It was 4.45am when the alarm went off, we awoke and packed the remainder of our equipment for the next 4 days. The bus left in 45 minutes to take us on the 4 hour journey to KM82, where we were to begin our trek along the world famous Inca Trail. The previous night we had met up with our guide, Carlos and the others in our group - 2 from the UK, Kelly and Dan - Megan and Hodgey from Aus and Lisa and Tom from the USA. We had been taken through the plan and type of trail, and recieved our sleeping mats. Kelly and Dan and Rachel and Me were all to carry our own equipment, the other 2 couples had hired porters. We were already regretting this decision!
We stopped for breakfast about 8am in a roadside cafe, where we also picked up most of our porters, all 14 of them. It was 10.00am when we set off from KM82 - some 2600meter above sea level. The trail started steadily, following the path of the river, climbing slowly up and out of the valley bottom. During the first day less than 10% is spent walking along the original Inca Trail. Unlike the previous trek we had done up Pico Humbolt, we walked slowly and stopped regularly for breaks. This was easy!
By lunchtime we had stopped for another rest above the first of many amazing Incan sites. Beautifully and skillfully carved into the mouatain side below us was a fortress of stone, sitting atop immaculate terracing, running the full length of the site. Carlos took sometime to introduce us to the Incan civilisation and explain some of the history behind the site before we continued along the trail. By 2pm, we had reached the lunch site, and were greeted by a round of appaluse from our porters, who had all run ahead when we set off, carrying approx 30kg each. They had set up a tent, which contained a table, 9 stools, and a banquet, the food was amazing. After lunch we had about 2 hours left of the day, before we would make our first camp. We left the lunch spot with the porters clearing up and taking everything down. The hike after lunch was very difficult and the food lay heavy on all our stomachs. About an hour into it, we were again passed by our porters, all running along, up the hill carrying this amazing weight - how the hell do they do it?!! We arrived at camp at 5.00pm, to find our tents up, the porters sitting around waiting for us to arrive with another round of appalause. We dumped our stuff and washed before heading into the eating tent where hot drinks had been prepared along with huge bowls of Popcorn and biscuits. 2 hours later after a few hands of shit head, dinner arrived, and was again an absolute banquette. We could not believe the standard of food being cooked for us and how well we were being looked after - It was like being an English colonial leader in the 1890´s in India, when we were still discovering ´new´ places. We all felt a little guilty for not being able to finish all the food. After dinner Carlos explained that we had done well time wise that day, and had actually walked an extra hour than usual. Which meant that the following day would be slightly easier, however we had to get up the big peak first. We camped at 3000m, and the first peak of the following day was at 4200m, up and over steps all the way. We were all prepared for the 2nd day being the most difficult of the trek, as we had all been warned, but no one can prepare you for all those steps!.
The following day we were woken at 6.30 by the porters, knocking on the tent with Coca Tea, and a bowl of hot water each for washing.. This was luxury!
After breakfast of pancakes and toast and porridge and fruit we set off up the long steep climb to dead womans pass. We were told it would take about 4 hours to climb, and Carlos stayed at the back of the group, told us to wait at the top and let us all go at our own speed. Within 3 hours we had all made it safetly to the top, and within another hour had made it down the following side and were at the lunch stop some 2 hours early. The porters were all really impressed, if not worried as lunch was not ready for us!!
The afternoon took in another pass and some more ruins before decending once again to the 2nd campsite. We had stopped at one of the ruins not usually visited in order to let our porters pass and set up camp. That night after the usual feast, Carlos gave us 2 options for the following day. 1 to walk the 4 hours to the next camp in the morning, stay there and then do the 2 hours to Macchu Picchu in the early hours of the 4 day, or walk the full 6 hours to Machu Picchu tomorrow, spend some time there, camp at the bottom, then get up slightly later on the 4th day to have a second look at Machu Picchu, something not many people get the chance to do.
We all decided to push on the following day and make it to Machu Picchu 1 day early.
After the usual morning banquette we set off on day 3 of our trek, it was raining and the clouds were all around us, we were all praying that it would lift as the scenary on this day was meant to be the best!. The first part was meant to be a 100 meter ascent followed by a 900 meter descent to the lunch place. We set off at 7.30 and had arrived by 10am again panicking the porters who were worried as they were not expecting us until 12.00pm. We spent some time looking at another Incan site some 2-300 meters from the lunch spot, before having lunch and then proceeding for another hour to the Sun Gate, from where we would get our first look at Machu Picchu. It was meant to be only 48 meter of ascent, however it was hard work, and Rachel and myself were constantly behind the rest of the group.
3, 2, 1 more step and we passed through a small stone arch way and there in the distance, surrounded on 2 sides by mountains was Machu Picchu!. We all sat and looked, it was an amazing site and well worth the 3 days trekking to get there.
After catching our breath and taking some snaps we rucsac´d up one more time and walked down the last part of the trail, into Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu is awesome, built some 2400 meters up a mountain, there are houses, temples and terraces all built with stone from the mountain and integrated into the shape of the mountain as the Incan people believed that the mountains were gods and they wanted to work in harmony with their environment as well as being designed to withstand the numerous earthquakes. We spent a couple of hours exploring the site, we would have a guided tour tomorrow so looked at the places we wouldn´t take in during the tour.
At 4pm we headed out of the site and took the bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes where we took advantage of the hot springs with a well deserved beer. More beverages where consumed in a nearby bar where we celebrated with Carlos, taking full advantage of the 3 for 1 pisco sours. We then had to walk back to our tents in the dark and were once again greeted by the porter team with clapping where upon we clapped them in return for their hard work. After dinner the porters were brought into the tent so that we could thank them, Kelly kindly spoke in Spanish and delivered a speech along with a monetry tip - the porters only get paid 160 soles = 26 pounds per trip and they work 4 days on and 3 days off every week!! Although some companies pay as little as 80 soles.
The next morning we woke early to get the first bus up to Machu Picchu - our knees could not take another step. At the top the mist was down and visibility was poor, we hoped to go up to see sunrise but were relieved that we were not arriving through the Sun Gate now. Our tour guided by Carlos showed us the temples relating to water, sun and earth as well as the sun dial damaged during the making of a beer comercial - for which the Govenor who gave permission is now in prison because of it. The masonry of these buildings is impeccable with stones bigger than is humanly possible to move. Our tour over, the group split up and went their seperate ways, Kev and I headed up to the terraces overlooking the site and sat there waiting for the mist to clear, teasingly lifting and falling again. Eventually the mist cleared enough for us to see the whole site, Kev turned to me and presented me with another ´gift´. From his pocket he produced a box, I opened it and, to my astonishment, was another ring, a beautiful diamond and platinum ring that fit wonderfully on my finger and, if I do say so myself, looked amazing. Although there was no bended knee for a second time but this I could forgive because I don´t think Kev would have got up again! We wandered back to Aguas Calientes and met up with the others, we said our goodbyes as half of the group was heading off, and went out for dinner to celebrate our second engagement. After a good nights sleep in a proper bed we woke the next day to shopping and the train ride back to Cuzco.
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