I have just returned from my four day, three night trek along the Inca Trail and, my oh my, what an experience. If I could convey what I feel at this very moment I would be thrilled, but I don't believe I am talented enough to pull that off. So I will try, just try, to share my adventure. To be honest I was scared in the days leading up to the trek, wondering if I was fit enough to get through it in one peace. My fear had me wishing the whole thing was over and done with, when in reality, my fitness was not an issue at all. For the record let me state that Machu Picchu is completely doable; it's not easy (my inability to move at the moment can attest to that) but it is nothing with which to be afraid. Those hardcore trekkers out there go along the Inca Trail as though it were a stroll through the park (that wasn't me). The porters are amazing; they do the whole thing carrying 'everything and its mother' in flip flops! Basically, the trail is only a little over 40km, so the difficulty is not in the distance but in the climb.
Physically everything would have been completely fine had I not gotten sick the day before my trek. A sore throat turned into a cough which was then accompanied by full blown congestion, ultimately leaving me voiceless. Day One began and it had gotten so bad I was whispering my name in a meager effort to introduce myself to the 7 others in my group. Obviously I was hoping it would get better...you know, because a full- on trek is great for curing sicknesses. However ridiculous it sounds, I came to Peru with the Inca Trail at heart, and was thus determined to experience it regardless. So I started out with a pretty relaxed first day hike, blowing my nose every twenty minutes and attempting to get to know the others in my group with my sorry voice. I kept getting, "you are this sick and you are doing this trek?!" I shrugged with uncertainty. People were kind, but I could tell they were were trying to keep their distance from me- I couldn't blame them, but it was sad; it was as if I were some scarey contagion.
Day Two was the most difficult day, requiring a 1200 meter climb that I somehow managed to power through. It was the oddest thing; I was so sick!! I could not understand where my energy came from but I got through the worst of it, and while I may not have known it at the time, it came back to bite me. That night I got worse. I was fevered and without appetite, thinking how ironic it was that I got through the worst and yet wondered how I would finish the last two days in my condition. I woke up the next morning, Day Three, void of ANY energy whatsoever. It sucked. I had a temperature, was nauseous and had two hours of steep climbing ahead of me (not to mention six hours of descent thereafter- Day Three was our longest day, 12km). One of our two guides, Fisher, was my bud through this, telling me to think positive...as they say, mind over matter. He offered to get the porters to seriously carry me if need be, but I refused- the thought was absolutely unacceptable (could you imagine people carrying you!). So I trailed behind the rest of the group, trying to find a pace that didn't make me want to vomit. Dang! The thought now makes me smile because it is baffling what you can get through when you need to: I made it through that climb and through the cold rain that came along for our descent (because it wasn't already bad enough, it had to rain), holding a steady fever. And ironically enough, when we reached camp that night, my temperature had gone and I was simply back to my cold. What the hell.
I laid sleepless in a wet sleeping bag that night and woke up the final day feeling no worse than the night before (I don't get it but I'm not complaining). At 5am we began our two/three hour hike, a total distance of 5km, to get to the Sun Gate...and then...the spectacular ancient city of Machu Picchu. It was stunning. All of it was stunning: the view of the city from the Sun Gate, the view from up close, the view of the surrounding natural scenery, the views from the trail itself. All of it. Maybe it is, in part, knowing the history the Incan city holds, being among ruins, walking along an almost legendary road, becoming a part of history yet simultaneously savoring the present moment. There is an undeniable energy that penetrates and effects all visitors (or so I think). Whatever it is, I was caught. We had reached Day Four and by then, while wandering the ruins, every step was painful. It was unanimous- as a group, we were exhausted. But we were happy.
Even though I was sick and things got tough (to say the least), my Machu Picchu experience brings a calm nostalgia. Amidst my obstacles I enjoyed walking through the mountains, jumping over river rocks, being at one with the occasional silence of the path ahead of me and open to the many sounds of nature. I had an awesome time with my group, as we cracked jokes and shared stories around our evening tent dinner table. AND, since I was the only girl who didn't shower for the whole four days, my current state of "so fresh and so clean, clean" is pure bliss. FYI- They are in the process of trying to vote Machu Picchu into the next '7 Wonders of the World', and as I left the site, I took the time to stop and vote, "Yes." I suppose at the end it's really about what you make of your luck.
The one thing I have thus far forgotten to mention is the beauty of Cuzco, the starting point for those venturing out to Machu Picchu (and the once Incan capital). I heard that the colonial city was popular with travelers in general, but I had no idea it was so strikingly beautiful! I can still remember being at my hostel on the hill, reaching for hot water to make myself a cup of coca tea and looking out through the windows suddenly so shocked. "Oh...my...God" seriously went through my head. If I recall correctly, I think I actually said it out loud to myself. Whether one falls in love with the city or not, Cuzco is certainly worth taking a look at.
Truthfully, I have so much more to tell, but it seems impossible to share it all. I have said goodbye to my friend, Frank, who joined me for the Inca Trail (and because of whom I was able to stay at the Sheraton in Lima, showering and eating to my heart's content) and will spend another week in Peru before heading to Costa Rica. I will speak of my happenings outside of the Inca Trail when I write again, but for now, the following are some quirky Peru facts:
* Cuzco, while holding a small- town feel, has a surprisingly large population of 350,000.
* Coca tea or coca leaves in general (leaves from the plant used to produce cocaine) is common to consume or chew. It is a natural remedy that is supposed to help with altitude sickness, among other things. As a result, I drank and chewed large quantities prior to and during the Inca Trail. While the leaves are NOT a drug in and of themselves, if the literature I have come across is correct, were I to take a drug test in a couple weeks, I would test positive for cocaine :)
* Many pullovers are made from the warm wool of Alpaca (baby Alpaca being the best, and simply signifying the first cut)...would have loved to get one.
* Classic Peruvian dish = ceviche (seafood soaked in lemon, onions and spice, served raw usually alongside corn and sweet potato). It may not sound like it, but, YUMMY!!
* The main Peruvian meat consumed is Guinea Pig, which means I, of course, had to try it- not something I prefer. I also tried Alpaca (not bad). Eating Guinea Pig is so common that in a main Cathedral in Cuzco, a painting of the Last Supper includes a meal of Guinea Pig and Chicha (traditional beer made of corn) rather than bread and wine.
* Cechua, the language of the Incans, is still spoken locally. For example, our porters spoke both Spanish and Cechua.
"...The highland road has to be seen to be believed, because the terrain is very rough and yet in Christendom we have never seen such beautiful roads, and the whole length of the roads all the steams are crossed by hanging bridges, wonderful to behold..."
- Hernando Pizarro
|  | 
|
