The Trek and Other Peru

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The trek to Machu Picchu will go down as one of the highlights of the trip to Peru (yes which is a significant qualification!), despite the noise to the contrary from some quarters! It was long, at times hard, at times cold (very cold even) but very scenic and a great insight into how the Inkans lived and current Peruvians live. OK a quick daily account:
DAY 1: A very early start, a very full bus, traveling Peruvian style. The trekking is harder than we were foretold but valuable lesson #1, never believe a word a Peruvian tells you aka. How do you know a Peruvian is lying? They move their lips (we were told it´s a problem with Southern Peruvians(SPs), by Northern Peruvians, unfortunately SPs is pretty much all we dealt with..). No question, I am a happy man when that angel taxi answers Dinh´s prayers. In spite of the cold a sound nights sleep was afforded by the wonderful Patagonia thermals. DISTANCE WALKED 18 kilometres (for those who don´t cheat)
DAY 2: Woken before dawn (05.30) again to a crisp morning of complete cloud cover. Quite apprehensive about facing the hard day. At least I can outrun the missus, but will be doing well to get out of earshot! Coca is the theme of the day. Coca tea for breakfast, chew on coca leaves, suck on coca candy: all to combat the altitude effects of climbing to 4700 metres (15,000 feet) from 3800 metres. 2 hours of "flat" trekking followed by 3 hours of uphill switchbacks. This is none too easy, particulalry with a chest cold. The guide sympathizes and sticks our faces in some local concoction + more coca leaves. Hiking is painless and fun again.. Make it to summit with relative ease. Have to tell the missus to save her energy (that she summons up to whine) for the trek!! Finally some peace. 2 more hours hike downhill to lunch. OK come on, even I think this is cruel.
My industrious wife negotiates a horse for the 4 hour afternoon hike for $10. That is a bottle of wine, oh whatever. Campsite toilet may be the worst toliet in Peru, which is saying something. Still no shower. DISTANCE WALKED 24 kilometres.
DAY 3: The lie-in was yesterday, apparently. 4.30am wake up to coca tea. 7 hour hike before lunch today, the flat and downhill trek provides enough material for another ear bashing from Dinh. Cross many rivers, hike through lush forests, very pretty. Isn´t this lunch the same as lunch and dinner the last two days? How much vegetable soup can a peson take? We take the bus (i.e. truck with 2 benches) to next stop, a promise of Hot Springs. The guide expects us to hike to and from the Hot Springs, a unanimous vote for a bus/truck.
Did we get dropped in the Four Seasons resort. The Hot Springs are incredible, warm, incredible vistas with the surrounding mountains. Cold showers following the hot springs have never felt so good. This deserves and duly gets a bottle of wine. We are in heaven, wife is happy, ears can listen again.
We are given one of the porters matresses at the campsite, smells like someone went toilet on it. Damn I think we got the porters tent too, smells none too good. Portends of much trouble with guide and team to come.
DISTANCE WALKED 17 kilometres.
DAY 4: Turned down guide's invitation to hike uphill with little to see to next stop. Another open top bus (i.e. farm truck) to Hydroelectricia. Beats walking. Hydroelectricia sounds all sophisticated, well not so much. Looks like 19 century wild west one horse town, wait till you see the pictures.. Option of walking or taking the train to Aguas Calientes, 4 of the 7 of the us walk (the other 3 go unnamed but not nameless!). Walk 14 kilometres by railway track, including passing the back of mountains that hid Machu Picchu until 1900s. The brave four makes it to Aguas Calientes almost an hour before the lazy 3 who take the train, ha ha.. The guide really starts to get our rag up, hostel is a pit, also we are told dinner is at his brother's place conveniently, but we are supposed to pay. We give him an earful of what the trip includes, he is outnumbered.
DAY 5: Another 4.30am start, this is getting ridiculous but Machu Picchu is the destination so one last push. Get the bus up, real good move. Machu Picchu is more incredible than the pictures. Damn shame it is in Peru. Walk down 8 kilometres from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes where we get the train from. We are all happy until we find out we have 5 tickets for 7 people for returning to Cusco that day, with Dinh on a train on her own to a less than safe train station in Cusco. I lose it, and have to resort to swearing at guide in English. Horseshit and BS seem to be understood by Peruvian guide. We get the two remaining, incredibly expensive, train tickets with me assuming another identity to share the same train as Dinh. Unfortunate way to finish one of the travel highlights of your life (i.e. the BS with the guide).
Corruption/ Screwing Gringo starts from the top (i.e. government) down.
So Total Distance Traveled on Trek = 81 kilometres (approx 45 miles) (Promised distance = 60 kilometres)

REST OF PERU
- Visited the Sacred Valley, where losts of Inca ruins remain. Inca trail originally went all the way from Cusco to Machu Picchu, approx 110 kilometres. Took collectivos, shared taxis. No problem putting 7 people in one mid size taxi.
- Went to Lake Titicaca, where lots of indigineous people live, 800 of which make their own floating islands out of reeds. Current purpose of indigineous people is purely to bleed gringo... Puno is the access city for the islands, Puno being best described by a fellow traveler as ´PUNO SOUNDS AS PUNO SMELLS.' Still probably worth a visit for the insight into how these indigenous people lived before tourist gringo came along.
- One last night to spend in Peru, we can't wait to leave. Oh, but not too quick. Camera number 2 gets stolen, we believe from our hotel room (otherwise from our daypack on the steet). Peruvians now add thieving bsts to our already low opinion of them.
- By overwhelming gringo vote, we are done with Peru. Very hard to see us going back. We pray for someone to invade (even Bush) and hand Machu Picchu and Cusco over to some more deserving nation!!!!!

Oh and the Jewelry Dinh demands. I think my precious wife has indeed earned some. I am currently searching out a Finishers Medal that she truly earned 😊 Just not sure whether it will be in leather or plastic yet. Will keep you posted. Should it state Qualified (finsher). Voting is wlecome!!

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Comments

[Helen Duncan]

Making it harder than it needs to be.
When Ben and I went to Peru, we just flew to Lima then Cuzco. Acclimated to the altitude for a day or so then took the bus to train to bus up to Machu Pichu. It was damp and cold out and in the bus but luxorious by comparison to your "adventure". As we passed those on the trail, we knew we had made the right choice in taking the train! Peter, you probably won't live long enough to live this down. BTW we didn't eat any cuye either!