2nd - 5th October 2008 - THE INCA TRAIL!!! This morning we get picked up by our guide for the Inca Trail, Efrahin (Efra). We head off for the start point at km 82, have a family photograph and get our passports stamped before we start our first day of walking, which will be approximately 11km long. Luckily Efra is a great guide and reminds us to take it easy while being happy to let us set our own pace. We pass our first Inca ruins at Llactapata and luckily our time at Colca canyon seems to have helped us all acclimatise to the altitude so we enjoy the scenery. We arrive at our campsite which is a little way ahead of the most popular site so luckily we have it to ourselves. By the time we arrive the porters have already set up our tents and are busy preparing our supper. We have time for a quick wash before joy of joys - happy hour! We get treated to hot chocolate, buscuits and honey! After stuffing myself full of honey and hot chocolate (with the excuse that I will need the energy!) we get to meet our porters. Our head porter is called Wilfredo, our cook is William and our waiter is Juvenil. We introduce ourselves and find out a bit more about their working conditions. Each porter has to carry 25kg of weight along the trail (which is heavier than my HUGE rucksack) - broken down into 20kg of our equipment and supplies along with 5kg for their own use. It´s good to hear that the weight is now far more carefully monitored than previously, especially as my 6kg daybag feels heavy to me as we struggle up Inca steps!

We have an early wake up call at 4.30 am for our second, hardest day of hiking. For the first few hours we climb steadily higher. Luckily the scenery is amazing and we make our way through cloud forests, feeling the air get thinner and thinner until even 50 steps feels like a struggle! Luckily our Eskay Chaki team spirit prevails and we all encourage each other on until eventually, when it feels like I can´t walk a step further, we reach the highest point of Dead Women´s Pass, at a whopping 4198m above sea level. We celebrate with Oreos and by the time the last Eskay Chaki makes her way to the top we have recovered enough energy to sing our team song as she climbs the last few steps to the top. After a rest and some group photos we´re ready to make our way down, down, down to our second campsite. We arrive to a warm welcome from the porters, who clap our arrival and give us a drink before we try to stretch out our aching muscles. After a quick rest, neither Naledi or I can sleep so we decide to take a little walk (as if we hadn´t walked enough today!) and find a nearby rock to sit on and take in our good fortune. Of course we head back in time for happy hour before food and sleep!

Another early start for our walk up to the second pass at a height of 3998m. The scenery is again stunning and Efra gives us a brief history of each Inca site that we see. We pass two lakes and collect small stones with which to make an offering at the top of the pass. The views from the top are simply stunning and any fatigue soon disappears as we busy ourselves with creating our small towers of stones. Once Efra has joined us at the top (he has earnt his own nickname of ´Sexy Llama´) we head downhill again (which I am finding much harder than uphill!) to the ruins of Runkuraquay before we make our way through beautiful forests to our lunch site. Naledi and I are so pleased to see the clouds clear to reveal our lunch tents that we run into camp - I think the porters think we are either daft or suffering from a lack of oxygen. Naledi managed to confirm their fears by falling off her stool at lunchtime. After lunch we walk (well, Naledi and I decide to test the porters theory that it´s actually easier and better for your joints if you run - it´s definitely easier but not sure I could do it when weighed down with a 25kg pack!). We scamper into the ruins of Intipata beore heading down to our last campsite. We have all grown incredibly fond (and amazed by their stamina and cheerfulness) of our porters, my favourite is our shy waiter Juvenil who always greets is in the morning with Coca tea and a smile. We decide to ask them all to sign our ponchos so entertain ourselves rounding them up until happy hour. Naledi and I brought along a bottle of Pisco mixed with fig and milk (well, actually one of the porters unknowingly carried it for us!). We planned on celebrating with it at Machu Picchu but decide we would much rather crack it open tonight and share it with the porters, Efra and our Eskay Chaki team. Once the porters realise that Naledi really is trying to ply them with alcohol they all seem to enjoy sampling it, and find it especially funny when Naledi offers some to Pacha Mama, or Mother Earth. After a wonderful last supper from William a few of us decide to head to the bar and celebrate with a couple of beers. By the time the bar closes (luckily at the very reasonable hour of 10pm!) we have dragged Efra onto the dancefloor for a few quick spins before bedtime.

This morning we get our last cup of Coca tea at 3.45 before a speedy breakfast and goodbye to our porters before we head off to Inki Puntku, or the Sun Gate. I ache all over but climbing up to see the clouds slowly clear to reveal Machu Picchu more than makes up for any aches or pains. As we walk down towards the ruins the sun rises and we see Machu Picchu in all its glory (and before the hoards of other tourists arrive!). Efra gives us a very informative tour of the ruins but it is hard to take it all in! After saying goodbye to Efra we all head back to Cusco via the train and bus. After arriving back in Cusco and finally getting clean, Naledi and I decide to head out and see a great live band who somehow combine traditional Peruvian instruments with electric guitars and still manage to sound great! A fantastic way to end one of the most challenging and rewarding part of my trip so far.