After a 3 hour bus ride through the sacred valley, we arrived just past . Putting the full weight of our packs on our backs for the first time we headed to the entrance of the Inka Trail. Note: how clean we look in the group shot. As we began hiking, we couldn’t help but notice that the sage scrub and climate felt much like central California. At this part of the trail, we found the cochineal bug, which when squished, oozes bright a red dye. Though the first half of our first day was not very difficult, we were definitely struggling with the elevation and the heat. Not to mention, we were the only ones in the group who were perhaps strong or stupid enough to carry ALL our own weight. Hint: the large backpacks!
After hiking through several small Andean villages and passing men tipsy and bloated from their corn-brew chicha, we started up some very steep inclines. As an additional challenge to the sweat-besoaked and heaving Ivan, Kristin handed over half of her weight and clipped it onto the back of his pack were it swung around upon its own volition to sway Ivan back and forth over the rugged trail. Since this wasn’t enough to prove his valiant attempt at wearing the pants in this hiking duo, Kristin handed him her entire pack so Ivan’s last 1.5 km were spent with a rear pack that extended to 3 feet behind him that swung back and forth, but also a women size blue pack on his chest hid the rocks, branches, and obstacles beneath. A crew of clapping and welcoming SAS crew members was a welcome site when we arrived into camp at 6:45 and under the bright stars. Today we hiked approx 12 km.
Day 1 Accomplished!
Day 2:
We were politely awakened at the early hours of 5 am with a hot cup of tea brought to our tent. Stumbling out of our tent, we collapsed into camp chairs to a table spread of pancakes, tea, coffee, toast and our new absolute favorite Quinoa con Leche with apples and cinnamon. This day was definitely the hardest of the four, since the first 5 hours were roughly spent climbing up to Dead Woman’s Pass at 4201 meters. Fortunately, Kristin decided to make the smart decision and hired a porter to carry 9 kg (which she proudly declares was not all her weight still much more than the average trekker). Amazingly, this weight was simply tied on top of a porter’s already bulging pack. (the porters roughly carried no more than 25 kg, but were maxed out). After reaching the exhausting heights of Dead Woman’s Pass we bundled up from the sudden cold and immediately started trekking down an equally steep incline. Our spirits were high but our knees and calves were crying.
Trying to get a kiss from the llama with a major under-bite! 
The valley below dead woman's pass
A typical porter
On top of D.W.P
see the valley below...that's were we just came from
After a delicious lunch, where most trekker’s (15 out of 18 groups) stopped for the day, we were urged on to continue an additional 5 km of hiking before we could call it quits. As we crossed yet another mountain, clouds and distant thunder were settling in. The winding mountain trail ahead seemed to materialize out of the thick fog (luckily we missed the rain and thunder) as we made our way along the narrow trail.
Kristin "skiing" down the foggy slopes
As a celebration for our big day of trekking, our guide surprised us with a bottle of Ron Rum to warm us up as the rain pitter pattered on the kitchen tent. Hiked 16 km total
Day 3:
Since we endured a longer and more strenuous day 2 to get ahead of the other groups, we were lucky enough to sleep in till 6am!! One of the enriching parts of the trips was a circle, which included our whole group: trekkers, porters, and guides. During this time, we each individually introduced ourselves and shared a few facts about each other i.e hobbies, # of kids, # of girlfriends (porters), where we are from… The cultural exchange was really interesting.
Today’s hike was fairly leisurely and unlike the first 2 days in the “California Terrain” today we entered the semi-tropical “eye-brow” of the rainforest. The trail wound along steep mountain sides which were no wider than 1-1.5 meters and dropped off up to 100’s of feet.
Everyday we would walk through ruin sites, however today we impressed by the ruins of Intipata, which were recently discovered in the 1990’s. The agriculture terracing never stops to amaze us as the Inka’s used them as “test” plots and served as very fertile and stable terraces. Water was able to be very closely controlled, which allowed for micro-climates to be created along the terraces. Also note: Ivan’s 90 degree hiking pole compared to the Inka’s 14 degree terrace walls. Their technique is why the walls still endure so beautifully today. Kristin was taking notes on how to keep walls from crumbling and causing erosion during wet seasons. Ivan was adamant and wanted to make sure the Inka’s were actually precise in their 14 degree measurements (note: pole measuring device).
Winay Wayna was the largest camp of the trek and served as camp for all 18 groups. It was more of a small resort than camp, with optional hot showers, indoor eating, a full stocked bar, snack shack, souvenirs’, etc…. Though as the true outdoor trekkers Kristin and Ivan are, we opted for the unconventional shower technique of a cold sponge bath to save a few bucks. After shivering and hearing about all the other camper’s relaxing hot showers we bundled up and went exploring to a nearby ruin site. Winay Wayna, or “the small Machu Picchu,” is not only intact but also has flawless stonework that has weathered the past 4 centuries without difficulty. We arrived just as the sun was setting and walked through the temple and agricultural sector. We both were completely amazed by the irrigation system, which first flowed through the religious temple and went through a series of stone channels. Each terrace had square and identical collection pool where water could easily be accessed to water the 2.5 meter wide terraces.
Dinner was of course amazing, but was also special because it was one of our group members’ 40th birthday. The chef somehow prepared a moist yellow cake on a grill outside. He spent several hours turning the batter on the open flame so that cooked evenly and rose perfectly. The frosting was an egg white “meringue” with caramel designs and saludos. It was honestly one of the best cakes we have ever had (even Kristin the cakery snob thought so). We said goodbye to our 21 porters this evening. We walked passed them as if it were after a soccer game. Ivan shook hands, but Kristin received sheepish kisses on the cheek and generous embraces. The smiles and giggles pointed out that this wasn’t a normal goodbye for them, but more obviously by the fact that Kristin was the only member to receive such a gracious good-bye….
A typical entree for dinner. This plate x 3-4 more = dinner! YUM!!!
Today we hiked 11 km
Day 4:
We woke up at 3:45 am and hastily packed the heavy goodies in our tent. Ivan almost tobogganed to breakfast on the wet slippery ground from the nights rain. Headlamps at breakfast, and ponchos at the ready, we lined up at the control gate to walk the last 8km to the Sun Gate, or the first available sighting of Machu Picchu. The cliffs were especially steep on this part of the trail, where Ivan had to focus on the adjacent wall, rather than the precipice next to him. The Sun Gate was unfortunately still sacked in with fog, so we barely caught a glimpse of the elusive Machu Picchu. The hike down from the Sun Gate put a bounce in our steps as we neared closer to the llamas grazing the upper parts of the ruins. Rounding a corner, we suddenly beheld Machu Picchu in all of its postcard glory. It truly took our breath away.
Pumped up at 4 am for our first sighting of Machu Picchu!
Kristin's new found love: LLAMA'S
WE MADE IT!
Kristin is pointing to the Sun Gate!
A must in Machu Picchu: Yoga!
Looking back at the final part of our trek, we’re both amazed out how much of a blur it was. Running from one part of the ruin to another, we tried to find the lowest tourist densities. (All the members of the group later confessed how they resented the lazy tourists who took the train and bus up the hill, while we had trekked so far to walk in the famed ruins). The breadth, sophistication, and engineering genius of the ruins can only be understood firsthand. Not only did the massive stones fit seamlessly together, but every wall had astronomical significance as well. Different types of stonework were found throughout the ruins. Large granite stones formed the base of every building, and only some of the buildings had the smaller, more loosely fitted stonework on the upper half. Of course the religious areas, such as the Sun Temple and the Temple of the Condor were all several ton stones that jig-sawed together. On the outside of the Temple of the Condor, Kristin demonstrates the cruel stonework that was used to discipline young, virginal, and disobedient women who refused to marry Inka aristocrats that they had never met. Their punishment was to be exposed to the elements and propped in a very uncomfortable position. Unfortunately, so much of the rich history of the site has yet to be discovered, which left so much to speculation, that our desire for closure and understanding was peaked. Maybe 25 years from now on a later trek, more of the historical riddles will be solved. Hiked 8 km in the early morning.
Reflecting on our trek, we received many new leg muscles and shoulder aches than before (Kristin’s calves almost doubled in size and her ankles grew some new lean meat!!). However, our love for the Inka and Quechua culture has continued to grow as we walked the trails of the royal kings, slaves, and woman of the Inkan time. It is remarkable how quickly the 4 day trek went by, however our memories of meeting 11 other trekkers, 2 guides and 21 porter’s will not be replaced. We have formed many new friendships (in fact we are in Arequipa with another couple from the UK). We are very fortunate to have this beautiful experience of trekking the Inka Trail and believe it is one of the top 10 hikes one must complete. We have continued on our SA adventure post Machu Picchu and will keep you updated as we travel Arequipa and Colca Canyon…
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