Cusco and the Inca Trail

Cusco

After a short 30 min flight to Cusco (the center of the Inca Empire) we settled into a hotel near the town square. Cusco is situated at over 10000 feet so breathing becomes more difficult and I definitely noticed the altitude. Even climbing a short set of stairs had me huffing and puffing.

The first 2 days in Cusco is spent acclimatising. I did a city tour to some of the Inca ruins but to honest they were quite disappointing. Cusco itself is quite a pretty city. Low rise building with orange roofs and nice architecture in the from of cathedrals and churches and long and steep narrow streets with plenty of steps. At night Cusco looks even better with most historical building nicely illuminated. On the streets there is plenty of hassle from street kids trying to sell you painting, cheap jewelery or wanting you to pay for a photograph of them. It's all a little too much when you see a 6 year old kid working from early morning until very late at night. We were told not to give the kids candy or money as this encourages their parents to keep them begging instead of them going to school.

As with many poorer countries there is no shortage of markets and people selling the same merchandise at every tourist hot spot. When you've seen one stall you've pretty much seen them all. Soft Alpaca and Lama clothing seems to be the go. It is quite cheap but I already have enough to carry around.

The nightlife in Cusco seems very lively and the English couple and myself found a cool little bar over looking the main square and serving excellent happy hour cocktails with decent music. The problem for many of us on the trip is the early starts and our body clocks are all over the place coupled with the fact that it seems much harder to sleep for long periods at altitude. You find yourself trying to grab an hour or two when on a bus or train.

Inca Trail

We were giving our briefing the day before by our guide, Henry. One good thing about the Gap tours are that they use local people well versed in the history and culture of Peru. We were told that there were 14 of us doing the hike and that we would have 22 porters and 3 guides. We are given a duffel bag to fill with clothes and toiletries which must not exceed 6 kgs. The porters are now limited to carry a maximum of 25 kgs whereas in some cases in the past they carried over 50 kgs which apparently led to some deaths. The walk itself is only 43km and you climb over three mountain passes. The highest of which is on day 2 at 4250m.

Day 1 - We took a 90 min bus ride to the 82km check point and the start of the trail. At one time the trail led all the way to Cusco but the Incas destroyed the trail to protect Machu Picchu from the Spanish invaders. The Spanish never did discover Machu Picchu and it wasn't until 1911 when it was finally discovered.

The first day is pretty easy and leads through a beautiful valley of towering mountains. The weather was warm and although there was a thin layer of cloud the majority of group got sun burnt. On the way up the valley you pass the ruins of a small Inca city with the traditional Inca style terraces. After 2 hours we stop for lunch. Everything is prepared for our arrival. There is a tent setup and a 2 course meal consisting of soup and a fancy chicken roll stuffed with ham, cheese and greens. After a hot drink you are told you can lie outside on some pre-prepared mattresses for a siesta. All in all this is a very cushy trip. You don't have to do anything other than walk and carry a day pack with wet gear, water and camera equipment. There are plenty of clean toilet facilities on the entire Inca trail although no showers until the final campsite.

After lunch it is another 2 hrs to our first campsite which is set near an old ruin and on a very green terrace. The cloud cleared and we had great views of the surrounding mountains. Again everything is prepared by the porters upon your arrival. The tents are setup and your duffel bag inside your tent. Then dinner is served again in the communal tent. The food is actually very good considering the number of people and every single meal, being it starter, main or dessert was different on everyday of the hike. Because of the early 5am wake up calls we all retire to bed by 9pm on the first night.

Day 2 - This is the challenge day where you climb up to Dead Woman's Pass and the highest point on the Inca Trail. We are told the day would take about 7 hrs. You could do the hikes much quicker if you were fit and didn't stop but I think the group were glad to take their time and have plenty of rest stops. After 2 hours of climbing we stop for half of our lunch (soup and garlic bread) before we continue on for the last 1 1/2 hrs. The trail itself has many steps and it definitely helps having two poles for ascending and most of all, descending. After lunch at over 4000m you really start to feel the effects of altitude and many people walk a few meters and pause to catch their breath. I was struggling also but kept a steady pace which led me to the summit first. I was at the summit for about 1 1/2 hrs before the final members of the group finished the climb. The morning had been beautiful weather and the views excellent. On the other side of the pass however it was misty and it was raining by the time we took the group photo. You descend for about 1 1/2 hrs to the campsite below where we were all glad of a late lunch and early dinner. We were all in bed by 8pm. The main problem with that however is that I tended to sleep until 2am and then was restless until the wake-up call at 5am.

Day 3 - This is a 9 hr day consisting of a 16km hike and the remaining 2 passes. The guide told me day 3 had some of the best views which unfortunately for us we had to imagine as we were in thick mist for 90% of the day. The actual plant life on the trail is amazing and more than makes up for the lack of views. The number of species of plants and flowers is a botanists dream. For example you have huge cactus's, huge spider plants, hundreds of different types of trees growing at extremely high altitude and over 400 species of orchids (some flowering for just 1 day). On Day 3 after the final third pass you descend for about 2 1/2 hours to the final campsite. Towards the end of the day we emerged from the mist and cloud to see beautiful valley views and visit some more Inca steeply terraced ruins. Everyone made it safely to camp and all of us were in anticipation of the final 2 hr walk to Machu Picchu on day 4. Upon arriving at the campsite on day 3 and after a hot shower I didn't feel quite right. 3 trips to the toilet and then 3 trips out of the tent to violently vomit ensued. I'm not exactly sure why I was sick as I had eaten the same lunch as every else. The guides gave me some tea and buscopan to calm my stomach and luckily the vomiting stopped and got some sleep hoping I would be able to complete the hike to Machu Picchu at 5am the next day.

Day 4 - We are woken at 4am and I am feeling a bit weak but managed to drink some tea and plenty of water. The group finish their breakfast and we present our tips to the guides and porters. I think we all gave generously as we really appreciated the efforts of the porters. They work tirelessly hauling huge bags on their backs and race past you on the trail. One porter set a record of 3 1/2 hrs for the entire trail a few years ago. If you've ever walked this trail then you can't imagine what an amazing feat that is. I still can't believe it is physically possible.

The mist is very low once again but we set off at 5.30 am and hope it will clear. We walked for about 40 mins before ascending to the Sun gate for our first view of Machu Picchu. Of course we don't see a bloody thing! We wait about 30 mins before starting our descent to Machu Picchu. It takes about 20 mins to descend and out of the mist and we suddenly get a glimpse of the ruins. It's hard to put into words how amazing this place is. Despite all the photos there is nothing like being there and seeing everything in fantastic 3D. The mist slowly begins to lift and we get the famous view of Machu Picchu. The peaks of the larger mountains in the back ground remain in cloud for most of the day and the mist comes and goes throughout our stay. We have plenty of time for photos and Henry gives us a 2 hr tour of the ruins. It begins raining again about 1 hr into the tour. The changes in the weather add to the mystic of the place. You can, if you wish, climb a steep mountain on the other side of the ruins for the reverse angle view. I think by this time we are all a little tired of climbing more steep steps so none of us attempt it.

We descend by bus to the river and small township of Aguas Calientes below where we wait for our scenic train ride back towards Cusco. The train ride itself was a bit bizarre as the two hostesses after serving a snack began a fashion show in our carriage to some cheesy music. At the end they then try to sell the garments.

I would highly recommend the Inca Trail or one of the other treks to Machu Picchu in the area. It really is an amazing experience, challenge and is spiritually up lifting. Despite some of the group not being very fit everyone made the trip. It helps the enjoyment factor if you actually do some physical training beforehand. Some were walking like they were twice their age by the last day but I think even they appreciated the achievement. The guides were always very encouraging and you had one leading the main group at the front, one in the middle and one at the end.

Now I'm back in Cusco and I'm typing this at 4am as I can't seem to sleep for long periods despite feeling physically tired. Today is a day off before a 7 hr journey to Puno and a visit to the villages on Lake Titicaca.