Day 1 - The Inka Trail The day started with a quick early morning treck across Cusco to the SAS hotel to dump our bags and meet the others. We met the truck that was to take us to the start, it was the same as the Manu truck although much more luxurious. We arrived at KM82 the start of the Inka trail via Ollantaytambo to collect our supplies of coca(aine) leaves and walking sticks. At KM82 we were introduced to the 18 porters(many Ceasors Juans and a freddie) and cook(Guido) a right bunch of characters. All these to support the 14 Gringo's. At the start of the trail Juan and Efrain our guides(and Danny Juan's brother) took the obligotary team photo(see top) The American brothers Evan(far left) & Casey(far right) The Aussie family, Katherine Micheal & Kendal (2,3,4 from right) The Aussie couple Matt & Bernie (hanging on sign & 5 from right) Fellow brits Andreya(right of claire) and Matt(left of ian) James (with the hair!) and Paul left of James. Aussie Arthur didnt make the photo. We followed the train tracks to the first control point then over the rope bride for our first day's 14KM hike from 2380M to 3000M. It was a beautiful sunny day and the trail followed the river through the canyon and rose steadily through small villages to a view point overlooking the ruins of Pulpituyoc where we stopped for a lecture from Juan on the origin of the Inkas. The trail dropped down to the river and ended at our first camp at Wayllabamba. At one of our rests Matt(brit) introduced the delights of coca leaf chewing to those who hadnt had the pleasure (its just nasty stuff). When we arrived at our campsite some of the lads went for a game of footy with the locals while the rest of us chilled out with a mountain of popcorn and milo. After our first experience of the nearby chemical toilets we attempted to find the flushing toilet block but got lost in the dark and nearly fell over a donkey. After a really well presented dinner we all crashed early into our big fluffy down sleeping bags, with an uncertain feeling about the apparently gruesomely hard day to come.