Inca Trail and Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu,
originally uploaded by Hol Riz.

After spending a week enjoying the festivals and cool gringo hangouts of Cusco city we left in the early morning by bus to Urubamba and the start of the Inca trail. After buying the essential walking sticks we set off in the glorious morning sunshine on the famous much trodden Inca Trail. The first part of the trail was what our guide called ¨Inca flat´ and although the trail seemed pretty steep at the time it was, in comparison to the second and third days, a ¨flat¨ hike up the Urubamba river valley. The plants and scents in the sunshine along the trail were very pleasant and we arrived at a beautiful green wooded area for lunch besides the fast flowing river. We were pleasantly suprised when we found a dining tent had been put up for us by the porters who run ahead up the trail carrying huge packs with all the supplies and food. We sat down expecting sandwiches but were treated to a three course lunch including soup, garlic bread, fresh trout and pudding. After lunch we were served with coca tea and we lazed in the sun, taking in the lushious river-side surroundings and feeling mildly euphoric. In the afternoon the trail snaked up the valley rising slowly to an altitude of 3100m. We were given sugary snacks and oranges on the way and arrived at our campsite in the evening feeling in high spirits and only slightly breathless. Our modern dome tents were already up and waiting for us (thanks to those tireless porters!). A local came round with a bucket of cold beers and we sat on the grass drinking with an Australian couple, Dale and Kate and an American dude, Alun. All together our group consisted of 5 Americans, 6 Estonians, and 2 Ozzies plus us. 15 tourists and 21 porters! Plus two English speaking guides, the leader being a very cool and personable chap called Juve. Dinner was again a luxurious, 3 course tented affair. We went to bed early in anticipation of the early wake up call for the famously challenging second day.

We were woken at 5:30am with invigorating fresh Coca leaf tea brought to the door of our tents. After a great breakfast with pancakes, porridge, toast and more Coca tea, we set off up the steeply rising trail. Upwards and upwards we climbed, slowly ascending towards ¨Dead Womans Pass¨ the highest point of the trail at 4200m. Over the next few hours we struggled ever upwards, higher and higher, the air got thinner and thinner and the steep steps got harder and harder. Many breather breaks and a tea and popcorn break later, the top of the pass was in sight. We were stopping to catch our breaths every five steps or so and the top of the pass looked so near yet so far. Becky thought she might become a ´dead woman´ before she reached the pass. We willed our leaden legs to battle up every step and eventually with much huffing and puffing we reached the summit to cheers of support from those already at the top. We were both knackered as we had climbed more than 1100m vertically over 6km and all before 11am! After group photos we continued downwards into thick cloud for 2 hours towards the second campsite at 3600m. While the uphill steps had taken away our breath, the down hill steps hurt our knees, this part of the hike was really challenging. We finally arrived for a good lunch feeling extremely pleased with ourselves for completing the pass and had a free (much needed) afternoon of siesta in the tents listening to the rain outside. (Let´s not even mention the horror show campsite toilets!) We awoke for dinner then after Pisco (local grog) mixed with hot tea we headed back to the tents for a sleepless freezing night of high altitude camping, curled up as tightly as possible wearing all our clothes!

Without the morning tea delivered to our tent we may never have stood up atall, but as we ate our early morning breakfast in the freezing cold the first rays of light hit the top of the hills and we headed up the unrelentingly steep trail into the glorious crisp morning sunshine. The trail climbed steeply again to the second pass and some of the best views of the whole trail.

It was also some of the most painful walking as our legs were starting to go on strike from the exertions of the previous day! We descended slightly from here into cloudforested hills and pausing to explore several Inca ruins we made our way up to the 3rd and final mountain pass. The trail here was surrounded by beautiful vegitation, orchids and wild coloured mosses and the path itself was 90% original Inca stonework. Finally arriving at the top we were greeted by a spectacular vista of snowy mountain peaks and deep valleys below. We could see our final campsite far below us which we would reach after another 2 hours of arduos down-steps work. Upon arriving we were delighted to find a bar serving cold beers and we sat looking 1000m down into the deep valley at the river below. Our last supper was a lively affair with wine and with tradition we tipped our 21 porters 35 Soles each (about 5 UK pounds and about 2 days in local wages) their grins were miles wide.

The next morning we awoke at 4am for the final push to the ¨Sun Gate¨ before sunrise. Feeling mildly nauseous and absolutely knackered we donned our head torches and battled for two hours along narrow cliff hugging paths with drops of 1km down to the river on our right. Eventually after a last near vertical climb we came to the sun gate and our first sight of Machu Picchu, a giant grey saddle of a city on the mountain ridge below us. After a moment of awesome relief and satisfaction and a few photos we had to move along down the trail due to the hoardes of other Inca Trailees building up behind us. We continued down the hill to the classic postcard view of the city from above. It looks so much more amazing in real life than you can imagine from the photos! We had a group photograph there but in our tired semi-delirious state we managed to forget to take the classic photo of us two! The sun rose majestically over the hills to reveal the city and surrounding valleys in all its glory and after some food we took a two hour tour around the ruins in perfect sunshine . At the end of the tour as the clock hit 10am the England v Portugal world cup quarter final kicked of and out came Holland´s radio! The majesty of the un-conquered Inca city was forgotten as his ear was permanantly glued to the radio. The next bus down to the local town was the obvious next move to try and catch the second half of the footy which we did and cheered on by our Ozzy mates we went down in penalties! Doh! We got the train back to Cusco that night through magical mountain scenery and continued the beer drinking all the way into town. Oh how well we slept in those soft hotel beds when we arrived!!

All in all an awesome and rewarding experience but one that we would not repeat! If we had just got that classic postcard photo....Doh! Oh well there´s always Photoshop!

love Holland and Becky!