Camino Inka - Inka Trail to Machu Picchu

Briefing
On Monday, the evening before our hike, we had a meeting at SAS Travel Peru.  (I HIGHLY recommend this travel agency.) We met the 16 members of our "familia" and our two guides, Jimmy and Hernan.  Jimmy gave a quick summary of each day and answered questions.  I had two questions: 1. Will there be bathrooms along the trail? answer: no. 2. Does the weight of my luggage exceed the porter limit? answer: yes.  Then, I cried, "Michael, I don't want to do this. Take me home."  It certainly wasn't the last time he heard that.  You see, we had to take all of our luggage on the trail, because we weren't planning to return to the base camp in Cusco.  Michael decided to carry his hiking backpack on the trail, so it worked out fine.  I wish that he didn't have to do that though.

First Time Meeting Our Family

 Inka Trail - Day 1

The travel company picked us up at our hotel at 6am.  Then, we drove for 2 hours on a bumpy, windy road.  We stopped for breakfast, and suddenly the "car sickness" hit me.  While our team enjoyed their scrambled eggs, I was outside puking.  Again, I moaned, "Michael, I can't do this. Take me home."  (Travelers, this is why I recommend Dramamine or Seabands.)  I didn't really have a choice, so we boarded the bus and drove a little further.  I sat in the front feeling extremely weak.  I whispered to Jimmy, "Do you have Gatorade?" And a second later I passed out.  The bus stopped and people were all around me.  So embarrassing, but I really didn't care at the moment.  I moaned and puked some more.  And that was it... For the rest of the day I felt super.

Pre Hike Pep Rally

Entering the Trail

At the trail head, we got our passports stamped and took a few group photos.  The morning hike was mostly flat and easy.  The weather and scenery were gorgeous.  We arrived at lunch and the food looked fantastic.  However, I didn't eat much because my tummy was still a little weak.  The afternoon hike was pretty easy too.  The team was excited to arrive at our first night of camp.  The porters were already there with tents set up and buckets of warm water for washing.  Again, the chef cooked up a wonderful meal.  I should have avoided the fried cauliflower (or maybe it was the vodka I poured in my hot cocoa :p), because I was up all night running (in the rain) to the restroom.  (Yes, there was a toilet to use.  I don't know why our guide, Jimmy told me there wouldn't be.)

First Night @ Camp

Inka Trail - Day 2

I didn't sleep much the first night, so I began day 2 feeling really sleepy.  Unfortunately, day 2 would require the most energy.  I slept through breakfast, and Jimmy brought some Coca tea to my tent.  That got me moving.  When I finally got dressed and emerged from my tent, the entire camp site was packed up except for me.  Embarrassed again.  I felt like such a wimp.  For the second morning in a row, everyone was worried about me, the little baby.  One team member gave me some Pepto, and by 10am I was feeling like myself again.
One fun thing about that morning that I should recall: Before hitting the trail, we got to circle up with all of the porters and cooks.  We went around the circle and introduced ourselves.  I'm so very grateful for all of their hard work.

Our Family with Porters and Cooks

We continued to ascend all morning.  By lunch time, our family was quite spread out along the trail.  Everyone paced themselves well, and took breaks when needed.  At one point the fog cleared, and we all met up at a gorgeous view of the valley.  It was easy to forget to look up, but every time I did, I was amazed by the view.  Green mountains everywhere.  At this lookout, Michael noticed some cell reception.  We received a message that Karis had been asking for Mommy in the mornings.  I had to find a place to hide and cry.  So tired and missing my children.  Michael and a couple other guys wandered off to an optional peak, so I was alone in my sadness.  Again, I had no choice but to press on.

I tried to distract myself by chatting with the other girls in the hiking group.  It was really fun getting to know this neat group of people.  There were several Texans, some Canadians, New Yorkers, and a couple from London.  All adventurous travelers.
After lunch, our goal was "Dead Woman's Pass" at 4,200 meters (13,800 feet).  As we climbed, we could see the peak.  Yay! We finally arrived... unfortunately there was no view because it was rainy and foggy.  We celebrated for about 30 seconds then began the descent.  Downhill was a nice break at first, but after two hours of stepping on slippery, steep rocks with rain drops blurring my vision, I was sick of it.
We arrived at camp just before sunset.  What a loooong day!  As usual, camp was beautiful with the river rushing alongside.  At last, I slept great that night.

Dead Woman's Pass

 Inka Trail - Day 3
Day 3 was the most fun.  For the first time, I woke up feeling rested and energized, knowing that the most difficult day was behind.  (My only trouble was the annoying tingle in both hands due to some preventative altitude sickness medicine that I regret taking.) The trail was kind of steep in the morning, but we got two lovely breaks to see some archaeological sites.

At the highest point of the day, our family circled up, and our guide, Jimmy did some preachin'.  He reminded us that everyone on earth may be different, but we are from the same maker.  We need to pray for the poor, the hurting, and the people in hospitals that we do not even know.  Then, we held hands and prayed silently.  Pachamama is the Earth/Time Mother of the Andean people, and our guide spoke of her often.  Even though the Inkas were polytheistic, I think our guide is a believer in Jesus Christ.  He invited us to worship whoever we wanted.  It was freeing to stop and reflect and thank God for the beauty that surrounded us.  I also spent that time praying for the wonderful porters and chefs that traveled with us.
The afternoon trail was all downhill.  It rained off and on, so I kept my poncho in hand.  During the last hour, there was an optional hike to an archaeological site.  Of course I went!  I ended the day with an energetic sprint finish into camp.
At dinner we celebrated family member, Kaitee's birthday.  We were all stunned by the beautiful cake that the chef baked and decorated.  It was a really moving moment, and I think all the girls shed at least a tear.

Inka Trail - Day 4 Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu
I woke up about 1:30 am and absolutely could not fall back asleep.  I reviewed my days on the Inka trail over and over in my head.  What a journey it had been, and arriving at Machu Picchu in the morning would be my reward.  I could not wait to hit the trail.  Finally, I got a little more rest, and our guide Hernan woke everyone up at 3:30 am.  In the dark, we rushed to pack everything up and eat some breakfast.  We hiked a little in the rain and arrived at the check point, where I guess there were a few hundred people in line (really I had no clue, it was dark).  Then, we waited for an hour for some guy to unlock the gate.

After a quick 2 hour hike through the mist and fog, we arrived at Machu Picchu.  At the entrance, our family just stood there, staring at the fog.  It didn't take long for the weather to change, and we got some group photos with the archaeological site in the background.

Foggy View of Machu Picchu - I Did It!!

To be perfectly honest, I was disappointed.  The crowd that beat us to Machu Picchu overwhelmed me.  I don't like crowds, and I guess there were at least 1,000 people there that morning.  It was like Disney World.  Eventually, groups spread out with their tour guides, and our family got to tour the site.  It was HUGE!  We barely covered 5% of it.

At the edge of the site, half of our family headed down the mountain by bus for some R & R, while the other half of us continued our journey up to Huayna Picchu.  I wasn't looking forward to it, because neither of our guides joined us.  I was nervous without their guidance and protection.  I was especially anxious when Hernan waved goodbye to us and said, "Good luck!"  The mountain trail was steep, narrow, and damp, but our group was strong.  We climbed with energy and excitement.  I had fun climbing on my hands and knees on the really steep parts.  Since the trail was narrow, it was scary when hikers passed going in the opposite direction.  Luckily, this trail wasn't nearly as crowded as Machu Picchu.

Huayna Picchu Group

When we were so close to the top, the trail got very narrow, and I panicked.  I felt the immediate need to get off of that mountain and home to my children.  I sent the group on, and I found a place to sit and wait.  I did have a really nice view of Machu Picchu from my spot.  I'm such a chicken.  Oh well.  I don't regret my decision.
As soon as I saw that Michael and the rest the family reached the top, I yelled, "Do you care if I head down!?"  Michael waved to me to go ahead. I headed down that mountain as quickly as possible.  I had to use the restroom, and I was concerned that we'd miss the last bus ride out.  The Huayna Picchu portion of our family completed the hike, and we were proud.  We rushed back through Machu Picchu and managed to all meet up on the same bus.  At last, we were finished!

Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu on the Right