate was amazing. We were so lucky with the weather as it is now the rainy season and it is often misty and raining here. The whole of Machu Picchu lay in front of us. We didn´t get the sun streaming through the sungate onto the ruins, as it was a little cloudy...but it was still spectacular. As we passed the sun gate, we overheard a
Dead Womans pass
4215m above sea level proposition of marraige...had tears in my eyes! We congratulated the couple as they walked by a little later, but they were in aworld of their own...they had to return to say thanks!!
Ernesto guided us around the ruins for an hour or so, it was good to find out a little of the history...though no-one really knows for sure what anything was used for as the pesky Incas didn´t write any thing down. I think Pierre got a little bored, "too many old rocks"!! The sun came out for us later in the morning and it got really hot...we sat around for a while, resting our aching muscles. I don´t think we fully appreciated the ruins as we were all so knackered and didn´t want to walk up any more steps. We enjoyed the view though. Pierre managed to sprain his ankle...at least he did it on the last day....I wouldn´t say reaching Machu Picchu was an anti-climax as such, however we were all just too tired to appreciate it! The journey was definately worthwhile...we saw amzing sights along the way, and the end point was a bonus.
We got on the bus for the trip down to
View from the third pass
looking toward Machu Picchu Aguas Calientes and were amazed at the free bottled water and reclining seats....small things when you´ve been out in the open for 4 days. Even had a sleep on the way down. Catherine, Stuart, Pierre and I found a cafe and relaxed for a hour or so with beer and chips! Was great 😊 Had a wonder through the market...lots of tat...then met the others for lunch at 2pm...were starving as breakfast was at 4:45 am.
Said goodbye to Ernesto, and were given our things which the porters had carried for us, in huge rice sacks to take back on the train. Indulged in another cerveza and a twix, and relaxed. Was good to sit down, but getting up was hard...oh those aching legs....
We got off the train, and while Catherine and I were in the bathroom, the train pulled off, with the guard´s final words to Pierre and Stuart "the tourist buses are at the next stop....." quite a comedy moment. We were in stiches. Luckily it was only a 10 minute walk to the main square where the bus would pick us up to drive the rest of the way back to Cusco....however, the bus wasn´t
there..... Another stroke of luck, a nice man phoned the travel company for us to find out where the driver was...and he turned up a few minutes later.....phew. Exhaustion meant I slept most of the way back to Cusco. We said our goodbyes to our fellow trekkers....and really hope to see them again; we had been through a lot together in just 4 days.
After a good nights sleep a hot shower, and an afternoon siesta, I´m feeling much better...my muscles have started to relax...only small hills in Cusco and a few steps back to the Hostal. Am sure the memories of pain will fade, and we will look back on the journey with happiness...maybe even say it was one of the best things we´ve ever done...we´ll see.....
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joe dowsett
non-member comment
hello
hello pierre an nic sounds like ur avin a greate time over there ur dads just showed me how 2 contact u so i fort id leave u a little comment, so were you goin 2 be for christmas?? take care nd av a grate time love joe xxxx