1 April 09

Inca Trail Day One.

This was supposed to be 'the warm-up day'. The first couple of hours were no problem. The last few hours? ALL uphill and a bit of a struggle and a huff and a puff - BUT WE MADE IT!

We later found out that they had us do the last part of the day (which was all uphill, just to remind you) today, to take the pressure off us on Day Two. Day Two is meant to be the killer! So, in a way, I was glad to get some of the pain out the way.

We walked some 13km. No rain - bonus. Great ruins along the way - added bonus.

Just a word about our porters. These guys are incredible (2 for everyone 1 of us)! They carry everything we need for camp, including our personal belongings, on their back (up to 20kg) and set up camp and cook our meals, long before we even get there! And when I say set up camp, I mean set up all our tents, all their tents, plus our tent where we eat and prepare gourmet meals for us to enjoy. Little Andean Supermen. Its like 5-star camping. Just what you need after a day of hiking.

It's currently 8.15pm and we are actually going to bed *YAWN*. Our muscles are a little sore, particularly around the gluteal-area - ha ha. We're gonna have buns of steel by the time we're through!

Wake-up time tomorrow? 5.50am. Tomorrow is THE day. The monster day. The day that sets apart the mighty from the mice! We begin with 4 hours uphill - steep, I've been informed. Eek! Surprisingly, I still feel upbeat…

Backtrack - what I said about 5-star camping? Well, not entirely true… Squat toilets. Now, we've all been there before and they're generally not SO bad. Here, however? JEEEEESUS! I only wish I could get my gag reflex under control long enough to use them.

WARNING: IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARATION OR CONSUMPTION OF ANY FOODSTUFFS PLEASE DO NOT CONTINUE FURTHER. IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

For some ungodly reason, some 'ladies' have managed to defecate on the walls. Yes! On the WALLS! Not just around the bottom part, but, like, waist height! AND THE SMELL!!! UGGHH!! Now, Ive heard of 'explosive diarrhoea', but this is something else! Just vile…mind-boggling…kind of funny, I guess. No? Well, its a good lesson in co-ordination anyway - balancing on slick floors with trembling quads, with torch in mouth, toilet paper in one hand and nose-pinched by fingers on the other, all whilst trying not to vomit…I can do just about anything now!

Sadly, Tim, as you know, has no chance. We all know about his weakness for all things smelly. He might have to hold on for four days. Poor thing. I don't think he even managed one step inside before releasing a whole lot of dry retching. You can just imagine it, can't you Jeanette?!! LOL!

Anyways, bed time. My hand is too tired to write anymore. Zzzzz...

P.S. Tim's beard is blossoming.

P.P.S. Happy April Fools Day! Perhaps the reason for the state of the toilets? Nah! People couldn't be THAT vulgar, surely!