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Published: February 16th 2007
1999……….6wks SOUTH AMERICA-ARGENTINA, PERU.........It was absolutely freezing last night. Trying to read my thermometer was difficult but I think it was -10 degrees at least. When I got up at 6.30am, Martin was tucked in amongst his rocks and all you could see was his nose and eyes. He still had colour in his face, which was a relief. Puddles of water were frozen over and everything was white with frost. We must have been fairly high already (& that’s why it was so cold ) as trekking up the Campa Pass at 5000m did not seem as high a climb as yesterday...demanding never the less with taking one small step with every breath. Even when one is standing around or lying in bed sometimes you feel out of breath.
We got to the top of the path at 11am, with great views of course. In the guides books it talks about there being glaciers by the trail before the pass but we must have missed it which is a shame because there is an ice cave with several chambers in it. The weather up till then was clear skies with intense sun but still only 5 degrees and
felt colder with any wind. As we came down from the pass a cold wind started and then quite heavy snow which turned into everything white, including the gear on the horse and on our backpacks and on Martin's head. Martin the wonder guide even took out his Jacket to cover my large backpack on the horse so it didn't get too wet!
We decided not to stop for lunch as it was getting miserable and just kept on walking till we got to Pacchaenta. I didn't mind walking in the snow as it’s not that wet and I had my waterproofs on etc. Martin, of course, was still wearing just sandals, but he didn't seem to mind. He stops every now and then to tighten the gear on the horse. He treats the horse well and it is quite clever the way he ties everything onto it. He first lays out the two ropes made from alpaca and the ties my back pack and the food on, so they form a saddle either side of the horse, evenly weighted, and then he ties on the other cooking gear and tent.
We arrived at Pacchanta at about 2.30pm.
I was ready to stop as it had started to rain and the wind was quite cold. Martin has a friend here and we’re in a large 2 storey building with a wooden mezzanine floor.
….Since I wrote the above we have been kicked out by an Israeli group of about 8 people and we’ve moved to the small store next door which is very basic -mud brick and dirt floor and a few shelves with a few dusty things like coca cola, washing powder etc. At one end the wall is filled with peat (dung?) drying out. The young boy Flavio has been really friendly. He’s probably about 15 yrs and is really open. He showed me some photos of his brother and father in Ausangate. He was so proud of them; I took a couple of photos of him to send to Martin on my return for him to give to him. We exchanged some English/Spanish words as he is interested in learning. When he speaks Quechen it sounds more like Dutch or German to my ears. One thing I forgot about today was that we saw some vicunas which were in the distance and looked like
Flavio
Proudly showing off photos of his father & brotherthe cross between a llama and a deer. We also saw lots and lots of that rabbit like animal, called viscachas, scuttling amongst the rocks. They have a tail like a possum.
The people here are not expecting anything for us staying here. I gave three of the girls some chocolate. There are some hot springs here but the Israeli group had taken over and, given the way that Martin and I had been kicked out of the big house, I didn’t feel like mixing with them. It’s three hours to Tinqui tomorrow and as I want to get the bus at 10am we will need to leave early. Initially Martin said that there was no bus tomorrow, but that was because he didn’t want to get up early! Martin and I bunked down on the floor next to each other and we talked a bit of English/Spanish and he watched as I wrote up my diary, observing when his name came up. I showed him my calendar in the back and what I hoped to do with my remaining time; Inca trail, train to Juliaca, to Arequipa, Colca Canyon, to Nazca, Lima and then to Huaraz to do
View from the hot springs
It would be nice to have this view from your hot bath every day. some more trekking. I woke up to hear Martin getting things ready at 4.30am. I was a bit wary he may steal something as my whole pack was open and must be like a treasure trove to him and a great temptation. But my feelings about him being a good man held true and I had unnecessary concerns.
Thursday 2nd Sept, 1999 Ausangate
I got up at 5.30am and Martin had the stove going for breakfast. It was very cold and I went over to the hot springs and met up with the Peruvian guy, Jaime who I had met on the trail a couple of days ago. He had been in the hot pool since 4.30am. .What a view from a bath, the soaring Auzangate as a backdrop. He was doing the trek with an Indian friend who lives in Tinqui who advised him that in fact there was no bus today and he suggested I get a truck to a place 1 hour away from Tinqui and then get transport to Cusco. He said he could give me a lift though and so I hopped into the hot water relieved that transport and timing was not longer a concern and knowing that once again, Martin had proved true and I was an ignorant Gringo.
The walk of 2 ½ hours was just wonderful. After a bit of a hill it was like being on top of the mountain in the ‘Sound of Music’ with surrounding views that stayed there for an hour as we slowly descended into the valley and river where Tinqui lies. Besides the snowy peaks of Ausangate there were other ranges over the other side of the valley and large areas still covered with snow from the day before. Martin and I practised Spanish/ English for a while and later we were joined by Jaime and we talked for quite a while about Peru, his hotel and aspirations for the future. After the cold, wind and snow of yesterday afternoon, it was just perfect weather and a wonderful 2 ½ hours stroll back to the trail head. I paid Martin 20soles as a tip and gave him the rest of the food. He obviously is expecting to get paid by the trekking company so he must be my guide. All the same it's still been strange and yes I was a bastard!
It took us 4 ½ hrs to get back to Cusco fro Tinqui in Jaime’s ute, as against 9 hrs in the cramped bus. It was like a different trip- so picturesque with far off views of Ausangate from the top of the pass. It was awesome to look at it and know that we had walked around it. 3 ½ hrs of the trip was on rough dusty roads on precipices where just a small slide would have cost us our lives. This didn’t seem to faze Jamie, however, having had a joint before we started. He drove fairly fast but also competently. Jaime turned out to be an interesting character, having been a diplomat in the USA and with Spanish and Italian ancestry.
It was great to have a shower and shave on returning to Hotel Ninos. One doesn’t feel very grotty until you actually get back into ‘civilisation’.
This is a copy of an email which I received in Cusco which I have included here as it is so amusing:............................
"To the intrepid traveller, you ARE amazing!!!!!! For f...ck sake. Don’t you dare leave Martin there. We need that man here- 4-30am to make you a cup of tea for 20 soles for f.ck. How much is that? Threepennys? Forget Mary Mckillop, that man deserves sainthood, forget the skinny guy on the stick; and sleeps amongst the rocks in -10 deg.? I am surprised he had colour in his face. I know I would have been blue and gone the way of the ancient Incas. To El Paso or where ever dead Incas go. Man o man. He would be great around the house and never complain. Makes you put it in perspective doesn’t it. The trivial things people complain about in our society. Have you got a photo of the incredible Martin? Yes the Inca trial sounds good. After Ausangate you now know what to expect. I am glad you stopped paragliding. I couldn’t find a wheelchair on the cheap. I am enjoying the dairy of your trip. It’s the next best thing to being there. "
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Wendy Baker
non-member comment
Active & fit
Hi Peter, what a great blog, I don't know where you are in the world at the moment but know you will be enjoying it. Recently spent a day with my (our) first cousin twice removed Irvin Hastwell who at 86 years of age hikes regularly in the Adelaide Hills, pacing himself in 3-weekly cycles of 30km, 40km, building up to 56km on the third Sunday. Your sister says he must be a man after your own heart. All the best Pete, from another of the Hastwell family historians!