Machu Picchu had long been on my bucket-list, so I planned my adventure for October and included a hiking segment. I spent the summer prior shedding a bit of weight and getting as fit as I could. I opted to trek the Lares Trail instead of the more popular Inca Trail, as it is more scenic and much less travelled. Before I knew it, I was on my way to Lima with my favorite airline, Air Canada. We arrived at night into Lima and left the next day for Cusco.
We flew to Cusco in the afternoon and spent two nights there getting used to the altitude as we were high in the Andes. The Inca history surrounded and blanketed us in its mystery and enchantment. I was not able to take any of the altitude sickness medicines that many of the group were popping religiously as I am allergic, so I relied on Advil to calm the mild headache, but otherwise I felt fine. I drank lots of bottled water and the coco leaf tea seemed to help too. Many of my companions were complaining of tingly fingers and toes and other side effects from their pills, so I was glad I did not have any of those worries.
We spent our first full day hiking around the Sacred Valley and seeing the unbelievable achievements of the Incas in this area. We were all walking very slowly as the air was much thinner than we were used to. The whole area was terraced in unimaginable detail and effort. Julio, our guide explained how the Incas buried their dead in the mountainside where we were walking and gave us a good overview of their way of life. We stopped to see the huge walls built by the Incas at Sacsaywaman that were later destroyed by the Spaniards. There was a lot of destruction done all over the world in the quest to conquer and win land for the motherlands of Europe. It was a shame. We visited the Sunday market at Pisac and I bought a beautiful Alpaca sweater for myself and a few other souvenirs. I had started out with a full backpack so did not have room for many purchases, but then, when had that ever stopped me!
Our second day in Cusco had us up early to begin our Lares Trek, which was thirty-nine kilometers over two peaks, the highest at 4560 meters. This had us all a little apprehensive and yet excited to prove we could do it! We stopped in the market at Calca to buy ponchos, coco leaves, and some bread for the children plus breakfast. The markets smelt of raw meat and vegetables, not the most appetizing place for breakfast.
We lined up at the little counter and a lady served us up greasy fried egg sandwiches and hot coffee made with milk. As long as we kept our backs to the raw chickens at the next counter, life was good and it proved to be the very best breakfast to start the day! Energy replenished, we were ready to face our trek and we piled into our little van to head out. Not so fast! The locals in Calco were protesting the unfair agricultural practices of the neighbouring village and the only road to Lares was blocked. We were not going anywhere so we got out and joined the crowds. We took some pictures, ate our morning snacks and wondered what would happen next. The mayor arrived, then he left, then he came back. Drama was building! The report was the road would open soon, but half an hour turned into two and there we still sat. Our camp personal started to unload our van and began to prepare our lunch in Lucia’s (local lady) back yard. She was very gracious, showing us her flowers and fruit bushes. Then we sat down to a lovely lunch; mushroom soup, a chicken/vegetable platter and pudding for dessert. It was a delicious meal, for sure.
Many of us were lining up for Lucia’s toilet when Julio came running. “Grab your bags and let’s go, now!” We had another vehicle waiting on the other side of the protesters. Hurrying as more protesters were marching up the street and things could get ugly! We all hoisted our gear and ran along through the crowd. I was amazed that I was able to keep up, but I did very well. Then we were looking with disbelief at our new mode of transportation. Before us was a big truck loaded with pineapples. Julio had convinced the driver to unload his fruit and take us to Lares. We all helped pile the pineapples on the sidewalk and then climbed into the back of the now dubbed “Pineapple Express”. It started to rain and we pulled out our newly purchased ponchos and snuggled down for a bumpy ride. After two hours of rain, jostling and aching butts we realized we were all lined up for a toilet a while back. We started to complain and even the men were getting uncomfortable. Pit Stop! Eleven women exited the truck and fled behind a few rocks, all clad in our colourful ponchos to moon in unison somewhere in the back country of Peru. It would have been a great photo op, but we were all too busy.
We reached our start point and began our trek. The helpers loaded our duffel bags onto the waiting Llamas and we bundled up with our toques and gloves as the weather was quite chilly. Little children gathered around us looking for our bread. I gave mine all away quite quickly. We soon found ourselves divided into groups and the younger people left us behind. There were five of us more mature adults and we ended up bringing up the rear for most of the trip, but that was okay with me. I only wanted to prove to myself that I could do the hike and had no illusions that I could keep up with the twenty-year-old crowd. It was hard breathing so one had to develop a rhythm of sorts or at least I found this helped me focus and not go off into complete panic and anxiety. We arrived at the camp in the dark and had to organize our small tent in the illumination of our flashlights. The evening meal was delicious again, must have been the mountain air. We were all in our sleeping bags early though. Sleeping was not the best, but I did manage to stay relatively warm and survive the long night.
The day ahead was a long hike and I was a bit surprised that we did not set out earlier. It was hard going, but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and did my best to stay in the middle of the group. We reached the first peak and over the other side was a beautiful lake. The scenery was exhilarating. It started to snow and Julio was now carrying my pack. He was carrying two or three at a time and playing his flute for us as he ran back and forth from the front of the group to the back. He was a good shepherd. It was a difficult climb, but I loved the isolation and the freedom of it all. There was no one out there but our group of sixteen and our guides. Finally we reached the second peak and stopped for a snack break. The younger group set off ahead again as they had already stopped for a long break.
The next leg was much easier as the terrain had levelled out. We walked along some fairly narrow paths with steep banks that went a long way down. Some of the group were pretty scared but again, I focused and just didn’t look down. This was my favorite part so far as the hiking was much easier and the area was breathtaking to see. We came to a farm house out in the middle of nowhere. A woman and her two children greeted us and we stopped to look inside her house. They had no furniture to speak of or anything remotely modern. It was certainly an eye-opening experience to see how other cultures live. Soon we arrived at the camp set-up for our lunch break.
After another splendid meal, we were back on the trail as we had quite a ways to go before our night camp. We walked through some farm communities and it all seemed pretty easy. But then we began our descent and this was when my problems began. The constant pressure on my toes going down became quite painful and it was downhill for three straight hours. Another fellow was having problems with his knees so we were both going slower and slower. We could see the camp down in the valley and it was so far away! Down, down, down, ouch, ouch, ouch; but at long last we crossed the log bridge in the dark without toppling in and it was just that, a log, and reached our tents. Once my boots were off, I was fine but did not look forward to putting those boots on again in the morning. There was an extra tent tonight so I got a whole space to myself. I was dead tired and despite the rain all night, I slept like a baby.
We said goodbye to our crew and set off for our last day of trekking. We started off uphill which was okay for me. It was hard, but much easier than going down on my sore toes. The fellow with the sore knees had to give up and taxi into our final destination where we would catch the train. Two of the ladies took an easier trail to avoid the climbing and met us at the junction. I struggled on stubbornly though as I came to do the whole thing! We saw some interesting Inca ruins that provide a very scenic view of the whole valley. It was absolutely beautiful. Then, we were going downhill again and my toes started to complain. I had to persevere as there was no way out now. Cyclists passed us going down this trail, so it was not quite as rugged as the day before, but they were either very brave or crazy daredevils! Finally we arrived in Ollantaytambo, which was the end of the trek and where we caught the train to Aqua Calentes. Julio had arranged for us to have lunch first and it was magnificent. The best lunch ever! The food in Peru had all been very good. The train was leaving and we were running to catch it. Julio loved to make us run with sore feet and all, shame on him, but again I kept up without a problem and got on that train.
The terrain here was different as we now passed through lush forest. Aqua Calentes was a very touristy town at the bottom of Machu Picchu. Here we climbed yet another steep hill to soak in their hot springs and then hobbled down again for pizza and beer. If the weather was good we would get up really early to see the sun rise over Machu Picchu. It was not to be though as it rained all night and we set off on the 6:30 a.m. bus. Machu Picchu was simply amazing. Julio took us all around the site and explained all the Inca history and beliefs about this wonder. It was fascinating! It is believed to have been built in the 15th century at the height of the Inca Empire. It was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, untouched by the Spaniards. Machu Picchu became an UNESCO world heritage site in 1983 and recently was declared one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. We were above the clouds for a while, but the rain prevented a climb to the highest peak as we would not be able to enjoy the view. My toes said thank you, but my adventurous heart was a little disappointed. I would recommend everyone go early up to the Machu Picchu site as by 9 a.m. it was very crowded with tourists. All in all, Machu Picchu was an enchanting place well worth visiting.
I had now completed the two main things I wanted to do in Peru, hiked the Lares Trek and I had seen and experienced the mystic Machu Picchu. My boots were stowed at the bottom of my backpack and would not come out again on this trip. My sandals were on and although my toes looked bad, they did not hurt. I had done it, lived to tell my story and it felt extremely good!
I did this tour with Tucan Travel which specializes in outdoor adventure backpack-type travel and other companies such as G-Adventures and Peregrine Tours offer hiking trips to Machu Picchu as well. The Lares Trek is a fabulous experience so please call me to plan your trekking adventure.
