Inka Trail and Maccupichu

Hey all, Hope everything is going well back in sunny Brisbane, it must be getting a little chilly now. So, we've done quite a bit now, so with fair warning, this is a long email, or mini- novel :-) Well, to sum it up, The Inka trail is nothing short of amazing, with the first day being pretty easy and I'll admit that I've done a few hikes now and I've adapted to the altitude well, (must be all the conditioning at BJ's :-) and after lunch I felt like I was on something of some sort cos I was running up the hills and really flying to the end of the first days course and nipping on the heels of the little Andean porters to some stops. These guys are fit as and zip past with loads of 20kg on their backs and sometimes people who are having trouble. So with the ease of the 1st day behind me, that was about as easy as it was going to get, cos the 2nd day was a relentless battle uphill over stone steps for a few kilometers before approaching dead womans pass, which is around 2 and a half hours of more uphill battles before around 1 and a half hours descent over dodgy ankle breaking territory of steps that claimed a couple of folks, but the views were unforgettable as you looked out over the cloud forests and to see condors soaring high above. I saw some ruins towards the top of a mountain pass and after a general consensus with others to decide to give it a miss and head back to camp, the decision to push on and take the time to check out the ruins was worth it. It was a fortress of some sort, or more like a watch tower that is mostly covered in mist, and when then air cleared for a few minutes it gave a great opportunity to admire the views from below the forests and spot some more ruins across the valley. To see the ruins though, meant pushing into top gear for the rest of the hike back to the campsite which was not the original one planned, but instead one which was another 2 hours hike away. At the end of the day, the light was fading quickly and as we passed through paths with no railings to stop you dropping off a 150 to 200m drop (maybe more) to the forest floor below, I thought with still no sign of the camp ahead, I'd start getting concerned in about 20mins, and then 5 minutes later we saw the silouttes of the tents setup by the porters, with the deep orange sunset glow over the South American jungle hung in the background, it was nothing short of a warm welcome home for the night. As the birds and animals sung out through the jungle and cloud forests below, the light eventually dissapeared to give reign of the night to the moon which equally lit up the sky to coat the hills, tents and all in a light pasty glow, that my camera had a hard time trying to capture despite playing with exposure times. At the end of the day, it was around 12 hours of trekking to rack up a total of 27kms including all of the uphill passes, so not a bad days work, and I had the blisters to show for it. On the third day, it was only projected to have around 6 hours of trekking throughout the day. On the way, I found a museum with wildlife from the surrounding jungle, including turrantulas, giant moths and butterflys, tucans and bird of paradise. On the way down the photo opportunities were abundant and I had no problem filling my photo quota I'd set myself for a four day journey, but with Maccupichu still laying far ahead, I had to hit the brakes a bit on the photo shutter. I think the best part about the third day, was walking to our stop in Aguas Calientes along the railroad which goes from Machupiccu to Cusco daily. The train wasn't due for some time so it was safe to wonder along the tracks and admire the river rushing by, which can go up to class 5 rapids we were told. After becoming frustrated with how hard it was to walk on the stones of the railroad, I ran along the wooden beams on the railroad for a while it felt to me, but others said it was around 3kms I was running for, explains the attractive but musky smell I would've exhibited afterwards :-) As we saw the railroad up ahead, so was Aguas Calientes, our stop for the night, and then further up after passing markets and more begging children and stray dogs, there were Pizzerias everywhere and a few familiar faces who were not doing the trek but Maccupichu. All of a sudden people where everywhere as we walked into this strange little riverside town, feeling like long lost explorers, with walking staff in hand, sore and exhausted from our 3 day 44 mile trek, to be given a crowd of smiles and congratulations for our efforts, all before we were about to see what we came for... Maccupichu. After a night of congratulating our awesome and amazingly fit porters on a job well done, and a bit of dosh for each of them to buy a beer with, we awoke at 3.30am to get ready for the trek up the mountain to Maccupichu. Only time for a bit of breaky before setting off down what would prove to one of the longest roads I've ever walked. As it was still pitch black, and the sunrise was still a while off, I'd stopped to refill my water and when finished looked up to see the torch light I was following was now long off in the distance, and knowing if I'd stopped to undo my carefully crafted backpack setup to get the torch, I would've lost the guides and had little chance of finding the right way to go, so there was only one thing to do but sprint ahead as fast as possible to get back into the light and stay with it. As I approached the torch light with what looked like 3 or 4 black wisps of people around it, they became clearer but it was utterly silent around as we made giant and fast strides through the blackness not knowing if my next step would collect a stone to trip me, or a pothole for a worse outcome, but as they say 'It'll be alright', and it was as I stayed with the torch lights for long enough until the blackness began to fade in preparation for the sunrise. The road just keeps going and going until a set of Inka stairs was found and half the group took the stairs not knowing where they'd leave and the rest continued on the road, including me, but later I found the stairs were definitely the go, regardless of the large huntsman sized spiders inside on the walls. Again it was like the Inka trail with a relentless pursuit to the top with gravity being no friend, and I was once again feeling the altitude and exhaustion hit me every 20 or so steps until finally arriving at the top with a shirt so wet, I could wring it out... nice! We'd already been beaten by a couple of buses by the time of arriving to Maccupichu on foot, so the tourist line was growing at 6.30am! It was very misty inside until akround 9am were it slowly cleared to provide the perfect money shot, which amazingly I missed and never ended up taking, as is not like me. This was mainly due to exploring all the little houses throughout this ancient city, which has halls, house, playing field, alters, a sun temple complete with a sun dial and a stone which is astronomically aligned to the Southern Cross to the level of it's direction in the sky. As well as this, there is a nearby mountain named Wayna Pichu which I wasn't going to climb, but before I knew it I was up the top, to see Maccupichu as a small shape on the opposing mountain face, the views were incredible and thankfully there was no wind with many sudden drops off the mountain around, where it was game over if you were to miss a step and vertigo got the better of you. So, after it all I can honestly say that the Inka trail is the hardest trek I've ever done and possibly ever will, depending on how hard the hike is through Cambodia to Angkor Wat I've heard so much about, that could be next on the list but some time away. I saw so much on the Inka trail that I think a lot must miss when you get to the point of exhaustion that the camp site is the only thing you want to lay eyes on. The Inka ruins along the way show the civilisation that once exhisted before the upheaval of 140 Spanish conquisquadors, to the city of Maccupichu, that throughout 40 years of war from 1534 to 1574 was never spoken of and never ever discovered by the Spanish, and lay undisturbed until 1911 and then rediscovered in 1941. I'd recommend everyone at some point to make time see this place which leaves you a bit gob smacked as the sun rises over the glowing mountains, it's little wonder the Inkas were so in tune with nature with the million dollar views they had every morning and afternoon. Although word of warning about the train from Aguas Calientes to Cusco, is that I don't think a Peruvian train ride is ever smooth. At least once, the whole train slammed to a stop with carriages smacking each other and a loud crunching sound when the train tride to start up again, we thought they'd hit a llama for real! But it seemed it was because the tracks having half switched over and not the whole way, so that'll happen ey. Now, it's a night in Cusco before travelling up the coast of Peru and staying on the beaches. Cusco is a nice spot, which I think you'd like a lot Dad. We've had plenty of warnings about pick pocketing and muggings, but it's been ok so far, I'll give the Peruvians credit for their efficiency when it comes to everyday things, particularly the mid-sixties lady I saw peeing on the footpath last night on the walk home, why find a toilet when you can go where you sit! There's no shortage of nightlife around here, with a few dingy pubs and clubs, and every clown under the sun offering you free drinks for the night if you go to their club, and then it's anything goes, as the saying around here goes 'Well, how about something for the head?' and 'I got weed, I got Coke, I got the best stuff maine!' it's the real South America but they are not always real dealers and are often undercover cops looking to throw tourists in jail or make around U$200 a pop from bribes, but look but don't touch is always my personal philosophy. But this hasn't stopped some of my travelmates trying the local treats and others coming back with some hairy stories, like my little mate Peanut who was dared to run over a Police car, did it, then things got serious when a cop with an AK semi-automatic ran over with another one with a baton who grabbed him for a night or two in the watch house, but a sorry and a S$50 (around U$15) handshake to the officer got the little guy out of trouble with the Peruvian police, it's just the Chilean ones who pride themselves on being unbribable. That's all for now. Take care all and keep well, hasta pronto and enjoy the pics! Adam