INCA TRAIL
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Until 7 pm the previous night we did not know whether the six Irish lads, who were the main bulk of our Inca Trail Party had arrived in Cusco. It turned out to be a communication problem with the tour operator! All resolved we left at 6 am the next morning. The drizzling weather did not bode well. Especially after 5 weeks of uninterrupted sunshine and just as we were about to set off on a 4 day trek, supposed to be a once in a life time experience.
ready for the off…. Porters’ trail start line The thought of a wet Inca Trail was dismal.It was aggravated by Jonathan’s, our jolly young guide, comments that it is the time of year when the weather can change and it could be the first wet trail of 2008. We could not be that sanguine: it was going to be our only shot. He hade seen the trail in all kinds of weather! In true stoic British fashion we were determined to enjoy the experience. By the time we reached Km 82, the starting point, the rain had stopped. The overcast weather in a way was preferable to hot sunshine. It gave us time to adjust and acclimatize. We were committed!…….. I was slightly anxious as we were by far the oldest in the group: Six fun loving and eager Irish lads (all under 30), One (late 30’s) Japanese and 2 young guides (At least one of them was female so I was not totally outnumbered). Would we be the weakest link? I should not have worried, with our slower steps and constant rhythm we were always first at each of the passes we crossed. The first day was a gentle introduction. We stopped at a couple of Inca sites, with not too much of an incline. After 5 hours walk we arrived at our campsite. We knew the 2nd day was going to be a challenge therefore we soon decided to hire a porter to carry Chris’ rucksack so I could be relieved of mine. It turned out to be a wise decision.
Pata Llacta Inca Town Willkarakay
1st night: Sliding down the slippery mattresses combined with the rain did not give us a restful night and when a porter came to us with a cup of coca leaf tea at 5 am, we were very happy to get up.
Bed time! Porters, cook and Jonathan 4ft. tall and always happy. The second day turned out as predicted; tough, demanding and fairly hard. We climbed relentlessly for 6 hours to the Dead Woman’s Pass (4200 m/13780ft). We sat there awaiting the rest of our group with a feeling of tremendous achievement. Next we climbed down for 1 ½ hrs. into a beautiful Valley and camp 2. After a stone cold shower we felt invigorated. Sadly the rain had set in. Again not a great night!
Spectacular Valley Dead woman’s pass Paved by the Incas
Camp No 2
Abundance of wild flowers
Lichen’s fruiting bodies Rainforest 3rd Day: 5 am wake up call. Still raining… I was getting unsettled as the 3rd day is supposed to have the most beautiful scenery and views. We had reached the jungle and the vegetation had changed. By mid-day I was feeling cheated and dejected, all we had was rain and no views. “use your imagination “ said Chris to pacify me but however much I tried all I could think was how breathtaking it could be.
The four days of the Inca Trail is described as follows: 1st EASY 2nd CHALLENGING 3rd UNFORGETTABLE 4th UNIQUE We were after all in the unforgettable part! Cursing the Gods did not help. By the time we reached camp 3 we had walked for 9 hours. At this point there was a large shelter which offered hot showers but no water! We reserved tables in the shelter and our cook produced a feast, washed down with beers and Pisco Sour from the bar. It was a somewhat incongruous experience after 3 days emersion in peace and mountain scenery. Even the blaring pop music was not indigenous. We had a very good nights sleep. We were not sure if it was due to the alcohol, the flat pitch or lack of rain. Wake up call with tea at 4.30 am for the final part of the trail. After breakfast we bid Farwell to the porters who had to catch a train at 5.30 am at the bottom of the Valley. We watched them in awe running down the hill carrying all the equipment on their backs.
6 am Our trip followed one of the many Inca Trails, which connect Cusco, the Heart of the Inca Empire with other cities and religious centres. The trail we walked was a path of pilgrimage to the most Holy Inca Site Macchu Picchu. The last climb was to Inti Punku, the Sun Gate. The aches and pain, the drizzle and rain were forgotten. The sight was awesome.
By 9 am the sun was out and we were able to enjoy what must be one of the most amazing sights in the world. Jonathan gave us a 2 hours guided tour, explaining the significance of the Temples and other buildings. For a while, on our own, we were able to absorb the magic of the place
Peruvian rabbit unphased by visitors Aguas Calientes, known as Macchu Picchu town, is a modern unattractive manmade place resembling some ski resorts we have visited, whose sole purpose is to fleece tourists with very little grace. For reasons best known to themselves, the tour operator booked us on the 6pm train back to Ollantaytambo. The idea of 6 hrs in A.C. and a train journey in this stunning valley in the dark was not an option for us. We managed to change our tickets for the 2 pm train and spent a wonderful afternoon and romantic meal at the El Albergue Hotel, one of our favourite spots.
Well deserved rest in beautiful surroundings At 7.30 pm in the pouring rain we met the Irish Lads off the train looking dejected, and transferred by bus back to Cusco.
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