The Inka Trail. Well for Tash on the night before we were to head off it became the toilet trail. She was quite nastily affected by the aweful pasta dish we both endured that evening. Trooper that she is, took some pills and soldiered on.
We headed out to Ollantaytambo for brekkie, and on the way met the group that we were to walk with. The group consisted mostly of Americans (with an abundance of Chicagoans), a couple of aussies and a parents and son from Kentucky. What an accent! The start of the walk was quite easy (apart from Tash of course) and we headed into the trail. Our guide was a diminutive character called Will who was full of useful information. We passed a couple of Inka Sites on the way to our first camp site. It was nestled in a beautiful spot under some imposing hills. We were all in pretty good shape apart from a couple of girls who decided to pack their kitchen sink.
The second day Tash was going great guns and I picked up a touch of the runs. But I got it out and we crested the highest pass of the trail pretty well and up near the front. Its called Dead Womans pass and its 4200m above sea level. It gets its name from the profile it has when you look from a distance. We got clapped into the camp by the porters who carry closer to 18kgs (instead of my poultry 8), so I wasn´t sure whether to be happy or insulted. They were good guys who had everything beautifully organised. Our tents were up when we got to camp, food was great and plentiful, and basically they knew their stuff.
The third day was the best for walking. The sites we saw were the best and the vistas of the walk were at their best. Its the longest day and ends with a section called the gringo killer. Its basically going downhill on steps for 2.5 hours. Legs shake like jelly at its completion.
The last day we woke early (4am) to get a good spot in the line for the last section of the walk. Its a strange custom that the trail opens at 5:30 in the morning, but guides and groups get up really early (one group at 3am!) to jockey for position. It was raining and foggy as the day dawned and we walked the last of the trail. We´d been lucky with the weather as its the rainy season and the only rain that we saw was at night. The sun gate is the first place you can see the magical Machu Picchu, but all we could see was white. People grumbled, but get over yourselves. Seeing it through the mist was better than a clear day in my opinion. Its a wonderful place that really boggles the mind in its conception and craftsmanship. We wandered around with Will getting the lowdown, taking lots of photos and generally admiring the place. We bonded well with our group and it was sad to leave and head back to Cusco. Overall it was a great exprience that we will never forget.
We headed out to Ollantaytambo for brekkie, and on the way met the group that we were to walk with. The group consisted mostly of Americans (with an abundance of Chicagoans), a couple of aussies and a parents and son from Kentucky. What an accent! The start of the walk was quite easy (apart from Tash of course) and we headed into the trail. Our guide was a diminutive character called Will who was full of useful information. We passed a couple of Inka Sites on the way to our first camp site. It was nestled in a beautiful spot under some imposing hills. We were all in pretty good shape apart from a couple of girls who decided to pack their kitchen sink.
The second day Tash was going great guns and I picked up a touch of the runs. But I got it out and we crested the highest pass of the trail pretty well and up near the front. Its called Dead Womans pass and its 4200m above sea level. It gets its name from the profile it has when you look from a distance. We got clapped into the camp by the porters who carry closer to 18kgs (instead of my poultry 8), so I wasn´t sure whether to be happy or insulted. They were good guys who had everything beautifully organised. Our tents were up when we got to camp, food was great and plentiful, and basically they knew their stuff.
The third day was the best for walking. The sites we saw were the best and the vistas of the walk were at their best. Its the longest day and ends with a section called the gringo killer. Its basically going downhill on steps for 2.5 hours. Legs shake like jelly at its completion.
The last day we woke early (4am) to get a good spot in the line for the last section of the walk. Its a strange custom that the trail opens at 5:30 in the morning, but guides and groups get up really early (one group at 3am!) to jockey for position. It was raining and foggy as the day dawned and we walked the last of the trail. We´d been lucky with the weather as its the rainy season and the only rain that we saw was at night. The sun gate is the first place you can see the magical Machu Picchu, but all we could see was white. People grumbled, but get over yourselves. Seeing it through the mist was better than a clear day in my opinion. Its a wonderful place that really boggles the mind in its conception and craftsmanship. We wandered around with Will getting the lowdown, taking lots of photos and generally admiring the place. We bonded well with our group and it was sad to leave and head back to Cusco. Overall it was a great exprience that we will never forget.
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