Inca trail and amazon jungle Late entry

Inca Trail
After a relatively early night in preparation for the start of our walk and a couple of repacks due to some dodgy scales that were reading light and the need to ensure that our packs were under 5 kg as the porters were weighed throughout the track and the company fined if they were carrying more than 25 kg each (more about that later), there was a spanner thrown into the works about 3am with Robyn feeling decidedly sick and gastro imminent..... Yep one very unwell young lady and certainly unable to eat breakfast. We finished up in the room and then met Elais our guide and onto another bus, this time headed for Ollyentatambo to pick up the remaining porters (18 in total) and any last minute supplies including drink bottle carriers and ponchos in case of rain. Ian negotiated the price down from 5 to 2 soles or 2 dollars down to 70 cents.
Back on the bus and heading for the start of the walk at Km 82, normally you get the train to here from Cusco but much of the track had been washed away in January and this first section was still under repair. At the start of the trail you must pass through the checkpoint and ensure that your passport matches the ticket etc and once this is achieved and your passport stamped you are then ready to set off for day 1 and the first of three nights in the tent.
Day 1 is supposedly the easy day for everyone with 11 kms of simple undulating tracks with obviously a few slightly bigger hills thrown in to make sure that you are up for the challenge of days 2 and 3. Robyn was still feeling unwell and there were a few moments when I really thought that the dream was going to end before lunch on the first day. We took it pretty easy and allowed the main group to push on ahead of us while we stayed towards the back with the assistant guide or Teresa. One of the other ladies, Jo who was travelling with us was even slower than we were but her problem was mainly due to fitness and she was not handling the uphill at all well so I suppose this made it a bit easier for us as we weren’t the last and could grab a few extra stops along the way to empty the stomach contents or moderate the breathing that was still affected by the altitude.(breathing here is certainly easier than Puno but still a bit difficult during prolonged exhaustion ) At one of these stops I was waiting for Robyn to recover when two horses just happened to pass each other on the track at the same point I was standing and one of them side-stepped into me catapulting me backwards and into cactus or prickle bush,,, OUCH! A few scrapes and half a dozen thorns later and we were back on our way. Slowly, slowly, slowly and just before lunch was a decent hill to climb and it was getting tougher but Robyn managed it and was able to rest at the top. I decided to go back down to try and encourage/help Jo as she was yet to start and we were running behind schedule. Managed to get her up but it was proving to be too much of a struggle and given that this was really the easy part of the track the decision was made for her to turn back and take the train up instead. Robyn was going to push on to the end of the day but if there was no improvement tomorrow we would have to back track. Reached the lunch site around 2.30 and everyone was waiting but could not believe our eyes when we were directed to some hot water and soap basins and then into the tent for lunch with tables, stools serviettes cutlery and a cold drink. Amazing to think that the porters had run on with all this gear and then set it up just for us. Great food and relax before heading off to the camp site about two hours away. Again the porters ran past carrying everything that is needed for the 4 days and after lunch Tony and I had tried to pick up some of the packs and believe me they were well over 25kg with some estimated at over 60kg so they must have a system worked out to sneak some of the equipment past the check points
The trail after lunch was fair with a mixture of hills and flats but I think we were all ready for the camp site by the time we got there. Robyn and I were the last in but not that far behind the others. Our camp was at .... and was on the side of a hill in the yard of some local who had somehow managed to build a residence in a national park where they didn’t even own the land; in fact all along the trail you are likely to meet horses, donkeys, bulls and the odd farm house selling drinks, chocolate cigarettes and beanies!
Dinner was amazing, great food and excellent company but there is only so much you can do without power and it took us a little while to work out that the porters were waiting for us to leave the tent so that they could have their meals. Early to bed at 8 and ready for a 5am start.
The porters wake you with a cup of coco tea in your tent and a bowl of warm water and soap. The expectation is that you are packed and out of the tent in 30 minutes and then the porters pull it all down while you have breakfast and are ready to walk by 6am. Thankfully Robyn was recovering and had stopped vomiting so she decided to push on; in the mean time Carol from England had spent the night vomiting and was looking a bit like Robyn the day before. Not much breakfast for Robyn as she still had gastro and strong stomach cramps but I enjoyed the fruit salad, porridge and pancakes. I have even started eating bananas and avocados on this trip!!!. Well they said it was going to be tough and we could see the first pass from our campsite which really didn’t look all that bad but it was relentless!!!! 5 hours of uphill, climbing from 3000m to 4215metres above sea level, our highest point on the trail. Eventually we reached the top, I had carried Carol’s bag for a couple of these hours but with frequent stops we managed to get there. Not quite sure how Robyn did it as she had not eaten for 24 hours and was still cramping up and feeling pretty miserable. Ian had to give his pack to his wife Joan and really struggled to get up to the top and Joan followed Robyn’s lead from the day before by putting one leg in front of the other. Tony puffed and panted behind Rach and I was able to hide behind Robyn’s illness allowing me to take plenty of stops along the way. Finally we reached the top for a group photo and a chance to look back on where we had come from. Thankfully Rach was taking plenty of photos as this was the last thing on our minds so we will be able to borrow a few of these for the album.
The downhill to lunch was equally as gruelling as it was quite steep - there were many steps and some quite large ones but the aim was to get us down to the campsite for lunch and some well deserved rest. As usual great food and tents ready for us to crawl into for an afternoon siesta. Elias taught us a new game of cards aptly known as “shithead” but a good game if you have large numbers of people and because it was his game he was able to make up new rules as required, the group seems to be bonding fairly well and everyone participated in the activities and conversation. The food continues to amaze us and is probably the closest thing to “real” Peruvian food that we have had on the trip to date.
Another early start but this time a bit of a sleep in getting up at 6 am and ready to tackle the second pass , this time only 3900 metres and a mere two hour hill climb to get us started! We passed another Inca ruin that had been used to provide rest en-route to Machu Picchu so stopped for a while to take a few photos and enjoy a short break then back to it. Once at the top we were able to soak up some sunshine and re-energise before heading down to yet another magnificent structure constructed by the Incans. It really is amazing how they managed to build and transport water to these places. Today was around 90% Incan built trail and was a contrast to the previous two days which consisted of both Incan and Peruvian Government, it is actually quite easy to tell the difference as the Government parts of the tracks followed the contours of the land and included steps with anything up to 400 mm rises, the Incans on the other hand built walls and laid stones that generally minimised the number of stairs. Some of these retaining walls would have been at least 8 metres high and have withstood the test of time remarkably well. Lunch was at the third pass but we still had another 2-3 hours before reaching our campsite so we pushed on with grit and determination. This day was close to 16 kms which doesn’t sound much but with all the hills and stops to look at ruins, flora or fauna it takes a long time. There are over 3oo types of Orchid in the park and Elias knows exactly where each of them is so it is nice to be kept informed. We have also seen humming birds, vultures and spent some time looking for a Toucan. Many of the flowers that we have at home are also recognisable in the bush and it is good to be able to compare them, I am sure that dad would love to see some of the huge Begonias that we came across. 20 minutes before we reached our camp we were given an option of the route, either a shot downhill on a non-Incan trail or an additional 45 minutes on Incan Trail via a farming site that we could see in the distance. We opted for the long route and I was pleased we did as the views were amazing and the scale of the terracing that they had constructed was hard to believe. Our camp sit included a lodge with hot showers, cervesa and vino tinto so we made the most of that before retiring to our tent ready for the 4am start.
Day 4 and yes it is 4am...... the porters were keen to get us up and out of the tents as they need to have fed us and packed up in order to get down the hill to the train by 5.30 am. (If they miss this train they need to walk out but apparently many of them load their packs on to the train and then run back to Km 82). We waited at the lodge for an hour watching all the other groups head off but were assured by Elias that he knew what he was doing. Should never have doubted him because we had a good 90 minute walk to reach the Sun Gate and arrived with 10 minutes to spare (all of those who left early were still sitting there waiting and looking fairly cold)
WOW! Walking through the Sungate, receiving a congratulatory hug from Elias and Teresa for completing the trail and then laying eyes on Machu Picchu for the first time. All the photographs that you have seen cannot prepare you for the real thing and you just stand there taking it all in. Tony had let everyone know that he would be performing the marriage ceremony at the Sungate and that Elias was to be best man and Teresa the flower girl. You should have seen our faces when Elias took off his jacket to reveal a perfectly pressed white shirt and his bandana tied as a red neck tie. Great for a laugh and a few daggy photos but I guess we will have to wait for the real thing in December.
There is a real sense of achievement to know that we have walked the Inca Trail and we now look forward to wandering around the site to discover it more closely. Elias takes us on a tour of the site to get the best photos and then we need to exit in order to re-enter?? Not sure why but a good chance to meet up with Ashlene and Tim who had done the Lares trail and Jo who had to return to the train and catch a lift on the first day. Now I am not sure quite what happened but Robyn stopped to take a photo and lost the rest of us, I assumed she was with Tony and Rach or that she was in the toilet but 30 minutes later and a missing persons report Elias found her and returned her to the group. We continued our tour before being set loose to explore on our own. The bodies were weary but we poked around here and there taking plenty of photographs and soaking up the atmosphere.
The bus trip down to Olliaentambo was like a long version of Jacobs Ladder at Ben Lomond but once at the bottom you could see the destruction that the floods in January had caused, nearly 4000 tourists were stranded there and the Peruvian government has done pretty decent job in repairing the rail so quickly. Before lunch we headed up the hill for a dip in the hot springs, we brought some cheap thongs on the way as we really didn’t fancy putting on smelly shoes and socks for a while, especially once they were clean, Baths were great and really relaxed the weary bodies to the point where they were once again ready for a Cevasa, or tow, or maybe even ten! Yep we had a ball even had tourists taking photos of us dancing and carrying on to the local band that happened to show up, play a few songs and then pass the hat to buy a CD or make a donation. Great afternoon really and then concluded with a train and the bus ride from hell before getting back to the hotel around 9pm all very tired and emotional. (Apart from the tight squeeze the main problem with the bus ride was if you could see out of the front window and it was better not to watch) tomorrow is a rest day and then off to the jungle.
Highlights of the day in Cusco included a religious holiday and a hundred thousand fanatical Catholics marching to the main square carrying large statues of their saints that required at least 16 men to carry and you could tell by the strain on their faces that it would be possible for them to drop one of these into the crowd at any moment. Apparently someone dying on the day is considered to be a good thing and means there will be a good year ahead!!!!! Guinea Pig for dinner, we just had to have one so Tony Rach, Robyn and I decided to share one as an entree it cost 50 solas and came out beautifully presented on a plate with a small red pepper in his mouth. The waiter did tell us that he used to be his pet and its name was Raoull. Not bad but not something you would have every day, flavours were strong but meat was a little bit hard to get from the bone and a fair bit of fat and skin to get past.

Time this morning for some water, money and repacking of the bags before heading to the airport in Cusco to fly to..... In the Amazon jungle. The flight was uneventful but 20 minutes longer than we thought, obviously Peru time. So this means some relief from the altitude (we had actually started to get used to it and certainly weren’t noticing it.
Landing in the jungle also meant heat and humidity so things were certainly different. We loaded our gear onto a bus for a short trip to the gecko office where we were going to store most of our luggage and non essential items for the next three days, another bus trip and then into the boat to travel up the river to the accommodation. The boat was about 5o foot long but only 5 feet wide with a 60 horse Yamaha on the back so was quite capable of some reasonable speed and had us disembarking about 40 minutes up stream after spotting a couple of Cayman on the banks and stopping for a photo or three.
The Cabins are basic with only three walls and a curtain for a door, the forth wall is left open on to the jungle to allow us to get the full wildlife experience. The walls to are paper thin so that you can hear your neighbours going to the bathroom etc. After settling in we head off for a late afternoon stroll with our guide to check out the views from the viewing platform and see if we can identify a few local flora and fauna exhibits. Plenty to see but most from a distance, the viewing platform was pretty cool scaffolding stairway up 35 metres and quite capable of getting up a decent sway if you weren’t careful. A nice sunset and very relaxing evening followed.
Up at 4am for a trip up river to see a family of otters amongst other things..... (Must stop all of these early mornings) following some breakfast we hit the boats for another 20 minutes up steam. On land we walked through the jungle and saw a colony of monkeys at reasonably close range as well as the usual explanation of the various plants and their contribution to the ecosystem. Now on to another boat, this time more of a floating pontoon, consisting of two wooden kayaks joined by a platform with seating for 20 people and powered by the guide on a single sculling oar at the rear. All was calm as we headed off and it was really quite relaxing sitting on board as daylight broke around us. We managed to locate an otter but there were really on fleeting glimpses from a distance so the guide turned our attention to the birdlife including parrots, McCaw’s and bush turkeys. Time for some Piranha fishing! We pulled into the side of the lake, baited some hooks with red meat and tossed them over board, plenty of bites and lots of hooks stripped before Jimn our guide finally hooked one in; they are quite small (under 5 inches ) but they do have fairly impressive teeth! We all had our photo taken and I pretended it was me who caught it before it decided to bite Jimn on the thumb and wow what a bite! We persisted for another 30 minutes but Ian was the only other person to catch one so unfortunately I am going to have to wait until next time before I can add this to my fishing quota. Time to head for the track back but the wind ha got up and was coming straight onto the nose, this proved to be quite a challenge for the two guides so they tried to head across the lake and this is where we stumbled upon a family of otters, feeding and playing just 20 metres from the boat, very lucky break and well worth seeing. Back to the paddle and this time one guide on a pole, one on the oar and me on a broomstick trying to assist, we were going backwards at times but eventually managed to reach the landing point despite Tony breaking the broom along the way.
Back to the accommodation for a rest and lunch then some free time before heading out to visit the local Sharman (medical doctor) here we learnt about their practise as well as some of the local plants used to treat a large range of conditions including impotence and cancer. We smelt, felt and tasted a variety of plants and then tasted a couple of the potions. The trip was all a bit of fun and quite interesting really. Back to camp for our last night and a few drinks with our tour mates for the last night together. Talk about jungle sounds..... 7 0f the team plus two others from another tour had some kind of food poisoning, (we think it was the fruit juice from lunch time) so their night was spent vomiting and shitting in rooms with paper thin walls! Rach reckoned it was kind of comforting to hear other up doing the same as her at 3 am in the morning! Lots of apologies for the bodily sounds were made the next morning and many of the crew including Rach were feeling pretty bloody ordinary for the rest of the day which included getting back to the office and flying out of the jungle for our final destination with the tour group at Lima.
Lots of farewells and offers to come and visit as well as promises to email and share some photos. They were a great group of people really and I am sure we will keep in touch with some of them, including a trip to Canada and the UK. Our next destination is Quito in Ecuador so we wait at the airport for 5 hours to catch the plane.