We survived and lived to tell the tale!

One of our first glimpses of Machu Picchu in the morning light
(and yes, I took this photo)!

Over the past five days Abbey and I trekked along 75 kilometers of ever changing terrain, met people from all over the world, and saw with our own eyes the wonders of Machu Picchu. Writing this post seems like a daunting task, as there is so much to tell. We have broken it down day by day to make it a bit easier.

DAY 1

We began at 5 in the morning on Monday, taking a bus through beautiful valleys, along high cliffs, and catching our first glimpses of Salkantay Mountain, which looms over 20,000 feet above sea level, complete with snow and glaciers. We began our trek through beautiful green valleys with about thirty individuals, who as we learned over our five day span, originated in countries such as Norway, England, Holland, Hungary, Sweden, Egypt, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Austrailia, Slovenia, France, and I´m sure I´m forgetting a few. It was a neat way to get to know people, trekking along and chatting, surrounded by the beautiful and always changing scenery of Peru. At meals we all sat huddled around long tables, waiting for tea time and much needed nourishment. While I was impressed with the cooks, who made a birthday cake for one of our group members and awoke us in our tents with coca tea on the cold mornings, the meals did get a bit repetitive. I never want egg drop soup again and I think I´ve had enough rice for awhile. It left Abbey and I craving some food items that I didn´t even know I liked that much, such as yogurt and fresh fruit, peanut butter, honey nut cheerios, chicken pad thai, the Lovemaker from the Skinny Pancake, etc....

Lets also mention here the bathroom situation along the trek...along the trails there are none of course, and at the campsites there were small outhouses, no toilet paper (thank goodness we brought our own), no toilet seat. And of course there are no showers, although we learned later on that our friends from Brazil braved the cold rivers to get clean, we were not so daring. I have never missed my bathroom so much, or been so grateful for a toilet seat!

DAY 2

On our way UP

Our first night was very cold, our tents all lined up inside a shack to protect them from the wind. The stars that night I must say though were incredible, so bright and vibrant. However it was a rough night of sleep, and the hardest day of trekking was to follow. This included climbing up switchbacks for several hours next to Salkantay Mountain, reaching an elevation around 15,000 feet. It wasn´t our muscles that limited us going up the inclines, it was our lungs. About every twenty feet it seemed we had to stop to catch our breath. I counted my respiratory rate at one point and it was 56...for all of you who aren´t in the medical field-I normally see patients with respiratory rates between 12 and 24. I have never had a pt breath faster than 40 something per minute, and that´s always unsettling to see, even the high 20s can look uncomfortable. This part of the trek proved so difficult that some hikers had to take horses up the steep switchbacks. These are not your average horses, they are maybe half or two thirds of the size, humans look ridiculously large on top of them. These poor horses were covered in sweat at the top. Horses also carried some of our belongings, 5 kilos per person, maybe 6 bags on each horse? We couldn´t help feeling sorry for these animals. 

We finally made it to the highest point, next to Salkantay Mountain. The word I would use to describe it would be mystical, towering tall and proud above us. We saw and heard an avalanche on the way up, the noise was incredibly loud. After almost falling asleep during our break at the top, we began our descent down, into misty green valleys covered with rocks and boulders, some small farms along the way, complete with long stone walls, pigs, sheep, cows, and llamas (or maybe they were alpacas). The scenery reminded many of us of something you would see in Lord of the Rings. It amazed us all throughout the trek that there are people who are able to sustain themselves in these incredibly remote places. 

Soon we were out of the Lord of the Rings scenery and entered a cloud forrest, what you might picture a rain forrest to be like, but high and misty/foggy. This part of the trek consisted of three hours walking downhill, lots of loose rocks making it difficult on your feet, and a bit of rain didn´t make things any easier. The views however were gorgeous, large rivers roaring through the valleys below us, clouds hanging over the valley tops, trees full of bright yellow flowers lining the trail. At camp we were able to purchase a beer to celebrate making it through another day, and our guide Elias, talked to us about a bit of Inca history. Elias is only 23, and went to school for three years to study being a guide. His organization has been quite impressive.

DAY 3


This day started off quite pleasant, considering it wasn´t subzero outside. Elias allowed us to ¨sleep in¨ until 6:00 am. We had porridge in little metal cups, it reminded me of the cream of wheat my gramma makes me. I had about 6 servings including one of my trek mates. I figured I could use all the nutrients I could get!  We left the camp and walked by a fish farm, where we saw a local woman netting a bunch of fish and throwing the big ones to the side.  We walked across this bouncy bridge high across a strong river, there was a rock covering one of the holes in the boards. I actually felt pretty confident about this bridge because there were sturdy side rails.  We walked all day through the side of a rainforest, passing many beautiful waterfalls and streams. It was quite sunny outside, and the view was great of the nearby green mountains.  At a pit-stop we purchased some grenadia (spelling?)  fruit for only one sol.  It is a seedy fruit that tastes like passionfruit.  There was also a tiny adorable puppy bouncing around, trying to sneak milk from it´s skinny mother who was trying to get scraps from us.


When we completed our hiking for the day, a bus was arranged to bring us to lunch.  Little did we know  that there was only one bus for the 30 of us.  Elias ordered the men to sit on top of this tall van with small little rails, and graciously allowed us ladies to sit inside.  It was a hilarious bus ride, the local driver blasted ¨Tonight I´m *Loving* you¨ by Enrique Iglesias.  Bouncing around in a jam-packed van through the hills of Peru listening to club songs was a one of a kind experience.

After lunch we took another bus ride to our camp site in Santa Teresa.  The bus was minus people sitting on the top, but it was x10 scarier than any bus ride I´ve been on.  We sped down this one-way dirt road along the side of the mountain, just clinging to the edge.  I was so scared that we were going to run off the road into the valley directly below us, or plain just head-on collide into another vehicle. The only means of ¨safety¨  was when the bus driver would tap the horn while going around a sharp corner, hopefully alarming another vehicle.  We also got stopped by the police, we were allowed to pass through but never found out the reason we were pulled over.  Scary.


The evening was plain amazing.  We went to a hot springs to ease our sore muscles, it was close enough to a shower for Jenny and I.  The ride back to the campsite was fun, our group all sang along to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michael Jackson and Coldplay.  At dinner, Jenny and I agreed to have a small amount of beer with the group.  Little did we know what the altitude, exhaustion, and jolly group atmosphere would do to us. To make a long story short, we ended up doing the wave during dinner with the other groups, making frequent toasts with local beer, and heading over to a campfire to start a dance party.  Little green, red and yellow disco lights stuck to this side of this building, a huge flat rock that provided a ¨stage¨ and a booming speaker added to the fun.  I guess you can have a fun party anywhere, even in a small remote town on the side of a mountain.  

DAY 4

We began our trekking by crossing the scariest bridge I have ever seen. At least 50 feet above the roaring river hung a bridge wide enough only for one person, consisting of cables and planks, no supports other than at each end. The cables and planks in some places were loose or broken, and as we crossed it (having to separate into two groups so it would support our weight) it bounced up and down with everyone´s steps. It was the first time on the trek I thought about the fact that I really could die, all it would take would be a broken plank or a slip sideways, and I would go crashing into the roaring river full of boulders below. Luckily we all made it across without such a thing happening. 

We walked for about six hours total this day, some along a road rightfully named The Dusty Road, and again along rivers and valleys, next to a train track. It was a bit scary when a train would roar by us. There were a lot of rocks along the way, which made our feet sore. On this day we got our first views of Machu Picchu and a few ruins near the edge. It was amazing to see, especially since our first view also included a roaring waterfall falling off another cliff. 

We arrived in Aguas Calientes and were rewarded with accomadations in a hostel, finally a bed, and lukewarm shower! After dinner we went straight to bed. I forgot to mention that each night except on day 3 we went to bed before 9 pm and awoke around 5 am. We have been exhausted every night.


DAY 5

We set our alarms for 3:45 am this particular morning. It was the day that we had been working towards.  Jenny and I forgot our flashlight and headlamp at the hostel so we had to stay close to the other people on the way to the base of Machu Picchu.  For some reason I thought the hike up to the Machu Picchu ruins would be a breeze. I thought wrong. It almost felt like a ratrace, for there was a hoard of people competing to get to the top first on a narrow and steep stair path. Jenny and I were scrambling to stay close to eachother and clinging to the other hikers´ source of light.  We sped up the mountain without any breaks, wanting to keep our spot and get up there ASAP.  Jenny and I fondly remember looking up and seeing strings of headlamps zigzagging up the mountain. Quite a sight.


Once we showed our tickets and passports we were allowed into the site.  After walking through a little walkway near a stone building, we were able to lay eyes on the ruins.  To see something that you have always known about and only seen pictures of was surreal.  I thought of my dad, who loves this sort of thing.  I took a video of us walking into the site, hoping to share some of the feelings and views I had with my family.  Getting there early with the sunlight shining on the ruins minus tourists allowed Jenny and I to take some awesome pictures.
We had a 2 hour tour of the area and were then set free to do as we pleased.  Jenny and I walked around the maze of stone walk ways and buildings.  The size of some of the stones was amazing and the way the stones fit together was crazy.  We sat up on a great lookout point and just took it in.  Gazing at this impressive spread among these huge green mountains and blue sky was very humbling and tranquil.  I could really understand how this place is considered so sacred.

Jenny and I literally forced our sore feet and legs to hike up the nearby higher Huayna Picchu mountain (that mountain you see in the center of the photo below) which was included in our ticket.  It was quite steep and even dangerous, but it didn´t take that long and was well worth it.  The view at the top was breathtaking.  We could see nothing but majestic mountains all around us, along with Machu Picchu below us.  We plan to post MANY pics when we get back!!

We eventually took a bus ride back down to Aguas Calientes, which again made us think we could possibly die.  We had a nice dinner along with a coffee to help keep us awake for the train ride back to Cusco.  The train ride was quite fun, we chatted it up with a fellow Salkantey trekker from Brazil.  He didn´t feel too comfortable with English and jokingly asked us if we could help him practice.  We highly recommended maple syrup and apple pie with ice cream and answered his questions about Vermont. He told us about his language, family and his country.    
Anways we made it back to our cozy little hostel after a 1 1/2 hr long bus ride that followed the train ride.  Jenny and I both took a HOT shower upon our return and passed out. It felt so nice to wash my face!! Ha.


The day after....

Awwww....finally a day of rest! We enjoyed the day just lounging around our beautiful hostel, napping and reading on the rooftop terrace. It was a well deserved break from trekking. That night we had made plans to meet a bunch of our trekking buddies and our guide to try some local corn beer and have dinner. From the start of the evening we could tell it was going to be an interesting one. It began with Elias (our trek guide) bringing us to a local part of town and through a twisting hallway into what he said was a local ¨bar.¨ It was just an old, dirty room with a few long tables pushed together. We were served giant glasses of Chicha, a locally made corn ´´beer.´´ It was a thick, yellow, sediment filled drink, smelling and tasting of yeast and vinegar, not appetizing at all. Although Elias seemed to enjoy it, chugging two huge glasses full. A little later he told us this was a fresh batch that had not fermented long, and therefore did not contain alcohol! Some people were brave and finished theirs, Abbey and I took a few sips and left it at that. At least it only cost 2 sols including tip (about 80 cents).

From there Elias left us, saying he had to set out on another 5 day trek in the morning. We were left on our own to find dinner in a local part of town. We walked into the first ¨restaurant¨ we saw, right across the street. The dirty walls, kids running around, and emptiness of the place should have warned us what we were getting into. One of our fellow trekkers asked for a menu, which was a big mistake. Apparently the ´menu´ here means the special, a set meal for a cheap price. The waiter, if you can call him that, started bringing out bowls of some unknown type of soup, spilling it on one of our group members! We were so confused, still thinking we were waiting for actual menus, we wanted choices after five days of eating whatever was placed in front of us! Only one trekker spoke enough Spanish to try to work this out, but he wasn´t getting very far, eventually turning to us and in English saying ´´this woman is either drunk or high.´´ She wasn´t making any sense and was swaying back and forth as she talked...we´re guessing the waiter was doing whatever this woman was as well, as he had spilled soup all over the place. We decided to finish our beers and get out of there, heading back towards the central square in search of a restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet. It was a ten minute wait and so we went to the bar next door, where we caused more commotion. One of our group members leaned back and put his foot on what he thought was a wooden door, which was actually glass, breaking a large pane....he got out of there pretty fast. We finally sat down to a delicious meal in a funky restaurant with couches and vibrant artwork. Its nice to have control over what we are eating again!

Its off to Arequipa in the next couple days, we are ironing out the details, possibly doing another a three day trek through Colca Canyon, which is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. However at this point its hard to get excited about another trek, so we will see how we feel! For now its time to do laundry, eat a few good meals, and enjoy our last days in Cusco!