The Inca Trail

22nd-25th Nov

We have just experienced probably some of the most challenging days of our lives, but wow, we saw some of the most spectacular scenery though. Let us take you on the journey that had been the Inca trail and Machupicchu.

The trail is only 33km long, but takes three and a half days to walk , because the tracks are on the side of the mountain range. On Tuesday we were picked up at 6.30am for a long bus ride to where the Inca trail started. On the way we stopped for breakfast at a cute little place surrounded by hills with guinea pigs and cats and we got to know the people that we were spending the next four days with. From Australia there was Chris and Lauren, father and daughter team and friends Liz and Louise. There was Montse from Spain and Ben from Switzerland. After getting each others stories and filling up on scrambled eggs and bread, we were on our way again.

Roch, Chris, Montse, Pete, Ben, Lauren, Liz & Louise

There were several other buses and locals trying to sell us all sorts when we reached our destination. We got our backpacks, bought some walking sticks (which were the best investment ever), dosed ourselves in sunscreen and went to the first check point to get our passports checked and stamped. Then we were off!

It was an easy start, small uphills and flats next to a river with the very majestic and snow capped Mount Veronica looking down at us. We looked down on the ruins of Q’anabamba and also Q’entimarka, situated at the base of the foreboding mountain range. This was meant to be the easy day in terms of walking, but we struggled a bit as we each had our backpacks and had not conditioned our flabby bodies for the hike. What were we in for! We walked about five hours that day and arrived at our camp- we were the last ones there.

Our tent was already set-up thanks to the ninja like porters and dinner was getting prepped. We were up on a mountain next to a little settlement and there were mountains all around us, oh yeah and the worst toilet EVER. You smelt it way before you saw it, and when you saw it you wished it wasn’t a squatter. The worst toilet so far. We had pre-dinner popcorn and hot chocolate (soon to be known as Happy Hour snacks) in the dinner tent followed by a great spread then an early night. For being on a camping trip and having all our food, cooking utensils and even the gas bottle being carried by the porters, we ate some amazing food that was unexpected.

Pete's face says PAIN

Wednesday: Day Two. This was the killer. We had already organised a porter to carry one of our backpacks as we knew we wouldn’t cope. We took half hour turns with the pack, it was so much harder with it on trying to walk up the incredibly steep steps. The funny thing was, we would be having a little rest on a rock every so often and these porters would run past us, uphill, with fifteen to twenty kilos on their backs. They were so amazing and strong and made us look pretty pathetic. The peak was on Abra Warmiwanuska which reached 4201 Metres above sea level, so of course the big problem was the fact that the higher we got the thinner the air got. A double whammy. When we weren’t looking down at our feet concentrating on breathing and not collapsing, the scenery was beautiful and changed so much the higher up that we got. There was a stream running over rocks and trees would make a canopy over the stairs that just went on for ever. Towards the top of the mountain the canopy opened up and we could see specks of people that were the rest of our group, and in the last half hour, even though we were so close we still couldn’t go any faster up hill, in fact we probably went slower as our bodies were protesting and oxygen was sparse. As we got close the guys were cheering us on, and reaching the top was the best sense of relief! We took celebratory photos and rested the legs and then spent the next couple of hours walking down the other side!!!! Our legs were screwed!!

We arrived at the camp about 2pm, had a late lunch then chilled for the rest of the day. Everyone was so tired but no one wanted to risk a nana nap for fear of being awake all night. We had a little lie down in the tent though and when I got up and went outside, looking over the valley a hummingbird flew right in front of me and started to drink the nectar out of some fuchsias. It was so elegant and graceful and simply suspended itself in air whilst dipping its beak into the long flowers. Beautiful. We spent the afternoon telling jokes and Chris taught us some party tricks and we played charades and had a relaxing but very funny evening. We watched a fog come up fast through the gully which was neat, had dinner and pretty much passed out straight away. Oh, and we had real toilets this time too!! Yay!!

Thursday morning we awoke as normal to: ‘room service’, which is a touch on the tent (or as the guides would say, we will ‘torch’ the tent) a cup of coca tea and a couple of stiff legs. We had been warned that the walk that day would be the longest, but far easier then the day before. We went past the ruin of Runkuraqay before a great deal of steps uphill, which got the legs stretched and the lungs working. We had another Inca sight to visit, Sayaqmarka, a place that would’ve held a few families and also a place to stay for pilgrims and Incas. It was high on a mountain and quite mysterious with the low cloud and was defiantly safe from harm with the only way to get to it being these extremely steep steps.

We then had the easiest and for me the most beautiful part of the walk, through the Cloud Forest. It is at cloud level and because of the constant moisture has beautiful colours, textures and flora. There was also constant cloud so there was no view, only a bit in front and behind and a little down, where we could see the edge of the path and the cliff that did not look very forgiving. It was so peaceful and mysterious and not that strenuous so we could really take in our surroundings.

We had another great lunch and to top off our nine hours of walking we had to go down 3000 steps to make it to the camp site. The last half hour of that walk was the longest! The camp was a big one and all the groups doing the trek were there and you could buy beer, although we didn’t as we knew it would put us on our arse, but best of all we could have a shower!!! It was brilliant to be able to take off the layers of sunscreen and insect repellent and sweat. We had dinner and finished off the evening with a small ceremony where we presented all the porters and the cooks with tips and thank you speeches. No one in our group had any idea what was going so it ended up being quite funny. Pete tried to start things off but was told to stop, to allow one of the guides to take over, ‘The Super Cool Guy‘ , he referred to himself as.

Super cool guys and our porters

As we were going to bed there was thunder and it started to rain. It rained all night and it dripped on my head while I was sleeping and came into the tent. By 3.30am came around we were woken for the early start and we really hadn’t had much sleep, and it was still raining. This didn’t dampen our spirits though. It did finally stop raining not long after we got up and, well, we were going to see Machupicchu!! The end of our pain was nigh and excitement and anticipation took over. We were all very quiet in the morning, but as the rain dried up and the fog started to lift so did the moods and we were ready to go. It was a 2 and a half hour walk to our destination, and we were all so ready to be there. It was a beautiful walk as normal, Pete and I had our own backpacks to carry, but we had gotten ourselves well seasoned by then and it defiantly wasn’t as bad as the first day. Pete powered on ahead on this morning. He came into some power surge and was off. I was too busy taking photos of orchards and the fog around the mountains.

Our first view of Machupicchu was completely covered on fog. We could see the tip of Yunapicchu and that was it. As we got closer the cloud started to lift more, so by the time we reached the point of looking down at it we could see the city and it locked very airy but so peaceful. It was amazing to finally reach it and the view was breathtaking. The city is high on a mountain, and all that was surrounding it was these mountains with shear cliff faces and clouds dancing in between. Just standing there and taking in the whole view was absolutely magical. We completely get why we injured ourselves now!!! Photos and footage are never going to do this place justice. They are never going to show just how magnificent and big and high it really is. Or give you the feeling of just how small you really are.

Made it!!!

Machupicchu is the only place that the Spaniards didn’t get to and fuck up. It’s the only Inca sight that still has all the buildings and its sun dial in tact because this fact. It is in the shape of one of the Incan gods- the condor. It was where Incan royalty lived and always held a position of power. So much history has come from there, and sadly much history has been lost forever from the lack of documentation to unlock the mysterious relationship these ancient peps had with this majestic land. All we know is that the Incas were quite smart, a strong race that erected their monuments and temples in alignment with either the moon or the sun because they were lunatics. We were given a tour of the area by Bearnie and Sol and afterwards sat on the terraces with the alpaca and looked out over the magnificent mountains.

Our first beer

In the afternoon we caught the bus to the nearby town to have a last lunch with the group and the guides. We had our first beer for a couple of weeks which just about made me fall asleep, but was worth every drop. We got a train and coach home, ending up back in Cusco with just enough energy to shower (now that one was sooo good-clean hair!!!!), grab a pizza and pass out. Trust us when we say you must visit Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Machupicchu, Peru