So here´s a quick breakdown of the hike:
Day 1- We left at 530am. First day hiking was pretty easy. We hiked for 2 hours stopped and had lunch and then hiked for three more. The food was so impressive there were always 2 to 3 courses. A soup and then a main dish and sides and then sometimes hot jelly for dessert. It was relatively flat on day 1 just a few stone stairs here and there- a little preview of what was to come. This was the first time I saw the porters in action. Oh my gosh I am in awe of them-they were carrying 50 plus lbs of equipment (tents food etc) they even had a small table and chair set that we ate our meals on, and would run up the path ahead of us to get everything set up before we got there. Never ceased to be amazed by these men.
Day 2
This was the hardest day (possibly the most physically challenging thing Ive ever done). The first 5 hours were uphill! We climbed (by climb I mean walked very slowly) to 13, 700 feet, up the thousands of stairs to get to the top of Dead Womans Pass (the name of the really high mountain we summited). The altitude was fierce, I felt my heart racing and was out of breath every few steps. We had a really nice guide named Nayruth who walked behind us and kept saying take your time, your supposed to enjoy this, you have all day, this is not a stressful activity. It felt great to be at the top, beautiful views and a sense of accomplishment that only comes when you push your body to the limits. We had a little ceremony to thank Pachamama (mother earth in Quechua) involving rocks, coca leaves and blowing breathe to each mountain. We had a much easier 2 hours downhill hike full of lovely stone steps and arrived at the campsite in the afternoon with plenty of time to crash and relax. It was the most beautiful place to camp, right in the middle of the Andes. Was on top of an old Incan cemetery so there were some spooky ghost stories too.
Day 3
We covered a lot more ground on Day 3 (16km) but it was not near as steep as the day before. Beautiful scenery on relatively level ground = my favorite hiking day. We hit two mountain passes but none as tall or as steep as Dead Womans Pass. I had a lot easier time really noticing and appreciating the beautiful Andes mountains as I hiked, we did a lot of group singing while we hiked too. Saw some really cool ruins this day. Food continued to be incredible (ie fresh quinoa soup, fried chicken, potatos etc). Day ended with a little ceremony to thank our porters-I continued to be impressed with them-those dudes work hard.
Day 4-Machu Pichu
We really wanted to make it up to Wayna Picchu which is this mountain top next to Machu Pichu--its like the post card shot people always take of Machu Picchu. Most people that do Inca Trail dont usually do Wayna Picchu (i see why now) because only the first 250 people are allowed up the mountain top so people get up really early to wait in line to go. We were about two hours away from Machu Picchu so we needed to wake up extra early. We woke up at 330am had breakfast at 4 then went to get in line at the control station that opened at 530. We were the second group in line and we knew we had to hurry to get to Wayna Picchu in time. So we power walked-jogged to the sungate which is 6 km at 530 in the morning. Yep its still dark outside so we were wearing headlamps and running through the trail in the dark. We all made it to the sungate exhausted (I may have shed a few tears out of exhaustion) and we had about 30 more min to go to get to Machu Picchu. Everything worked out and we got there in time to get the tickets--yay! Our tour guide said that this was the first time she´s ever done Inca Trail and Wayna Pichu. Then we summitted a huge mountain-more stone steps and it took about an hour of steep uphill climb. The view was breathtaking and totally worth the strain. We get to the very top and sit down to admire the view and we each have been saving a cliff bar for 4 days to eat at the very top. Im opening it and I say Im so excited to eat this Ive been waiting four days, I open it and it jumps out of the package and falls down the mountain. I immediately start crying and laughing at the same time. Its kind of funny now. We hike down the mountain and then Nairuth takes us on a tour of Machu Picchu. It is really spectacular. I was so exhausted I had a hard time enjoying the tour. Afterwards though we got like an hour to just sit and look at it and I enjoyed that, I could just not walk anymore every step hurt-the bone crunching steps had done their job. Took a train and a bus home and were exhausted by the time we got to the hostel. Ive never appreciated a luke warm hostel shower like I did that night.
Am currently in Lima, Peru anxiously awaiting one more World Teach Marshall Islands friend, Cassy, to come and join us for our last 15 days of travel. We are heading to some sort of beach town in the North of Peru to spend our last days relaxing and enjoying freedom and unemployment. As much as I know I will miss the travel lifestyle when I get back, am pretty pumped to be in one place for a while, close to family and not having to carry all my belongings on my back. Can´t wait to see all your faces when I get home.
No comments:
Post a Comment