Machu Picchu

Our four day Inca Trek began on the 14th September. We had been waiting 4 months to do this and it was the only adventure that we had planned for our entire travel. Not too much pressure on it then but considering some of the adventures weve been on and sights that we have seen that wasnt planned then this has a lot to live up to. And live up to it, it did and perhaps even more. The trail starts just past the old Quechua town of Ollantaytambo at KM82 and here you get your passport stamped which Banjo was delighted with. The first day is relatively easy climbing steadily from 2,600m to 3,100m over roughly 7 hours. It was overcast and at times rain fell but it all seemed to add to the beauty of the Valley below and mountains above with the peaks covered in cloud. The views were still stunning however and we passed a couple of small Quechua settlements on the way, Patallacta was a nice taster of what was to come, which all added to the wonder and mystery of the place. The first night was spent near the small village of Wayllabamba and by the time we arrived the rain had stopped and the clouds had subsided giving us a spectacular view of a snow capped peak to our south. The group we were in was a pretty good one also. 16 of us, a family of five from Denmark, a couple from Canada, two friends from New York, 4 friends from the South of England, a guy from Newcastle in NSW and us. We were all pretty close in age and had quite a bit of fun on the trek. That first night we were introduced to our cooks and the 18 porters or Chaski´s which is Quechua for messanger, who carried all the equipment and some of the groups bags as well. They are incredible men ranging in age from 19 to 50 and all of them flying past you on the trek with bags that weigh nearly twice as much as the one I was carrying. Our guide was also full of jokes and after dinner we spent time throwing some round the table. This was to be a common occurance at every dinner and afternoon tea along the way. We had been told that the 2nd day was considered the toughest and I must admit at times it was pretty tough. The climb in elevation is roughly 1,200m and the altitude knocks all the breath out of your lungs. The climb up though is fantastic. You travel through a small section of cloud forest which is thick in dense jungle, with wonderful plants, waterfalls and rivers running through it. After that it starts to get a bit harder. The pass is called abra de warmi wañusca or Dead Womans Pass and at times I thought they might rename it dead Neils pass. It got to the stage where I was able to walk for maybe 20m before needing a breath. It was not a bad thing though as the view back down the valley was wonderful and the sightings of the snow topped peak I was attempting to coquer in between the clouds was just as spectacular. Eventually I made it, just behind Banjo who had put in quite an effort. The pass sits at 4,200m and the views down both sides into the valleys below are remarkable. It was like something from a Tolkein novel with the clouds below you rising up from the valleys and the peaks, some still covered in winter snow peeking out from behind the thick fog that was in the air. Below us was the rest of the tour groups still struggling their way up the side of the moutain and on the other side was the rapid descent down to the campsite. The descent is much more fun, you can bound down it pretty quickly though you do need to stop every so often to capture a picture of the place you have just been. The pass is named dead womans pass not because anybody died bu because from the mountain opposite, the pass looks like a woman lying down in profile. Banjo and I were first down to the campsite and were even able to help the chaski´s put up the tents. We had left at 6.45 and were not expected to be at the campsite till 2, 11.30 we rocked up...not bad for a couple of unfit vago´s. Speaking of rercords, we were told that evening about the record time to complete the Inca Trail. The trail is only 43km long (about 26 miles) but it is up, down, up, down and the path is definitely not the safest, especially on the down. In the early 2000´s a race was held amongst the Chaski´s and it was won by a man named Saturino who completed the course in 3hours 49mins. He was 42 at the time. The next year he completed it in 3hours 47mins. I would be extremely happy to complete a normal marathon in that time!! The afternoon was spent relaxing, watching the rest of our group come in followed by afternoon tea and then dinner. The next morning was another early start and surprisingly my legs did not feel that bad, perhaps its because I had the whole day to relax them or perhaps I just couldnt feel them at all anymore. Near the campsite was a Quechua ruin called Runkuracay. We were told that this was used as a signal post and gate for the trail. It is perfectly postioned to see smoke or flame signals from the passes on either side and it is from here that you are able to see the outline of the dead woman. The next pass is a meagre 3,950m and on the other side of the pass is the well preserved Quechua town of Sayaqmarka. This is pretty cool to walk about in and explore. It has great views though once again the clouds coming up from the valley obscured some of the view. The town is pretty advanced with wells and a drainage system. Lunch was down in the valley and then the last climb of the day, through Inca tunnels and with some great views down into the valley below including one of the best witnessed on the trip, down to the Urubamba River. We rested for a bit on the last pass and were extremely lucky in that I spotted a condor, which is a very rare sight in the Sacred Valley. Not only did I spot it but it then flew right over our heads, no more than 20m above us. Wow it was wonderful, a huge bird. It got better as at the top of the pass was Saturino who was extremely humble and willing to pose for photos with our entire group. The man is now 50 and is still running this trail weekly. The trip back down the mountain is great. There is another well preserved sight with altars and terraces. Its a pretty fun descent from their down too and today the sun shone which meant we all got fantastic views of the valley and Machu Picchu village below along with the train line. The last Quechua site before the camp is on the side of a hill and is a collection of terraces used scientifically to determine what crops grow best at what altitiudes, its named Wiñayhauyna and is meant to be designed in the shape of an alpaca though I cant see it myself. Camp for the last time and we were presented with a cake which is incredible as the cook does not have an oven to use and so steam baked it!! and it was gorgeous too. The last day is when the magic happens though. Its a very early start and a small ascent to Intipata, or the sun gate. Unfortunately there was no sun and our first view of Machu Picchu was completely masked in clouds. However after some ingenious method created by our guide, we were able to blow away the clouds and then there it was, nestled between two mountains, the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu. It is the most wonderful, incredible place, well preserved and in the most perfect of locations that not only does in look magnificent, but it was designed in a way that there was no need for a defence system. The walk down from Intipata was notable only for the llama who tried to push me and several others off the cliff face before our guide had a wrestling match with it. But when you get to the ciudad and see up close the buildings, temples and Huayna Picchu in the background it is breathtaking. We then had a two hour guided tour of the city learning lots about the various temples, buildings and Inca science and theory on the way. We then had time to ourselves to explore this magical place. People get a spiritual feeling from the city and whilst it didnt happen to me I can understand where it can come from. We were told that we had enough spiritual encounters on the trek so didnt need anymore. It is just the most perfect place, even though it is absolutely chock a block with tourists after about 10, you can still find a place to sit and watch in total peace. The stonework of some of the buildings is exqusite and the observatory where the Incas watched the sun, moon and stars is incredibly clever. Its brilliant, well worth the wait and well worth the arduous climb over Dead Womans Pass though in truth the 3 days trekking was never all that tough. I am going to admit though that on a one day visit, Iguassu Falls maybe just shades it in terms of awesomeness but for a 4 day adventure culminating in one of the most incredible, beautiful and magical sights in the world no doubt, this has got to go down as my best four days. What an experience, I am just so glad that I was able to do it and experience it. It was just a shame that we were unable to climb Huayna Picchu as there were no more permits for the day we arrived.

P.S A note on the tour company. We went with Peru Treks and I cannot praise them highly enough. Our guide Victor and his assistant Manuelito were perfect, both very knowledgable, good english, very entertaining, though some of Victors jokes were a bit off, and both did there utmost to ensure that everybody in the group had the best experience possible. The food was unbelievable, as well as cake we had pizza one night as well. Credit goes to the chef Eddy and his remarkable talents. The Chaskis also were remarkable. All smiling and more than happy to engage in the small conversation that I have in Spanish, and for them also as they mostly spoke Quechua. Overall I was extremely happy with the trek and everything about it. Also the reason I call everywhere Quechua is that Inca is a Quechua word which means leader or king so the people of the Urubamba Valley were actually Quechua. Also Machu means old and Huayna means young. Points go for guessing what Picchu means...