MACHU PICCHU

DAY 4

No sunrise of Machu Picchu for us :((.  Oh well it was still very very cool.  Thank God it didn't rain like this during the first 3 days or my husband would have left me on the mountain.  We had rain gear and a poncho on and we were soaked to the bone.  But we had come this far, I was not giving up just yet.  Once we made it down into the site and could see things this place is like nothing I have ever experienced before.  

 The vastness is beyond words.  You could spend at least 8 hours walking around if the weather was nice and you would not see the same place twice.  It is absolutely huge and breath taking.

The fog and the mist just added to mystical features of this very special place.

 It was so cool to see how they built structures utilising the existing rocks.

Each room had space for the inhabitants treasures.  Some of them were even two story buildings.

If you like history and ruins, this is the place to visit. 

Percy told us visiting Machu Picchu was about the journey not the actual site, and I would have to agree.  Taking the train and seeing the end would be something to see however making the trek adds to the experience ten fold.




 We spent a couple of extra hours walking through each section, trying not to have to climb too many extra stairs.  By mid afternoon, the buses of tourist have started to arrive so it was quite busy.  We had been up since 3am so by noon, we were ready to call it a day.  We jumped onto the bus and headed back into Aguas Calientes where our dry clothes were waiting. 

The end of the trek and we still have smiles on our faces!  We experienced another first this day - a passenger train.  We took the easy way home to Cusco at the end of the day.  By this time the sun was shinning and it was a very leisurely ride back.

It certainly was an experience, I can now cross it off our bucket list and move onto the next adventure.  Thanks Honey for all your support and understanding it was a great ride!  Love You!

INCA TRAIL

DAY 3

Percy, looked after us again today, we were both still not feeling great so he arranged for one of the Porters to carry both of our day bags as well as a small pack of his own.  He was only 48! but we were so grateful because the first thing we had to do was climb back up to 3900m.  As we started our day we crossed a creek.  Percy instructed us to each pick up a rock and carry it with us to summit.  The view was like nothing we have ever seen before.  As we came over the summit of Runkuraqay Pass we stopped at the clearing in the picture below.  This is where Percy had us take our rocks out and spend a few minutes reflecting on our journey so far.  He then told us a story of a previous trip where a young man was bringing a rock his Dad had taken years before to place in this specific spot.  His Dad a recently passed away and his dying wish was to have the rock placed back in its original spot.  The Inca trail has changed his life and he was very grateful.  He then told us to place our rock anywhere we wanted and make a wish.  So far my wish is working, my niece Kristie is responding to her cancer treatment and is doing ok.  The Inca's were very spiritual and powerful people so I thought I would tap into healing strength while I had the chance.

  Once we were up at the top the rest of 16km trek was petty cool.

We went through a series of causeways and tunnels which have been there since the 1500's.

These led to some amazing ruins!

The terrain was quite different on this side of the mountain.  It was more like a rain forest with very dense growth.

The rock work was unbelievable as we climbed and descended through many peaks and valleys.

 We stopped for lunch today and Bill was still not feeling up to par, so Percy had the Porters set up a tent complete with a mattress and he lied down to have a rest while the rest of us ate lunch.  The cook created this great cake complete with our team name piped in icing.  "The Crazy Alpaca's"  were a lot of fun.  Bill did manage to come and have a bit of cake before we headed out again.

 We were all in bed early as our wake up call was scheduled for 3am so that we could be the first in line to make it through the check point.  There was only room for about 3 groups under the shelter so if it was raining Percy wanted us to be protected as we were going to have to wait for a couple of hours before the gates opened.  By this time our meds had started to work and we were both feeling much better.

INCA TRAIL

DAY 2

THE CLIMB TO THE SUMMIT OF DEAD WOMAN PASS

 The climb to the summit is 13,769 ft and was about 13km straight up and then straight down.  The top picture is about half way up and the summit is located around the corner at the bottom of the V in the mountains.  The bottom one is where we had hiked already.

 We saw some spectacular views, ruins and rain forest as we made our way up the mountain.  

The air was getting rather thin and it was difficult to breath, so we made many rest stops along the way.

As we got about 2/3 of the way up to the summit, Jayco our assistant guide who was hanging out at the back with us asked if he could take some of the weight out of my day bag for me. At first I said no but as we rounded the next corner and I saw the massive amounts of stairs we had to climb I caved.  A short while later two of our porters, came running down to meet us.  They had already made it to the top and then ran down to help us with our day packs.  Got to love them to the end of the world.  Even taking 5-7 kg off our backs helped us make it to the top.  They stayed with us as our camel packs were in our bags.

After many many rest stops to catch our breath we eventually made it to the summit.  The snow covered Andes were amazing as they peaked out between the clouds.  The wind was howling at the top so we didn't stay too long, but we dug deep, stuck with it and accomplished something I am very proud of.

From the top you descend down uneven rock stairs from 4200m to 3600m.  This was an extremely long day with no real lunch break until we were in camp at 3:30.  We were exhausted by the time we made it to camp.  Bill was not feeling well so he went to lie down, we were still at fairly high altitudes so neither of us felt like eating.  That night we were both sick and had the runs, not too much fun in a tent in the pitch black with not bathroom facilities close by.  I'm sure Bill was cursing me under his breath, but not once did he complain.  However by this point he had told me I was not allowed to pick the next vacation spot!

Pictures are rather scarce because we were both just trying to breathe and make it through.

INKA TRAIL

DAY 1

The "Family" was complete and ready to hit the trail.  Our two missing hikers met up with us at the hotel in Ollantaytambo.  They had been travelling in Peru and were planning on taking the bus from Lima to Cusco.  They had been drinking the night before and did not actually make it to bed because they were planning on sleeping on the bus.  However when they arrived at the bus station the authorities made they take a breathalyzer and their alcohol levels were too high so they would not let them on the bus.  So they had to wait until the next day, sober up and then take a taxi from Cusco to Ollantaytambo to meet up with us for the trail.  Miles and Wesley probably won't be doing that again and neither will any of the kids on our tour.  No one had ever heard about breathalyzers to get on a bus, and they had been backpacking all through South America.

   This is a porter from another company carrying his load up the mountain.  Ours were so far out in front of us I didn't get a picture with their packs on.  These guys are simply amazing.  They carry everything you need for 3 days on the trail.  They set up camp, cook, bring you water to wash with, serve you coffee in your tent, tear down camp and run up and down the mountain at incredible speed.  They always have a smile on their face and barely even sweat.

 The Coca Leaf!  Legend has it that chewing these leaves like chewing tobacco lessons the effects of the altitude.  All the porters were using it as well as our guides, soooo when you are in Peru, do as the Peruvians do.  Chew!

Percy explained to us that there was a proper way to chew them.  You first had to remove your hat, hold 3 leaves in your fingers, face the highest mountain and then blow over the leaves towards the peak.

We tried but the taste made me more nauseous than the altitude so I opted for my drugs instead.  Not that they helped either.

 This was our first climb of the trip, we eventually make it all the way up to the top

The pathway turns into thousands and thousands of stairs as you wind you way up and up and up.

There are many ruins along the way, some you view from above and some you get to walk right through.

Our snack bag contained Oreo cookies which we were not going to eat, so during our break Bill asked Percy if he could give ours to the little children.  Percy asked the mom and she said yes, however he had to open the package and divy each cookie to the various kids so they wouldn't fight over them.  They don't speak Spanish but were able to say gracious just the same. 

Visiting foreign countries is all about the people for us so any chance we get to interact with the locals is very special.  Once we were set up in camp our first night, the weather was beautiful and the camp was located in a small village that had a futball pitch.  (it was dirt and they had to clean up the lama poop but our young guys from the UK were game to play a match with the locals and porters).  This little fella was like a little mountain goat, climbing all over the rocks and cheering for his team along with Bill.  I was attempting to sign a smile so I could take his picture and he was copying me.  His face lite up in a huge smile when I showed him his photo on my camera!

 Camp was all set up when we arrived, with warm water to wash with and a snack of freshly popped popcorn and crackers.

You could also drink Coca tea which was bearable and maybe helped a bit.

A few of our Porters were on their first trip with G-adventures so the veterans put them though an initiation where they ran down the middle and the rest of them hit them with their bed roll.

Ruben just couldn't resit he had to run down as well.   

THE INKA TRAIL

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 What an amazing journey!  The Peruvian  indigenous people of the mountain or Quechua people are very special.  They opened up their hearts and sacred lands for us to experience and be humbled by.  I have to say this was the most difficult thing I have ever done.  The terrain was challenging but the most difficult part was not being able to breathe due to the high altitude.

Gadventures was a fantastic tour company.   Our group consisted of 16 hikers, 22 porters, 2 cooks and 2 guides.  Bill and I were the oldest in the crowd, with the rest of the group except one ranged in age between 19-25.  The kids as we called them, were from the U.S., London, Denmark, and Canada.  The porters are restricted to carrying 25kg so our duffel bags could only weigh 6kg, 3 of which were for our sleeping bags and mattress.  Anything over that you had to carry in your day bag.  

We met every one the night before we left at a briefing meeting.  When we left the next morning we were two hikers short, they had not shown up.  (I'll explain why later).  The first day was spent travelling through the sacred valley by mini van. 

Our first stop was in a local village.  However the rain had washed the road out so the women gathered all of their treasures and walked down the road to meet our van.  All of their products were had made alpaca products.  

They demonstrated how they dye the wool from natural things they find on the mountain.  Some were plants, others were berries but the most interesting was a tiny red bug they pick off the cactus plant, dry and then crush.

They then add different liquids to the dry bugs to create different shades of red.  The lime juice completely changed the colour.  They then wash the wool in salt water to set the dye.

These woman carry large blankets full of products on their backs all over the mountain to sell to the tourists.

THE SACRED VALLEY

The sacred valley lies midway between Cusco and Machu Picchu.  It is framed by the bold Andes and the Urubamba river runs through the middle.  It is a lush agricultural region that supplies Cusco with much of its produce. 

 Our first stop was the Pisac ruins.  The Incas tiered the mountain directly in front of the structures to slow down the erosion of the soil.  These tiers are only found on the sides of the mountains where ruins are located.

 The intricate water systems built back in the 1500's are still operational today.  Each of the structures had public areas where the Inca's could come to collect water.

 

 

The Inca's believed in reincarnation, however they also believed that your body had to be present to be reincarnated.  Therefore they mummified their dead and laid them to rest in the caves located across a small valley from their living quarters.  When the Spanish invaded all of these grave sites were destroyed and the bodies and treasures removed.

We arrived back in the town of Pisac and spent about an hour walking around the market.  Swen and I bargained with the local woman and purchased beautiful table cloths.  I also spent some time in the silver shop learning how they make their silver jewelry and purchased a great pair of earrings.   We then stopped for lunch which was a buffet of wonderful Peruvian foods.  All you could eat!  Then we carried onto Ollantaytambo, the town we would be staying in for the night.

The ruins at Ollantaytambo

This was our first taste of uphill climbing.  The ruins are not complete because the Spanish invaded prior to completion.  The rocks used to build this site were transported by hand from a quarry about 35km away.  Most of the rocks are massive and I can't image how many people or how long it would take to transport them.  Our guide Percy told us they used water and dropping temperatures at night to break the rocks apart using nature cracks within the rocks.  The Inca people were amazing in what they accomplished.

 Across the valley from the site high up on the mountain side was another set of structures.  These were used to store food due to the cold winds currents that passed through. 

The face was a symbol of protection.  We had the option to hike this trail as well, but we opted to go for a beer and relax instead.

 



All of the ruins we visited had series of never ending steps built from stones which for the most part are original. 

Just an example of the size of rocks that were in place.  Each rock had a small protrusion which Percy said was used to brace the rock as they put it into place.

Pisco Sour

The highlight of our Cuzco Walking Tour

After two days of trying to find this tour in Cuzco we accidental stumbled upon it about an hour after we thought we missed it again.  The tour meets in Plaza Regocijo, however none of the Plaza's are marked so it makes it difficult to know if you are in the right one.  

The tour takes you to non tourists spots around the city and you get to try various different Peruvian dishes and drinks along the way.  

During the tour we tried alpaca, chicha ( a drink made from a base of boiled purple corn), causa (a layer of mashed potatoes, layer of chicken, layer of avocado and another layer of mashed potatoes with an olive and slice of hard boiled egg on top), Peruvian chocolate, and we finished off with the famous Pisco Sour.

Pisco is made from a special kind of grape and is distilled to 45% alcohol.  The Pisco is the base for the drink which is mixed with key lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white.  

Drinking this in the high altitudes in Cuzco can prove to be a little tricky.

But what the heck, this was just a sample! It also goes really well with their other speciality which is Ceviche.  This is the national dish of Peru.  It is raw fish cooked in the acid of lime juice, served with red onion, habanero chile, cilantro, sweet corn and some lettuce leaves.  

Very Very Yummy!  But you have to have really fresh fish!

P.S.  bringing a bottle of Pisco home with me :))) 

CUZCO, PERU

We travelled from Santiago to Lima and then up to Cuzco, arriving at about 1:30 local time.  Our new Hostel Amaru is very charming.  The rooms all surround a beautiful courtyard with a view of the mountain sides that surround the city.

We went for a walk this afternoon to check out our new surroundings.  This city is very different from anywhere else we have been.  Everything is made of stone at street level and each place blends into the next.  In order to find out what is inside you have to go through the doorway and in most cases you can find very nice places.  Each entry way is very tiny at the street but opens up into amazing spaces behind.

This is a typical street in Cuzco, our hostel is located half way up he hill.  The tiny raised rock on the right is the sidewalk, just big enough for 1 person to walk on.  If someone is coming in the opposite direction you both have to turn sideways to get by.  The cars and delivery vehicles drive down the middle.  At night when there are a lot of people on the street sometimes you have to duck in to a door way to let someone by.  If it is tight the cars honk to let you know to squeeze over.

 The main square is located in the centre of the city.  The buildings around the square are magnificent.  They are mostly churches and museums. The larger more elaborate buildings take years and years to complete and employ hundreds of people.

This rock work is typical of the Inca buildings.  Each rock is strategically place with no mortar.  These buildings have withstood many earthquakes over the years and have barely shifted at all.  Quite amazing.

 The second day we were in Cuzco, it was getting a little easier to breathe so we decided to go for a walk up to an archaeological site located just above the city called Saqsaywaman (pronounced sexy woman).  So we packed our day bag and set off walking up and up and up.

 At the bottom of this last climb we met a local fellow that spoke some English.  He told us the site was located at the top, but then told us about two additional sites we could see by horse back if we were interested.  We could also get close enough to Saqsaywaman to see it without paying the entrance fee.  So we decided to take him up on his offer and set out to climb the last segment.

As we ascended in altitude breathing became more difficult.  Our new friend picked some mint that was growing in the wild, told us to rub it between our palms and then inhale the aroma.  It was like menthol and was suppose to open up your airways in order to breathe easier.  At this point we were game to try anything.  Not sure if it actually worked or was just a mental thing but it did seem to make it easier to breathe.






 The first site we came to was the Temple of the moon.  It was located in this very quite valley, with a small creek running through.  We were the only people around so it was very tranquil and beautiful. 

We entered the Temple through the small entrance located above the steps in the above picture.  The Inca's believe in three levels of life.  The past, present and future.  Each of these levels is represented by an animal. The past is represented by a snake, and on the entrance to the cave this snake was carved into the rock at the bottom leading into the cave. The next level is a puma which was carved about half way up leading out and the future was represented by the condor which was carved into the floor as you were leaving.  At the end of the temple was an large flat stone which was used as an alter to make offerings to the God.  Located above this stone was a small hole in the top of the cave which lined up with the summer and winter solstice moons.  As the moonlight moved over the hole during these two times it would directly shine on the alter.  It was very interesting to see and hear about from this local fellow.

 We mounted our horses and rode for another 20 minutes or so and came to another site of a series of caves.  Some were very small but others were large enough we could walk through them.  Each cave had small in caves carved into the walls where the Inca's used to keep there idols and offerings.  It was amazing to see all the different passage ways through what looked like a large rocky hill.

At this point we were overlooking the city of Cuzco with Saqsaywaman located about halfway down on the right.  We jumped back on the horses and rode them down to just above Saqsaywaman.  Our guide then told us that if we walked down the road a ways there was a path we could take back to where we started.  If were were questioned by any one we were to tell them we just wanted to go through the site to get back to town.  If we were lucky we could get some pictures of the site without paying the entrance fee.

We past this lady on our way down carrying her load from the fields to market.  The Inca people are very small, but extremely strong and do everything manually.

As we entered the path the security guard asked if we had our entrance fee.  I explained we just wanted to walk through to get back to Cuzco.  After a few moments of him speaking Spanish and me speaking English and not understanding one another I think he just gave up and let us pass.  By this point it had started to rain  so we just walked back down the hill and didn't try to enter the site as he was standing on the top of the hill watching us.

When we arrived at the entrance of the site there was a taxi, so we negotiated a price and got a ride back into town to the main square.

We thought this was a good start to train for the Inca trail.  Little did we know at the time that this climb was nothing compared to what was ahead.