Nothin like a little Family Lovinnnnn – Part 2

I admit, my blogs have been few and far between as of late.   Sorry to disappoint those of you out there who look forward to reading it (the two or three of you that exist).  But not to worry, I am back on track and am hoping to put together two solid entries THIS WEEK!  I last left you all wondering, waiting and eager to hear about the incredible journey my mom, sister and I took part in on our way to Machu Picchu, so without further ado…the famous Inca Trail!

Day one – Training Day

Pick up 5:30 am.  Very unlike South Americans, they were at our doorstep at 5:33, impressive, and a good sign for the rest of the trip.  Everyone else had already been picked up, so it was off to the 82km starting line in Ollaytantambo.  We grabbed some breakfast there, though the three of us had already eaten at our hotel which caters to trips like this and starts their breakfast at 4:30 in the morning! As I mentioned, KM82 is the famous starting point for the “Official Inca Trail” and we were not the only ones waiting to embark.  There were probably about 100-150 people in total, including the porters, waiting to start this life-changing journey.  Well, to be honest, it is only life changing for about 30-40 of those waiting, as the guides and porters do this just about every week of their life (except February when the trail is closed).  Anyways, we hit the first check point and…already a hiccup.  Our porters’ bags were over-weight.  Each porter is only permitted to carry 25 kilos (about 45 pounds) each day, and must weight in at the start of each day to ensure this.  Well, no surprise, us Americans had over-packed our bags and we had to wait about an hour before we could hit the trail.

***Quick anecdote about the porters.  If desired, us tourists could pay a bit extra to hire a porter to carry some or all of your belongings.  When we signed up for the trek in January, I figured most people doing this were in good hiking shape and would be carrying most of their stuff.  For this reason, I advised only my mom to hire a porter as I figured my sister and I could handle the extra load.  Wrong; we were the only ones.  EVERY other person in our group had hired their own personal porter.  Not one per couple, one per person.  The only other people who SHARED a porter were two brothers around my age…and like I said, they shared one.  As far as I’m concerned, we are better off having carried it all…but you wouldn’t have heard me saying that during the hike!***

Our guide had nicknamed day one of the hike “Training Day”.  All this made me think about was the movie with Denzel, which provided solid motivation throughout the trip. We stopped occasionally along the trail which was littered with ancient ruins, some bigger than others.  Our two guides, Valentin and Livos, both spoke decent English and were very knowledgeable about everything we saw along the way.  After an early wake-up and about 4 hour of hiking/walking, lunch was a welcome site when we arrived at our tents.  None of us knew exactly what to expect food-wise and we were blown away with what they served and how they served it.  

Lunch Menu:

-          Stuffed avocado

-          Aji de gallina (chicken in peanut sauce – Peruvian dish)

-          Rice

-          Pumpkin soup

-          Cucumbers and tomatoes

-          Choclo con queso (corn with cheese – Peruvian dish)

To make the meal even more enjoyable, as we rolled into camp, the rain started to come down.  Since we had made it to lunch, and we were eating inside a tent, we stayed dry the whole time.  And here is the best part, the rain stopped just as we finished up lunch!  We continued on the trail, the second half a bit steeper and more difficult than the first half, but still very doable.  We had already been warned about day two, nicknamed “challenge”, and were informed that to take a little time out of the day 2 trekking, we would push on a little further during day one.  In hindsight, 100% worth it.  After a steep climb for about an hour, we reached our campsite for the first night.  

View from Campsite

Dinner Menu:

-          Popcorn/Cookies

-          Smoked trout

-          Chicharon de Cauliflower (Cauliflower tempura)

-          Vegetable soup

-          Fresh veggies

-          Rice

Everyone passed out immediately following dinner, as we had an early start the next day.

Day Two – Dead Women’s Pass (The Challenge)

Top of Dead Woman's Pass!

Yes, that is the name of the climb we were tackling on day two.  We soon found out it was NOT because of the females who had died there, but because the two mountain peaks which we were passing through looked like breasts.  A bit of a reach, but I prefer that reasoning over the other!  Today was hands down the most miserable day of the trek.  Eight hours of steep mountains, crooked and broken staircases made of boulders, torrential downpour and the beginnings of a 24-hour flu.  Due to the fact that we had hiked about an hour extra the day prior, this day began and we immediately hit extremely steep slopes.  The rain held off for the first few hours, but was relentless for the rest of the day.  By the time we reached the top of dead women’s pass, the rain was really coming down, and for me, this is when the day went from a difficult climb to a wretched day.  The climb down.  Though climbing up was a struggle physically, climbing down was a true test of mental grit and determination.  With such strong rains, the rocky stairway going down transformed  in front of our eyes.  The first transformation was into a small stream and then into a small river.  Each and every step had to be carefully calculated, and with 40+ extra pounds on my back, balance was more important now than ever.  After leading the pack most of the way on day one, I accepted my place at the rear on day two.  I wouldn’t be passing anyone on this day, nor did I aspire to.  Most of the group got split up and I took the rear, alone and slowly.  I think I arrived for lunch about an hour after the rest of the group, but was never happier to see all the smiling faces. 

Unfortunately, we had been badly misinformed by our guides on the severity of day two, and it turned out there was a SECOND extremely difficult climb and descent to get to our campsite for day two.  This theme carried throughout the trip, with our guides often misinforming us or misleading us as to what we would be taking part in each day…a bit frustrating for many of us.  By the time I arrived to camp on day two, I had come down with a bit of a cold and as a result didn’t eat much for the following 24-hours.  Thank goodness my mom didn’t notice or she would have been freaking out!  Thinking back, it was probably quite dangerous, as I was exerting myself to physical extremes and not replenishing the fuel that my body had used throughout the day.  Hindsight is always 20/20!  As I stumbled into camp, last once again, I was happy to see that my mom and sister had made it safely and they were quick to let me know that I was CRAZY for signing us up for this adventure.  (Don’t worry, they had changed their minds by the time they left!)  After another delicious meal, we capped off the night with a delicious fruit tea mixed with rum!  I thought this would put me right to sleep after a long and strenuous day, but for some reason, the second night was the one I slept the least.  The body and mind work in strange ways…many I will never understand.

Day Three – Unforgettable

Named so due to the spectacular ruins we would see (and for us, the ease of the trekking), day three was a wondrous day.  Up to this point I had failed to mention the bathroom facilities we had access to.  To be honest, much better than I would have expected along an ancient trail.  At each campsite there were squat holes and you were even able to flush the “toilets”! Of course, no showers existed, so for many, this is what made day three “unforgettable”.  After about 5 hours of hiking we arrived to lunch, the same campsite where we would also eat dinner and spend the evening, and had access to showers.  Now for those unaware, we left on the 2^nd of March, which means, after having closed the trail for the entire month of February, we were only the second group to pass through.  One would expect that this little bar/resting area with showers would be well equipped and ready to cater to their only business of the year. WRONG.  They had already run out of towels, toilet paper and apparently, friendly staff members.  The workers were complete jerks, still baffling to me, as we were literally their only source of income, and were not the least bit helpful.  Example A: While we ate lunch, they bumped the most random selection of 90’s rap/hip-hop music, and when we requested they turn it down, so we could talk without our heads thumping, they simply ignored us.  I guess they knew we had no choice but to stay and eat whether or not they appeased our desires, so they chose not to.

After lunch some of us took short naps before our night expedition.  Another instance where we were gravely misinformed by the guides, (though this time I think they were intentionally joking with us) we were TOLD that there were some incredible ruins about an hour’s walk/hike away.  For many of us, after three grueling days, we were unsure if it was worth the effort and considered hanging back.  Thank goodness we all chose to stick around.  The walk took no more than 10 minutes and the ruins were by far the most amazing we had seen yet.  Wiñay Wayna was one of the last sites to be discovered by modern day explorers and as a result is still very much in the process of being restored.  It is unknown to many, that there is actually ANOTHER trail that leads to Machu Picchu that only takes ONE day to hike.  After initially building the Official Trail, the Incans realized that the climbs and descents were much too difficult to be braving each and every day of the year.  For this, they created a shorter, flatter route (and yes, as the group was provided with this information, we all flashed looks around like “and why didn’t we take this path?”).  Anyways, the ruins were incredible (and those of you who have seen my Isla Palenque video, that is where I am in the intro video), and after snapping hundreds of photos, we headed back for dinner and the end of the evening. 

Day Four – The Reason

We came up with this name ourselves, I’ll give most of the credit to my sister.  No explanation needed; we finally made it to Machu Picchu!  That morning we were up for breakfast at 4am and ready to hit the trail by 4:30am…not so fast hikers.  Our guides failed to inform us that the checkpoint didn’t open until 5:30 which meant we were stuck sitting around for an hour.  After 4 days of being mislead and misinformed, this was the final straw.  Members of the group had made it clear that we wanted to climb Wayna Picchu and that we would like to try and make the 6 am climb.  We figured, with waking up at 4 in the morning, this wouldn’t be a problem.  For those unaware, Wayna Picchu is the gorgeous mountain that is posted directly next to Machu Picchu and provides the greatest view of the ruins.  Each day, only 400 people are permitted to climb the mountain due to its precipitous cliffs, narrow pathways and the high risk involved.  This was not about to deter most of the group (all but 4 of us made the climb), so our only obstacle was ensuring we claimed seven of the 400 available spots.  It seemed our guides were out to ensure the exact OPPOSITE.  After arriving at the ruins around 8-8:30, we sat around for another half hour waiting for our food to arrive.  Every moment that passed I was getting more and more frustrated with our guide, Livos, and desperately wanted to separate myself from the group and make the climb.  At long last, our group got moving and thanks to a stroke of luck, we were able to claim some of the last available spots.  The seven of us got climbing while the other four members hung back and took a tour of Machu Picchu with the guides.  All I can say is THANK GOODNESS those spots were available.  Without a doubt the most rewarding, breath-taking, mind-boggling, eye-popping views I have ever had the pleasure of taking in.  Words cannot describe the beauty and magical feel that engulfs Machu Picchu.  Needless to say, a trip of a lifetime.  Enjoy the pictures and I strongly encourage anyone who has a chance to take part in the same life-changing journey my mom, sister and I were fortunate enough to embark on.  

The two weeks with my mom and sister were a wonderful whirlwind of a tour and I enjoyed every moment of it.  Not to mention, it was nice sleeping in a comfortable bed every night, eating delicious food, and soaking up the laughter and joy of spending time with loved ones.  Thank you Nicki and Mom for lasting through it all!!!

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Nothin like a little Family Lovinnnnn - Part 1

Whenever I decide to return back to that lovely country just North of where I am currently residing, I will have thousands of stories to tell people.  Of course, I realize no one will want to hear most of them, or maybe any... so lucky for you I will stick to the highlights. (Btw...that's also the beauty of writing this blog! I can write whatever...and ya'll can choose whether or not to read it)  The past two weeks I was lucky enough to spend with my mom and sister will be the pinnacle of it all.  Without a doubt, visiting Machu Picchu was the highlight of their trip, but for me, the entire two weeks was the highlight of MY trip.  So let’s get to the story telling!

Their flight got in around midnight on Wednesday the 24^th and after a smooth transition through customs (so I was told) they got to my B&B around 1:30am.  I had purchased some food for them which had gone cold by the time they got it, yes, even after I reheated it one time in the toaster…my timing was a little off!  The owner/my boss had reserved the ‘nicest’ room in the place for them, room 203.  I enjoyed it because it had two beds! One king size and one single (for me).  Though I was technically working, I am normally permitted the option of sleeping in the first room in the hotel if available.  Though room 203 is the furthest to the back, I simply left a sign at the front desk to knock on the door or shout if anyone needed anything…luckily no one did (or I didn’t hear them).  Thursday was a slow day and we started it off with a ‘bag exchange’.  When I initially came down to South America I carried my clothes in a good size duffel bag.  While this was great for stuffing, it was not so good for traveling, which I found out the hard way on my journey from Buenos Aires to Lima.  Anyways, my mom was generous enough to buy me a solid traveler’s backpack which I would/will use both in Machu Picchu and for the remainder of my trip.  It is a bit smaller than my duffel bag, so I had to make some sacrifices on clothing: my two biggest dump offs were my $1 sport coat and bright blue DUKE sweat pants; they will both be missed dearly (though I think I wore them a combined two times in 4 months…so not that dearly).  After making the transfer, we headed out for a bite to eat.  For those unaware, Lima is very well known for their ceviche and my mom and sister were well aware of this.  It was a beautiful day so the 30-or-so minute walk from the hotel to Punta Sal, a splendid restaurant overlooking the cliffs and the Pacific Ocean, was wonderful.  My sister took plenty of pictures which will be added once she posts them**cough cough**post them please.  That night we had another delicious dinner, including another mouth-watering ceviche, and enjoyed a few pisco sours, the official drink of Peru. 

With just a brief stay in Lima, I wanted them to see a few of the sights and sounds around, so we made our way to the historical centre city of Lima on Friday afternoon.  This was my second trip into the centre, so I was able to be a bit of a tour guide (though not much of one, besides the whole other language thing) and took them to the most interesting landmark of the city, the Church of San Francisco.  No, this is not the best part of the city because it has San Francisco in the name, though that would be a GOOD ENOUGH reason!  Underneath the Church are catacombs where literally hundreds of thousands of individuals had been buried hundreds of years prior.  It is a bit creepy being down there, but also very unique and interesting to be a part of their history.  After walking around the centre a bit more, we made our way back to Miraflores and eventually to Kennedy Park where we were catching a bus tour of the city at night.  The best part of this tour was our first stop, “El Parque de Agua” or the Water Park.  El Parque de Agua is a collection of massive fountains spread throughout a large  park, lit by a beautiful array of lights.  Included was a very interesting light/water show which was accompanied by Peruvian dance and music.  The water park is the largest of its kind in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records!

The following morning we were off to Cusco, a city situated at an altitude of some 11,200 feet, had prepared for this unusual altitude by taking altitude sickness pills prior to and during our arrival (though not sure if they were needed, none of us felt any side effects from the altitude, therefore highly suggested for anyone visiting Machu Picchu!)  Due to the altitude, it is requested that groups arrive at least two days prior to any Machu Picchu visits and being overly cautious, we arrived four days prior.  Not to worry as there is plenty of activities to do in and around Cusco.  ***History note:  Cusco was the most highly regarded city during the Incan times.  The King resided in Cusco and it was a main trade route throughout all of South America.  Due to this, there are literally hundreds of ancient ruins throughout the city and in the neighboring villages.***  The day of our arrival we took it easy and thanks to Slingbox, we were able to watch the Duke vs. Virginia Tech game (of course after they lost and looked awful in the process…maybe not so much thanks).  Sunday was our first day of exploration and we decided to do a very short hike to test out our lungs.  Cusco is located between the Andes and the town literally rises up along the mountain side.  At the top is a beautiful white statue of Jesus that was donated in 1945 by Arabs.  It provided an incredible view of the city and a great first day.  

Monday the 28^th we got our first taste of Incan ruins outside of Cusco.  Through a suggestion of a family friend (thank you Kelly!) the three of us had booked a mountain bike excursion to the quaint town of Maras and the ruins of Moray.  To say the day went without hiccup would be a vast exaggeration and, in fact, a lie.  All started well with the company picking us up from our hotel a half-hour late.  We then hopped in a cab (they paid for it) to meet up with another couple and our guide for the day.  To my mama’s delight, we were issued bikes/helmets and immediately rode through the busy city streets of Cusco where we were to catch a bus to our jump off point for the day.  So far, so good.  It didn’t take long for our first bike issue when Isabel’s, the young lady of the couple, gears refused to change.  This would be an ongoing issue for her throughout the day, but far from the most difficult.  The first hour of the ride was absolutely gorgeous as we rode through the rolling hills of Ollaytantambo along back roads and dirt paths.  To the disappointment of the group, it had rained the night before and the quickest route to Moray was over-flooded and impassable.  Not to worry, our guide knew an alternate route!  Wrong again.  After about 15 minutes of riding along the alternate path, we hit thick mud and were forced to get off and walk.  To make matters worse, Richard, the other half of the couple, literally had his chains break.  After about 20 minutes, our guide was able to temporarily fix them and traded bikes with Richard.  Due to the muddy paths we had to change plans once again and make our first stop at the small town of Maras.  The path to this quaint town is where the day went from bad to worse for the three females.  It was a steep downhill path with some large rocks and jumps throughout.  Needless to say, Richard and I absolutely loved it, but the girls were forced to get off and walk a few times throughout the descent.  After reaching the town, we hired a taxi to then take the six of us to Moray.  After the day had finished, we were all able to admit that this adventure was absolutely worth the pain and adventure as these ruins were stunning.The multiple levels were each used to farm different strands of potatoes, corn and other farmed goods.  The Incans had developed an incredibly unique irrigation system which allowed water flowing from the mountains above to pass through each and every terrace; truly ahead of their time in many aspects of society.  Much to the dismay of the women, after making it back to Maras, it was back on the descent for our return to Ollaytantambo.  Luckily we had some breath-taking views along the way which lifted their spirits just enough to put a smile on their faces.  After a long day, we returned back to Cusco by bus.  By now, both my chains and Isabel’s were constantly in and out of working.  An issue that didn’t bother me, but only due to the fact that the rest of the trip, once we arrived in Cusco, was all downhill.  To put the icing on the cake, our bus ride ended at the top of Cusco, where we then rode thirty minutes, downhill, through city traffic, fading sunlight and uneven streets to our final destination.  Needless to say, Richard and I arrived with smiles on our faces after a long, strenuous, and exciting journey.  On the other hand, the girls were tired, upset and rather spiteful towards our guide and the tour company.  We did the right thing and still tipped the guide, after all, none of the issues we faced were actually his fault, and we headed back to our hotel to relax for the night.

 

Tuesday came before we knew it and our trek to Machu Picchu would soon be upon us.  We spent the day at the local hand-craft market in Cusco buying a few souvenirs and checking out more of the city.  That evening we had our pre-departure meeting where we met our lovely group of 11 who we would spend the following 4 days and 3 nights laughing, loving, and struggling through the famous Inca Trail.