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Having jumped on the bus at 5:30am, we had a few hours until we reached Ollaytaytambo, where we would stop for a buffet breakfast and to top up on Coca leaves, which would come in incredibly useful over the next few days. I chatted to Caroline, a nurse from Kent during the bus journey and at breakfast we were joined by Laura and Josh, an entertaining and friendly couple from Birmingham. After breakfast we were back onto the bus and headed to Piscacucho or KM82 as it is commonly referred to. This is the starting point of the trek and the reality of being here kicked in when we crossed a railway line and stood for a group photo under a sign that read ´Camino de Inka´. We set off for Day 1 in high spirits. Straight from the off the view was absolutely stunning. The river Urubamba snaked its way through the Andean mountains forming a beautiful valley. We stopped at some ruins alonf the way, at which point our guide Juan explained the layout of the small town and the significance of the various parts (accommodation for nobility, accommodation for lower class, agricultural steps etc). We reached the first camp for lunch - I was surprised to see a large tent had been set up by the porters, with a long table and 12 chairs lined up either side, ready for our arrival. I was expecting to sit on the floor and eat something very basic, but what came out (a 3-course meal of soup, main and desert) was a very pleasant surprise. The quality of the meal given the basic cooking gear we had was absolutely immense.
After lunch we set off again for the second and final leg of the day. We trekked another few hours to complete the 11km total for the day, reaching out final camp at Wayllabamba, at an altitude of around 3,000m above sea level. I had opted to hire a couple of walking sticks which in hindsight was a fantastic decision as they had really taken a lot of the impact off my knees and ankles and saved me a lot of pain! That evening it rained a little and clouded over. We had a cheeky beer and settled down to another fantastic three-course meal before heading to bed early, ready for a 5am start the next day. I had gotten talking to a Danish guy called Nicholaj during the day. He is a cage fighter by trade and a very interesting guy. We decided to be tent-buddies for the rest of the trip.
Day 2 was the one that everyone was dreading. Those that we had spoken to who had gone before us on the trail all harped on about the difficulty of getting up to Dead Woman´s Pass. This involved a totally vertical trek covering a distance of around 6km, reaching an altitude of around 4,200m. The pass is named this way because when looked at from the base, it takes the form of a woman lying on her back. It certainly was tough going, but the coca leaves really helped spur me on. The energy level they give you is phenomenal. With the help of the coca leaves, I got up in a decent time, and even felt that overall, this section of the trail was less rigorous than the ascent of Volcan Medira in Ometepe. The views were spectacular. As we ascended we walked along steep mountainsides with lush green vegetation all around, and once at the top there were spectacular views of the valley and the distant snow-capped mountains of the Andes. The next part of the trek was tougher for me personally because it involved a 2-hour descent to 3,600m, down many many steps. This meant constant heavy impacts on the knees and ankles. Again, luckily I had the sticks to help relieve some of this strain, but nonetheless, as we descended I could feel my knees getting a little sore. We set up camp for lunch but after an early start and the rigours of the morning, this would also be our camp for the night, The view from the camp was absolutely stunning and if it hadn´t have been for some rain, I certainly would have been able to stand there for hours non-stop. People chose to either nap or play cards or read for the next few hours until dinner. Later we were treated to a clear night sky. The stars were out in force and Juan talked us through various constellations as seen from the Southern Hemisphere. Unfortunately Nicholaj was suffering quite badly from either the altitude or something he had eater earlier in the day and anything that was going in his stomach was coming straight out. At one point during the night he woke up needing to throw up but didnt have time to leave the tent - the vomit was on the tent floor and had found its way to my bag which was at the base of the tent. It seeped into my bag straps which I was too tired to worry about at the time, but certainly would notice in the morning!
Day 3 was upon us and I woke up to the realisation of my bag strap issue. Of course my problem was miniscule compared to Nicholaj´s in that he was unable to eat anything without throwing it up and with 16k of trekking in front of us, I felt very bad for the guy. Again, we set off nice and early after a delicious breakfast. We saw some mountain lakes as well as more beautiful views of the valley. Due to the distance we were travelling, the terrain also changed as we entered humid jungle. We visited various sites along the way (Pacaymayo (believed to have been either a crop-storage facility of military fortress), Sayacmarca (military fortress) and Phuyupatamarca (aka the ´Town Above the Clouds´ which was a cruical stop on the Incan pilgrimage to Machu Picchu)). Juan explained all the intricate details of each place along the way. By the end of the day we reached Winayhuayna, an incredibly scenic set of ruins overlooking the valley. We camped close to the ruins and yet again were treated to a fantastic dinner. Desert was an incredible surprise. Somehow, the chef had managed to bake a cake. We all looked on in disbelief as it was brought in. I have to say that over the three days it has been really incredible to see the porter teams and the amount of work they put in. These (often tiny) guys carry 25kg+ on the same route that we walk. Often, they are wearing sandals for the entirety of the trek and often they run in places where I could barely walk. Incredible. Each of the chefs and porters were asked to enter the tent and we gave them a thoroughly deserved round of applause each before having the privilege of shaking their hands and giving the whole team their much deserved tip. It was bed time straight after dinner as we had to be up at 3am the next day ready to set off for Machu Picchu at 4am.
Once awake and ready, we walked a short distance to the control point. Luckily, we were just the 2nd group in line and so we were able to get seats while we waited for the point to open at 5:30am. Once through, we began the one hour walk to Inti-Punku (The Sun Gate). We were all very excited as the three previous days´ trekking had taken their toll and the end point was in sight. I was slightly apprehensive that the build up to getting here would mean that the event itself would be an anticlimax. What didn´t help matters was that it was cloudy and foggy when we set off for the Sun Gate. I commented to the others that we probably wouldn´t be able to see Machu Picchu, but that I would happily share my pictures of it from my view on top of Huayna Picchu. Josh joked that I was smug and pessimistic, a description which seems to have stuck. After all the worry, the sun cleared as did the fog. We reached the summit of the Sun Gate and the view really was stunning. We sat perched on a ledge, with Machu Picchu sprawled below us in all its glory. It really was a sight I´ll never forget. There was no anticlimax, just complete speechlessness as it sunk in - 3 and a bit days of hard work, zero showers and a pukey bag, but we had made it. We were the first group there and so for a few minutes we were able to sit in silence and take it all in. Beautiful.
We descended to the ruins themselves (around 40 minutes) and Juan gave us a fantastic guided tour (after we had all made use of the normal toilets - for the last three days we had been subject to hole-in-the-floor toilets like those in India). The group left me at the entry point for Huayna Picchu as I was the only one to have signed up to go up here. Looking up at it from the base, I was regretting the decision to go up here. I started making my way up and my thighs were screaming at me for putting them through more climbing. However, yet again, when I got to the top I was utterly speechless. I sat for half an hour just taking in my surroundings and remembering where I was just a few months ago, how stressed I was and how much I wanted to get away. The reality of it hit me there on Huayna Picchu. I was so far from home but had left all those trials and tribulations behind me. I could have sat there for hours if I had had the time. I headed down (very slowly as the steps were so small my feet barely fit on them!) and caught caught up with the others in Aguas Calientes where we stopped for lunch.
The drive back was a lot of fun. The mood of the group was jubilant. The driver played a lot of cheesy western music and we sang along all the way back to Cusco. I checked back into Hostal El Tuco and after a very long, very hot and much needed shower headed back into the main plaza to meet all the others for a celebratory drink (make that drinks, plural). We had an absolutely fantastic night back at Ukuku´s where I had gone the previous week.
My next couple of days in Cusco were very relaxed. Caroline had convinced me to go to visit the Colca Canyon before heading to Bolivia and so we caught a bus on Saturday evening for the 10-hour journey to Arequipa.
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Devi S Viv - This sounds and looks amazing! Hope your keeping well :-)