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.