Inca Trail - Day 1
Trip Start
Apr 10, 2006
1
43
47
Trip End
Jul 24, 2006
Cusco,
Peru
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
The group split, as not everyone was able to get passes to do the Inca Trail. I felt sorry for Kerry, Maru and Michael as they weren't joining the rest of us on what is an absolute must for Peru. Apparently they had a good time on another trek, but it can't have been the same. There are only 500 passes issued each day for the trail and that includes porters, so roughly 120 tourist passes. You need to book well in advance to get one, and it is verified by passport number - if you lose your passport or the number is recorded incorrectly; you won't be going!
So even though I felt lousy, I felt lucky to be on the trail
Away we go
.Our little Inca trail group headed off by mini bus and stopped close to the start of the control check to meet our porters, Miguel our guide, and to buy snacks and walking sticks.
This was an exciting time, and once we were under way it was just great to see the Andes upfront and personal.
The walking the first day was relatively easy, and the trail was well trodden and easy going. Climbs were slight and the countryside just glorious, with ravines, rivers, open pastures and fantastic mountain views.
We had 9 porters and a cook, plus the most fantastic guide (Miguel), and at various intervals we stopped for a rest and snack - I think this was more for the porters, who carry some 20-25 kilos each at at an amazing pace. We were apparently putting up quite a pace, having already decided to cut the trek from 4 to 3 days, we were still hitting break points ahead of time. I think this was more to do with Frank, who I swear is a human train and even with a full pack he could have walked the entire trail in a day
Inca Map
!The porters had set up lunch by a small river, and our three course lunch was great, which reminds me if you think you are going to lose weight on these trips forget it, although you are exerting a lot of energy, the food is so good and there is lashings of it!
During the afternoon the trail got a little steeper and tougher, and in spite of it being difficult to breathe and tired legs it was really exhilarating.
We made camp at about 5.00pm and having washed and changed, I pulled out the cards and we started the first of many really fun evenings, of cards, jokes, banter and mind games. As with most evenings we were in bed and asleep around 8.00pm, tired, thrilled and excited about the rest of the trail which we would hit the following morning around 5.00am.
