Just a forewarning, this will be a very long post. Unplug the phone, make yourself a sandwich and get comfortable. In this blog entry I will go into detail about my 4 day trek through the Andes which ended at Machu Picchu.
A little background first on Machu Picchu. The city was built in the mid 15th century by the Incas but abandoned just 100 years later due to the Spanish conquest. It is believed that a majority of the inhabitants died from smallpox. The Spanish did their best to destroy much of the Inca empire but for some reason they left the city untouched. Our trek began at 7 am on Tuesday morning and would last 4 days ending at one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Day 1
Rain. We boarded a bus Tuesday morning with 11 other tourists and 2 guides, drove two hours past the town of Quillabamba to an elevation of 4,350 meters (14,270 feet) and began our 60 km bike ride through the Andes. The ride was basically all downhill and the wind and rain made sure we were all wide awake. Hands frozen, eyes squinting through the rain, we careened down mountains, through small towns, and even through a few streams, which splashed up at us drenching the only remaining dry part. After 3 hours and the most amazing views of mountains and valleys, our group arrived damp and covered in mud and smiles ready for lunch. After lunch we grabbed our bags and began the hike to our camp for night number 1. My only pair of shoes were completely soaked so I did the afternoon hike in flip flops. We arrived at our first “hostel” at about 5.00pm. It was located on the side of a mountain and offered amazing views. It was basically a family farm and they had an extra cabin built with around 10 beds jammed inside. We hung our clothes, had dinner, and were in bed by 9.
Day 2
By some miracle, my shoes had dried overnight. We woke at 7 am and were on the trail by 8. The first 20-30 minutes were steep. Passing through highly vegetated areas and breaking a sweat before 8.30 is not how I am used to starting my days. I don’t know a proper training regimen for uphill treks at high altitude, but I would not recommend spending the 7 weeks leading up to it at sea level drinking significant amounts of beer and eating fried food (I dealt with altitude sickness the first two days in Cuzco but luckily was back in action by the start of the hike).
Eventually we broke through the brush and had wide open views of the surrounding mountains, the valley below, and river snaking through it all. We continued. At times the path got so narrow it was impossible not to look down into the valley.
Onward we walked, finally ending at a small secluded restaurant for lunch. After a solid meal and quick power nap in a hammock it was back on the trail. Finally we had made it down to the river, crossing about six streams on the way. The walk through the valley was unbelievable. The mountains surround you and reach so high they seem to close around you. We ended up crossing the river 2 times, once by zip line and once by bridge. An old rickety bridge like in Indiana Jones. I began thinking that the trip was well worth the price of admission even without Machu Picchu because the scenery was some of the most beautiful I had ever seen.
The day came to a close at some natural hot springs. It felt wonderful to soak in the water and share some friendly conversation with the fellow trekkers. Our group was 17 people, the majority of them around my age. After a lengthy soak we took a short 40 minute walk into the town of Santa Teresa, where our hostel was.
Our guide made the mistake of telling us that there was a “discoteca” (dance bar) in town. You can’t expect fifteen 20-somethings who just became friends to “take it easy” with a bar just one street over. We took the place by storm and paid the price the next day.
Day 3
Some of us woke up at 7 am, others were still awake from the night before. Needless to say the next morning was a struggle. We ate breakfast and then headed out in the vans for a short 20 minute drive to the place we would begin the day. The third day had a little added thrill to it. We began our trek not with a hike but with zip lining. A total of 6 zip lines to be exact. The highest was 400 meters above the ground and the fastest went 70 km/hour. That took the majority of the morning and we only had a short hike after that until lunch.
Just before we headed out after lunch the rain came. We quickly covered our packs, put on ponchos and set out. The next 2 hours or so we walked in silence. Most of us still too tired from the previous night and now battling the added annoyance of mother nature. Finally, we arrived soaked and tired in Aguas Calientes. Again we went through the usual ritual of hanging up all our wet clothes, which was almost everything, and then heading to dinner. After dinner almost everyone went straight to bed. After all, tomorrow would be a big day.
We woke up at 4 am. I put on the driest clothes I had, none of which were completely dry, and we were on the trail by 4.45 am. Machu Picchu opens at 6 am so we had a little over an hour to climb about 1,300 feet. The way up is entirely stairs. It was the most tiring thing I have ever done hands down. For an hour I walked up stairs, legs burning, not daring to look up. Up and up I went, my lungs never seeming to get enough air with each breathe. I didn’t dare stop thinking it would be too hard to start again. Sweat dripped down my face and off the tip of my nose. The sun slowly came up, lighting the ground in front of me, but the clouds and mist made the top invisible. Thinking it was still just out of site I powered on. Lungs and legs burning, shirt completely soaked, I reached the top and slowly lifted my eyes.
The bus stop at the top of entrance to the Machu Picchu is hardly the reward I was expecting for climbing what felt like a billion steps. Needless to say it provided a bench for me to sit while I waited for the rest of the group. Finally we were all accounted for and joined the queue outside. The people from the buses all looked well rested and excited, our excitement was hidden behind exhaustion but just as prevalent none the less.
We entered Machu Picchu early so the mist was still hanging around, hiding Huayna Picchu from view. We had around a 2 hour tour, which was torture. I think we all just wanted to explore the place on our own. The tour ended around 9.30 am.
If you look at most pictures of Machu Picchu there are the ruins in the foreground and two mountains in the back. The taller one is Huayna Picchu. It was used for military purposes by the Incas. They only allow 400 people to climb it each day. 16 of the 17 people in our group had pre-purchased tickets to climb it but, for some, the first climb was too much and they opted out of Huayna Picchu. I went with 4 others and we climbed another 1,000 feet only to be greeted by the most amazing view of Machu Picchu below. Just as we got to the top it started to rain, which made the way down somewhat dangerous. We finished the hike and got a few last pictures in the city before leaving and taking the bus back to Aguas Caliente.
By this time I had no dry shirts left. I changed into the driest shorts I had and then walked through town without a shirt on, went into the first store I came to, and made a quick purchase. It felt fantastic to have a dry shirt on again.
Everything ends. We took a train about an hour or so to Ollanta and then a bus back to Cuzco. Finally getting to the hostel around 11 pm. It had been a trip of a lifetime but all we really needed and wanted now was sleep. One down, six to go.
