Days 47-49: Miraflores (otra vez)

Home sweet home! Well .. not really .. but it is all relative! When you´ve been moving from place to place, anywhere that you´ve been already feels comfortably familiar ;)

After flying from P. Maldonado --> Cuzco --> Lima, we were picked up by a new tour guide, Edwin, and taken back to our original meeting point hotel in Miraflores. A few people were leaving tonight, and more tomorrow .. so we decided to hang out on the rooftop patio with a few beer and enjoy the last bit of our time together. That evening, Edwin took us to dinner near Parque Kennedy again .. and we had a lovely seafood dinner (better to have it in Lima which is coastal, than Cuzco which is definitely not). As per usual, around 933pm my eyes started feeling heavy (as did most of ours!) and it was bed time by 1030pm. Honestly, my internal clock is so specific these days it is insane! Wake up automatically at 440am and get tired without doubt just after 9. If I make it into DDs (double digits) I am ecstatic. Not that this is much different from me when I am at home ... ;)

Anyways, the next a.m was technically our checkout / tour end. At around 11, Katy, Liz and I headed out for a relaxing day together. We got mani/pedis and man oh man did it feel good! I think my feet shrunk at least a shoe size given it´s been 7 weeks mostly in flip flops. Mmmmm ... nice image right? We then headed down to the water for ceviche (yayyy!) and it was an absolutely beautiful (a poke at the Aussies ;) combination of flavours. The mixto was: octopus, calamari, muscles, shrimp and white fish. The sauce was spicy and tart, and it came with choclo (cooked large kernels of corn) and sweet potato. I would love to try making it at home but am a little bit unsure with regards to the whole raw seafood thing (it is basically marinated in vinegary sauce and therefor partially cooked by the time you eat it). In any case, I bought a Peruvian cookbook and plan to give some of the delicacies a try!







We wandered and later on said our ¨see you soon´s¨ to Ali and Graham, who were heading back to the UK. Can you tell I don´t like goodbyes? ;) I checked into my new hotel (the one I´d stayed at when I was on my own before the tour) .. as I would be spending two more nights in Miraflores before heading home. That night, Edwin offered to give Liz, Katy and I a lesson on how to make Pisco Sours! What a great way to end off the trip .. and even after the tour was technically complete.

I met them on the rooftop of our old hotel and he brought all the fixings. I have to say, I wasn´t all that enamoured with the drink when we´d had it at restaurants .. it tasted like an overly sweet melted Margarita. HOWEVER .. tonight, I realized that a good Pisco Sour is actually very delicious! We watched him first, then made our own.

This is the recipe:
- 3 shots of Pisco (to tell if it is good quality, apparently you shake the bottle and the longer the little tornado of bubbles in the middle lasts, the better!)
- 2 shots of simple syrup (essentially boiled sugar and water 1:1)
- 1 shot of fresh squeezed lime juice (no seeds, for obvious reasons)
- 1/2 to 1/3 of an egg white (raw, yes!)
- a few cups of ice
- ¨Bitters¨ or cinnamon sprinkles (for decoration)

Essentially, you add the first two, blenderize, add the 2nd and 3rd and some ice, blenderize .. decorate with the cinnamon or one drop of bitters, and your done. I don´t think it matters too much when you decide to blenderize as long as it is frothy and mixed well. I may be wrong, though!

Anyways .. after that, the girls left to the airport and I headed out on my lonesome so the new (but old because I´d stayed there before) hotel for a good night´s sleep. The next day and today have just been low key as I think I´m coming down with a cold and my knee is still hurting from that trek! I´ve had some down time and finished my souvenir shopping for family .. so that makes me happy ;)

Today is my last day and I´m leaving to the airport in the evening to catch my 130am flight to Toronto, then to Calgary (tight connection so I hope I can make it) and finally .. HOME SWEET HOME, Vancouver :).

CLOSING REFLECTIONS


I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to travel for 7 weeks .. both in terms of leave from work, and also in terms of the coordination with those whom I could share these experiences with. I am also glad I bit the bullet and booked all of this a while ago, because nearing the day of my departure I did second guess what on earth I was thinking going for 7 weeks alone. It only took a few days before I realized those pre-travel jitters come ... and then go... fairly quickly :).

I am ready to come back .. definitely .. but am happy to say that I am leaving on a positive note, and feel like i´ve left when things are still ¨going¨ in the sense that it was the right amount of time. I think, in part, this trip has gone by so fast because I was able to combine three different experiences into one: Brazil with my parents (how amazingly unique is that?), Argentina with Ryan (such a vacation!) and Peru (a mystical world all it´s own). My alone time has been a few days in each country (3 in Brazil, 2 in Argentina, 5+ in Peru) so I´ve not had the chance to become lonely .. and in fact have really enjoyed my time alone when it comes around.

Having said that, being involved in the intrepid tour was an amazing experience - and a first for me - as I usually travel with someone from home. I have to say I learned a lot about myself being with other people; it´s funny how insights into your own character can be gained from interactions with strangers .. who later become friends. I think there is always something to be said about the blank page; when you are travelling and you meet someone, they know nothing about you and you, nothing about them. Your past trials and tribulations, successes and failures, jobs and experience .. these are part of your life, but not necessarily who you are. Who you are is what you have become on the basis of these experiences .. and that´s why I think travelling is such a unique opportunity to see what´s at the core of ¨you¨ .. it´s usually not demographic information or scholastic success. :) I really appreciated the honest conversations I had with people and learned a lot .. so thank you.

Something else that I´ve been mulling over, is that this trip has been somewhat more effortless than those in past. Maybe I´m becoming a seasoned traveller .. maybe I was able to treat myself a bit more (i.e take taxis!) now than during my past backpacking endeavours .. or maybe it was just the right mix of places and people and my own changing level of independence. One thing I do know is that this past year has been so full of change, it probably made it easy to travel out of a backpack and have no place to call home. Moving jobs and moving houses 3x, as well as repacking clothing and living out of tupperware bins .. can make one feel unsettled and nomadic, so this was actually more freeing because I had less baggage to look through and less opportunity to misplace my belongings. It´s an interesting thing because travelling really reinforces how little you need in terms of material goods .. in that way, this trip has highlighted what I've begun to really learn this year - that one can always declutter and reprioritize one´s life .. and sometimes it takes situations imposed on you unwillingly (such as job change, moving, etc) to get that ball rolling. It´s a good thing, I think, to peel away the extra stuff and learn what is really important to you.

Well .. this has been a phenomenal ride .. and I will be sad to say goodbye to Peru and its people, but am also looking forward to coming home. I feel more rejuvinated than I have in a long time, and hope that this will be a starting point for a great year.

Thank you for those who followed my blog, I really appreciate the feedback. I´m looking forward to catching up soon .. and for the summer months to come :).

Love,

Daniela

Days 45 & 46: Puerto Maldonado/Amazon Jungle

Cuzco -> flight -> Puerto Maldonado -> bus & boat -> Tambopata Jungle

So, today we had a long travelling day .. and covered pretty well all modes of transportation! We got up at an ungodly hour and eventually got to Puerto Maldonado around noon. Our new guide, Noemi, was there to greet us. This little city has been growing over the years, and is primarily focused on gold mining, logging, and brazil nut harvesting (mmmm I ruuvv brazil nuts). As of late, however, tourism has become more lucrative and so the focus is changing to one of wilderness conservation and ¨jungle¨ experiences (our trip purpose). It is basically a starting point for people to get to and from the jungle, first by bus then by boat.

After a few market stops, we picked up another few travellers, dropped off our big bags at the local office, and headed to our boat (to take us 1 hr up river). This area is definitely HUMID (85-90% humidity) and hot (about 33 celcius) .. and we were sopping wet by the time we reached the jungle ¨lodge¨.

Day 1




Basically, our lodge was the first to be built in the reserved area. There have been somewhat recent regulations put in place, protecting the flora and fauna, in hopes of preserving the varied wildlife. Our guide told us that only the indigenous people are allowed to hunt, and it must be for their own sustenance only.

The place was very well setup. Upon arriving you see 3 or 4 bungalow type buildings, each with 3 or so separate ¨cabins¨ that had ensuite bathrooms. Everything was made of wood, and we were equipped with mosquito nets and candles (no electricity or heated water). I had my own room, as per usual, but felt comforted by the presence of other people in adjacent rooms ;) You could literally here the person next door breathing, un-wrapping candy, and all other flattering or unflattering noises that a human may make. In fact, the ever-hilarious Ali told me in the morning what my pee schedule the night before had been. Oh the joys of jungle living :)

Electricity was in the main hut from 5-8pm only, and our rooms were raised up off the ground (for creepy crawler protection purposes). In terms of pets, there was a Macaw (kind of like a big, colourful parrot) that lived near our cabins and apparently didnt like girls .. perhaps because he was rescued from the black market (bad experience with an owner?. He had a limp and his name is Wow-wee. I found him to be quite endearing, especially when I fed him Brazil nuts.. :)

The first night we went out on a Cayman sighting boat ride. It was sooo fun! I have seen Caymans (the gold variety) on a safari in Africa, and Alligators/Crocs in Florida and Australia .. but never very close up in the wild, and always during the day. Well we got about 1 foot from these little creatures with our boat, and spotted them using a bright spotlight at the front which would catch the reflection of their nocturnal eyes. We also had a really great few minutes of silence on the boat, motor off, listening to the sounds of the jungle.

Dinner was delicious, as per usual (I am definitely not coming back shrunken in any way shape or form) .. and sleep came very easily - which is a surprise - despite the tremendous heat and awkwardness of being engulfed in a mosquito net. For the 21st night in a row (since my horrible avatar face bug bite incident in Buenos Aires), I covered my face in bug spray. Not sure how healthy this is, but so far, no defects I can see! Seriously though ... hmm.

Day 2





Today was unique .. ! To start things off, we got dressed in the dark (I am getting good at this, though I don´t come out looking too spectacular) and had a candelit breakfast at 5am. Our aim was to hike 10km (5km each way) and catamaran down a lake to see howler monkeys and maybe even a jaguar or python! En route, we sweated more than Sylvester Stallone in Rocky, and stopped many times to reapply bug spray and learn about the wild life. Some of the things we saw/tasted were:

1. Hot lips flower - the main food for hummingbirds here
2. A rubber tree - was a huge export until seeds made their way to Asia and it began being planted elsewhere
3. Tree bark that tasted like garlic - delicious!
4. Leaf of a tree that completely numbed your tongue within 3 seconds - ´twas fun!
5. Tiny bear-faced Tamarin monkeys - they came about 2 feet from our heads!
6. Frogs (see first picture above, sitting on a leaf) and crickets - they were camouflaged far more effectively than me in my camo shorts.
7. An erotic looking tree (see above) - no my mind was not in the gutter, as my guide clarified. It was believed by the natives to have viagra like qualities.. and let´s not lie - LOOK AT IT! Don´t tell me you don´t see what I´m talkin´ bout.
8. Walking trees - like from lord of the rings or whatever that movie is.. haha..
9. Crazy spiders - yellow and large and just plain unattractive..
10. Incredible butterflies - I´m talking irridescent, bright blue, orange, etc.
11. Birds - lots of them!

During the boating experience we saw:
1. Howler monkeys - one gave us a special defacation & urination show whilst perched in tree, about 4 feet from the other tourists boat. He TOTALLY knew what he was doing´, given he moved out from the centre to hover just above the boat ;)
2. Giant sea otters - they get up to several metres long but these were far away..
3. Jaguar heron - a heron spotted like a jaguar! It scares the life out of you when it runs through the bushes, given how similar it looks to the more threatening species that comprises it´s name!
4. Piranas - under the floorboards of the hut on the water

Later that night, in my bathroom, I saw:
1. A cockroach - not very exciting and quite harmless, but I enjoyed the company ;)

All in all it was a very jungly, sweaty, humid experience .. with lots of learning and about the same amount of bug bites :) Seriously though, I enjoyed the contrast to the Andes .. It made me realize that I like hiking (even when it´s 13 hours in a row) more in high altitude places with a view, than in the jungle. That doesn´t mean I didn´t enjoy myself, though .. it was a great experience!

Some concluding thoughts (Yes, I´m STILL thinking! Even after almost 7 weeks.. :) :

(1) I always forget that things like kneecaps, eyelids, and interphalangeal joints can sweat like nobody´s business. It seems my memories of this from trips in the past just fade away ... until it happens all over again :)
(2) Bugs like me (no real relevation here)
(3) Having breakfast over candelight really doesn´t hold a match to a candlelit dinner - and in fact - downright messes up your daily clock!
(4) Cockroaches really don´t scare me ... but my snake phobia lives on, given I wasn´t able to deal with my issues face to face (i.e no boa sighting).. at least not this time ;)


Anyways, back to the city (flights via Cuzco to Lima) for group goodbye(s) and a last few nights on my own.

D

Days 42 & 43/44: Aguas Calientes y Cuzco

Aguas Calientes



Aguas Calientes is a little shanty-made-tourist town near Machu Picchu, where the train runs back to Km 82 (en route to Cuzco). Essentially, it´s a pit stop for trekkers in either direction, and there is not much to see or do. The name means ¨hot water¨ and there are infamous hot springs there ..

Well, let me tell you .. despite our hunger, a few of us wanted to go to the springs - which closed at 8pm - in order to say we experienced the main attraction of Aguas Calientes. After trekking through town and up what seemed like an endless hill (our muscles were so full of lactic acid i felt like the tin man) .. we got to the springs. Ten soles (approx $3 USD) later we were changed and headed down to the ¨springs¨, which were essentially hot-tubs with gravel as a floor.

To understate the nastiness of our experience -- the pools were murky, grey, and at least 50% urine! I am not kidding. We got into the popular looking one (there were about 5) that had something like 50 people in it, all tourists, drinking beer. I joined Katy in the middle, with my nice new Brazilian-bought bathingsuit on. I lasted no more than 130 seconds. I think being on the Inca Trail for 2 nights had diminished my awareness of voice volume, because I apparently stated quite loudly and emphatically - ¨Eww, it smells like pee!!¨. Liz was dry heaving and laughing at the same time, and Katy´s face began to twist in mild to moderate disgust. A dreadlocked speedo-clad dude looked at me and said... ¨Whhy do you ziink its soo waaarmm?¨ I think the look I shot him back was a combination of ¨Really, dirtbag?¨ and ¨Noone actually SAYS that ...!¨ Needless to say we got out and, given we wanted to get the most of our $3, tried 2 more pools with very similar proportions of urine. He followed us to the 3rd pool and that was it. I never thought I would feel dirtier than I had after 3 days without a shower, but I was wrong. Thank goodness we had no open cuts ..

I enjoy ranting about things because it makes me laugh, and laugh we did ... instead of being bitter about our wasted money and less than amazing ¨muscle soothing hot spring experience¨ we had a nice hot shower outside and scrubbed our hair and skin until it almost fell off. Hey - don´t knock it til you´ve tried it .. and we did! And I´m knocking it. AVOID THE PEE POOLS ALL TOGETHER :-)

That night we went out for a nice dinner and were, of course, the loudest table at the restaurant. We were so exhausted and sore that it was nice to sit down and have a glass of wine, some soup and a hearty meal. Sleep came easily ... and a full fledged hotel bed was certainly met with warm welcome :)

Cuzco






DAY 1

The next morning we took a train (business class, ooh lala) to km 82 and then our driver picked us up to take us back to Cuzco. We had a relaxing afternoon to do what we wished .. and it would be the first time in the trip (and the only) where we would have 2 nights in ONE PLACE! I decided to get a $30 USD for 1 hour massage, in my hotel room .. given my IT Band issue in my knee was acting up pretty severely (good timing though, as it gave me no trouble on the hike) and my calves were about as tight as an unstretched rubber band. It was well worth it, and despite the pain, did help a bit with the walking later that day!

We went out for a last dinner at a delicious restaurant, where we had a private room(our group needs as much sound proofing as possible during meals out). The place was called Nuna Raymi and the manager/co-owner came to us with incredible description sof every meal - the sauce, the texture, the pairings of spices .. It was like listening to a poet write about the love of his life .. except this guy was talking about meat and cream sauce..

I split Alpaca and Lomo Saltado with Liz. I have to say, Alpaca tastes like flavourful and lean steak .. and the Lomo Saltado (a famous Peruvian dish of savoury, smokey beef sauteed/flame-grilled with onions, tomatoes and spices) was my favourite!

It was hard to say goodbye to the few that were leaving tomorrow, but I know a few of us will keep in touch :)


DAY 2

Today was our first full day of NOTHING SCHEDULED! It was fantastic! After our briefing about the Amazong Jungle trek (starting tomorrow), Katy, Liz and I decided to head out for some sight-seeing, souvenir shopping, and empanada-eating.

We went to the Inka Museum and to the Qorikancha (convent). The Inka Museum was very interesting, and many ancient items - from jewellery to pottery to communication textiles - were well preserved. There were also Incan women making textiles in the courtyard by hand .. and it was incredible to watch. I also found it entertaining that one of them - donning all of the traditional clothing - was texting on her Nokia phone all the while .. a true melding of time and culture.

For lunch we had empanadas and man oh man these were even BETTER than in Argentina (or maybe I should say, different!)! It was a little shop with tables, and they only sold empanadas (no menus, even). You got 2 for about 1.50 soles each (less than $1 USD) ... the dough was made with sweet potato, I believe, and the inside was ground beef, chicken, onions, and some spicy sweet tamarind-chutney type sauce. They came with a deliciously spicy salsa (who knew I liked spicy?) and lime to squeeze. Yum!

We hit up the artisan market as well, and continued on with our souvenir shopping for friends and family. In the evening we went out for drinks at a coffee shop overlooking the Plaza de Armas, with Graham and Ali (two lovely Brits) .. and headed to dinner a few doors down. It was a very relaxing evening and a welcomed treat. We all joke that going back to work will be a ¨vacation¨ given our typical 430am or 530am wake up calls and busy days.

Tomorrow we head to the Jungle for 2 nights! Another experience ... :)

Day 41: Day 3 (last day to Machu Picchu)

DAY 3: 6 hr/8 km Trek to Machu Picchu (elev. 2400 m)














We had to say goodbye to our porters and cook today :(. I was informally nominated by the group, and made a little speech in Spanish (since I don´t speak Quechua!. We were all so full of appreciation, and really wanted the porters to understand how much we respected their hard work - day in and day out. It was hard to translate that in a language other than English.. but we managed to try, at least ;)

We hiked for another 5 or so hours, got a wonderful boxed lunch .. and lucked out on a sunny day! Apparently many groups get to Machu Picchu in the a.m, when it is often foggy .. we arrived at around 1pm to Sun Gate (across from the ruins with a gorgeous view and photo ops) and the weather could not have been more conducive to pictures! We enjoyed the breathtaking scenery and headed down to MP for a 1 hr tour and some individual time. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to reflect on why we came, how we felt about the whole experience .. and to soak in the sight that we´d come so far to see.

Something funny to add to this otherwise serious and reflective posting is that - at Machu Picchu, there is a hotel ($1000 USD per night), bathrooms, etc. You would think that there would be English speaking doctors and nurses at the medical clinic given it is one of the 7 wonders of the world AND professionals are English speaking seemingly everywhere else in Lima and Cuzco. Well .. I was picked up by some Japanese tourists and asked to tranlate questions with regards to train ticket bookings as one of them was quite ill. I was able to help organize a train to Cuzco, with the doctor and 2 of the girls, and they were very thankful. What a scary experience to be feverish and almost incoherent - and have such a language barrier! It was a neat experience to attempt broken Spanish, while the tourists spoke to me in broken English ... When the translations were complete and I had been pulled into the medical clini one more time .. I looked around and laughed at the situation, as we all said Gracias, Ciao, and Arregato Mucho emphatically. I realized just how unique this situation was. Just a bunch of well meaning people trying to help eachother out :)

SUMMARY OF THE INCA TRAIL EXPERIENCE:

DEMOGRAPHICS
13 people (6 from the U.S, 2 from England, 4 from Australia, and me)
Age 25 to 60-something

TIME
- 2 nights, 3 days (65 hours from start to finish)
- 6 hours of sleep total
- 25 hours of hiking

DISTANCE AND ELEVATION
- Approximately 28 km of hiking
- Highest elevation at 4200 meters asl (above sea level)

WEATHER
- Average of 29 celcius during the day and 3 degrees celcius at night
- Humidity varied depending on area (there are soo many microclimates in one region it is phenomenal)
- 4 to 5 hours of rain during 2nd night (sleeping!)
- Sunshine and clear skies - not overcast for Machu Picchu :)

HIGHLIGHTS
- Flute player at the highest point (Dead Woman´s Pass) .. it made the uphill climb and breath-taking view all the more mystical
- Arriving at camp on the 2nd night in the dark, in a proud delerium
- Sitting at Sun Gate, eating lunch, taking in the sites of Machu Picchu, and reflecting on the last few days..

CONCLUSION:

What a phenomenal experience. Honestly .. The trek itself was as memorable as the view from Sun Gate to Machu Picchu. The memories made will forever be engrained in my mind and I would jump at the opportunity to do this again in, say, 10 years ..

I could not have asked for better fortune with regards to the group, my own physical and mental health, and the weather. Our guides were amazing and the porters and chef were inconceivably hard workers. I have to say, I went into this with very few expectations - only excitement - and I left feeling more rejuvinated and energetic than I have felt in ... a long, long time.

:-)

Daniela

Day 40: Day 2

DAY 2: 10 hr/13 km to 3rd Pass (elev. 3650 m)


NOTE: The highest point today was at the 2nd pass - Dead Woman´s Pass - at 4200 m. You can see me leaning against the sign looking relieved to be breathing well :)**













Today was the longest day ever! We hiked from 545am to 645 pm. The idea was to make up for a lost hour yesterday, AND to make up for the fact that we were doing the hike in 2.5 days rather than 3.5 days. By the time lunch came around, we had hiked for upwards of 6 hours and were totally beat (but felt unbelievable) :) We arrived at the lunch spot and there were several other groups setting up camp for the evening .. surprised that we were continuing on to the 3rd pass! Lunch was, of course, gourmet. Beef in tomatoe sauce, rice, potatoes au gratin, pumpkin soup, broccoli tortilla (Spanish style). We wanted a siesta but it was time to move on just shortly after we got comfortable. I was impressed with how much we had gotten done before lunch ... but knew we still had at least 4 hours of hiking left!

The next 2 hours were downhill, which worked out well for the other muscle groups (i.e they had a rest!) but it was definitely harder on the joints. I felt pretty good about our pace and the front guide, Wilbur, stopped every so often to show us things (or catchup to us :).

So ... the day continued and the sun began to set... It was just four of us ladies as the group began to split up. Someone had pretty bad blisters so the front guide stayed back with them, and there were a few people in the back having trouble with the altitude etc. Essentially, with no guide alongside .. we wandered at a robotic pace (i.e second wind!) and talked continuously ... until we got a little worried about the ensuing darkness, the lack of campsites, and the 50 metre cliff drop on the right of the trail. Thank goodness we packed our flashlights in our day bags, because we had to go through a steep and damp cave, and then it was totally pitch black for the last 45 minutes to camp! I had some idea we should be arriving around 620pm but I have to admit .. there was about a 9 minute period where we all thought - where the hell are we and why is there no sign of civilization (i.e lights, tents, voices, etc). It was definitely an adventure and we all felt the endorphin rush .. i could have hiked for several more hours as my body was on overdrive, but when we got to camp we realized how long we´d been going for! A few of the porters from our group caught up to us and we screamed in glee that we were indeed on the right path!

When we arrived, they made popped corn and hot chocolate and we relished in the accomplishments of the day. This was, according to our guides and other tourists we´d met en route, not a typical itinerary on the Inca trail in terms of length of time hiking in one day´s time. The rest of the group trickled in over the next hour .. and at one point, some misunderstanding(s) led to a very frantic group. Basically, our guide Wilbur was on the walky talky with the last guide, who was accompanying two lovely ladies from our group. There was question as to whether they would be making it to our campsite in time ... and then he said to us, over quinoa soup, that we ¨lost one¨. We all froze. Then he clarified calmly that he was referring to the ¨last one¨.. It wasn´t completely irrational to have fears about losing a hiker given the narrow trail, pitch black evening, wet and slippery rocks, and major fatigue!

Thank goodness we all celebrated by 830pm and had a great last dinner together. They made us chicken medallions stuffed with basil and cranberries (super easy to pull together in the middle of nowhere, obviously), canneloni (again, easy as pie), spaghetti, potatoes and cheese .. mulled wine and chocolate pudding. Honestly, the chef Jefferson deserves to win the Iron Chef.

I finally went to sleep, after having some laughs with fellow travellers and the guides.. I was avoiding my tent given the temperature drop tonight, and the fact that I knew I´d probably have to go pee 10 minutes after zipping myself in and wrapping myself up like a Christmas parcel in all the warm clothes I could find.

It rained in the night for a few hours ... and that was the ONLY rain we got on the whole trail!

The next day was shorter and would lead us to Machu Picchu for a nice afternoon tour.

Luv,

D

p.s I have to say that my dad has taken me on some pretty challenging, bush-wacking type trips, but we never hike more than 6 hours in a day .. and never get to camp in the dark. I think having great hiking boots, and a major hunger for hiking (it has been too long since our last trek Papa - this summer!) made today a great experience. I think I was prepared, somehow, despite weeks of only walking on the flat and drinking far too many beer. Mentally and emotionally, however, this was an incredibly unique and rewarding 13 hours. I felt like we all really bonded, in the midst of pushing ourselves to new levels. You really learn what your body and mind are capable of in such situations! :)

Days 39: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu (Day 1)

DAY 1: 5 hr/9 km Trek to Ayapata (elev. 3350 m)

NOTE: The Machu Picchu trek is usually done in min. 3 nights/4 days, however due to issues with the trains since the recent floods, our guides decided we would do 2 nights/3 days, so we would have more time at Machu Picchu. This essentially meant more hiking per day, given we have one day less to complete it! **










Today we left Ollantaytambo at 5am and began our trek at KM 82 (trail head) at 730am after receiving snacks from the porters. There are strict regulations about the weight each porter can carry (25 kg) so our duffel bags had to be 6kg of less. In our day packs we had all the necessary items for the day, as we would not see our duffel bags until we reached the campsite for the night. The porters were weighed down and always had to be ahead of us to setup lunch (tents, chairs, and an amazing 2course meal) as well as the campsite for the evening.

After passing the check point (where guards check permits and passports), we began our hike! It was a gorgeous morning and we hikeda few hours until reaching lunch. The porters cheered us as we came in, which was embarrassing given how hard they work and how incredibly resilient they are!

I can´t even describe the food these incredible guys cooked up for us! They setup a big tent with stools, had gatorade ready .. and then brought us: asparagus soup, garlic bread, chicken patties with lemon sauce, pasta, avocado and tomato salad, cooked vegetables and scalloped potatoes. I don´t even think I could cook such a meal up at home let alone in the middle of the mountains!

Something interesting I noticed on the first day was that there were children coming down the mountain, and several small villages along the way. These are the people of the highlands, and the children commute more than 1 hour to school. There were a few vendors along the way also, selling water or snacks. There was even a stall that had sunscreen and bug spray! Of course as we ventured higher up this ended and the trail felt much more ¨wild¨.

We arrived to the campsite around 4pm, as we had several rest stops on the first day. There were washrooms there (not used to that!) with squat toilets, no TP, and no lights. I personally prefer the nature option .. but later at night it is hard to find your way!

We had another impressive dinner of chicken noodle soup, mashed yuccas (deep fried and battered), salmon steaks, chinese vegetables (ginger stir-fry style), potatoes, and caramelized bananas. After dinner we always have the option of tea, but we were all so beat - all we wanted was to go to bed (i.e sleeping bag)! Before we retired, everyone admired the night sky - you could see EVERYTHING! I have been at my cabin, and up in the mountains away from city lights .. but this was even more spectacular. Not only was the big dipper clear, I was able to see the Southern cross and the milky way without difficulty! It makes complete sense that astrology was such a huge part of the Incans´ lives .. it is such an ethereal experience to feel so close to such an unfathomable concept (i.e burning balls that are light years away..).

As for my actual sleep .. well, I did not sleep well! My bag (borrowed from another traveller who had gone back to England) was not warm enough .. so I got around 2.5 hours of rest, and wore 2 pairs of pants, gloves, tuque, ski socks, thermal underwear .. you get the picture :) In any case, no real complaints given that the porters are up after we are, to clean the dishes etc .. and then get up an hour before us to prep breakfast and provide us with hot coca leaf tea (for energy) and water to wash with.

We got up at 430am the next day to begin our 2nd day - the longest one - and got going by 530am!

Day 38: Sacred Valley & Ollantaytambo

Sacred Valley & Ollantaytambo (pop. 4,000)













Today was a fantastic day, and the last one before we hit the trail head for our Machu Picchu trek. We bussed into a rural village in Sacred Valley, outside of Cuzco .. and visited 4 different sites where locals showed us projects they were involved in.

The first destination was a pottery ¨home¨, where a woman and her brother (along with an adorable 2 year old son) were responsible for making pottery and supplying it to gift shops and also for resale to local hotels and restaurants. It was absolutely inspiring how much talent exists in the countryside of Peru, and how much time goes into the handy-crafts. At home, one buys clay, uses an electric wheel to make the body (i.e a cup or bowl or vase), fires it in a kiln, and that´s that. Here, the family worked together to sift sand and mud, use a foot propelled pottery wheel, pound out the clay with home-made and ingenious tools, and decorate it with paints made from melted minerals mixed with water. They polished each item with smooth stones found from the river. Each item of pottery took 30 days to complete (including time spent drying in the sun). Essentially, they produce about 80 mugs/bowls/plates per month. I bought alpaca gloves and a little soya sauce holder, and the 2 year old boy carefully packed my items using recycled newspaper.

The second stop was a local chocolate maker. Essentially, it was a one woman show. She lived in a very small hut, with a mud floor .. and made pure chocolate out of cocoa beans. She showed us how she makes chocolate and we had some to sample (and purchase/eat of course!). I can´t believe the amount of work that goes into the process. She first must shell the beans, by hand … then toast them .. and then crush or grind them in a grinder by hand. We saw her add brown sugar, beans, and peanuts .. and tasted the final product. It was like the best dark chocolate reese´s PB cup you could ever envision. Again, the time and energy that goes into the products here – be it pottery or food – is really something to reflect on, when visiting from a culture where everything is manufactured in large quantities.

The third stop was to a bee farmer, to see how the honey was made. Unfortunately with the weather and flooding, he had no honey to offer us for purchase .. but we did get to watch bees hatch (weird!) and taste honey off of bees wax. It was honestly the tastiest stuff i´ve ever had, and my mom likes to buy all varieties of exotic honey (ie lavender infused). It was pure and delicious.

Our fourth ¨cultural interaction¨ experience was a village lunch. We arrived, down a dirt road, to a farm with a table all set up for 15. We were served a juice (purple) made from dark corn, it tasted sweet like mulled wine and sort of grape-like. Delicious! Then we had quinoa soup (Ive decided they really know their soups here) with a spicy chilli garlic sauce to put in. As an appetizer we had Choclo con Queso, which is essentially huge kernels of boiled corn (off the cob) with chunks of cheese (cold). Our main was rice, with shredded potato & beef. The potato was more like radish, and one of the 4,000 types in Peru. They then showed us a guinea pig farm, as guinea pig is commonly eaten here (called Cuyo) .. and I am interesting in trying it though the way it is served kind of bothers me (skinned with legs spread apart on plate … a vegetarian´s nightmare!)

Finally, we stopped at a beer stand, where they made Chicha - an authentic Peruvian beer made from corn and fermented for only 1 day! It tasted like apple cider vinegar, but a bit beer-ish .. there was also a strawberry one. The farmers drink it in huge mugs (i.e 3 would get you where you want to be, if you know what i´m saying) and chew coca leaves. Basically, a nice cocktail of downer + upper = energy for working the field and less need for food (according to our tour guides). Yikes! Haha, no but seriously ... it was interesting to see how the fermentation process worked. The beer itself is a little tough to swallow and I prefer the bottled variety ;) The photos of corn illustrates the many ways it can be eaten. I bought a package of the small kernels, which are amazing and taste like corn nuts + popcorn mixed together. They had at least 10 different varieties of edible (popped or unpopped) corn, different sizes, shapes and colours.

We slept in Ollantaytambo and ate dinner at Heart´s café, which is affiliated with a foundation started by a 70 something year old ex-Nutritionist from the UK. The proceeds go to helping fund meals for children who come down from the highlands for school. Nutritious hot meals are provided to them at school. Education about nutrition is also a primary component of this foundation. The food was absolutely delicious and fresh, and we were all more than happy to support this worthy cause.

On to the Inca Trail Experience! Stay posted .. I have a lot to say, and many pictures..

Thanks,

D

p.s the picture of the skulls was at the beer fermentation stop .. i thought it was an interesting touch (it has to do with keeping one´s ancestors sacred, etc. Not just for decoration though I think it has become more about the tourists now, given the sunglasses they are donning!)