JAB Post 30

The full album of photos from 20100711 can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/jbartucz/20100711?feat=directlink

Considering the lack of acclimatization, we slept quite well at 3,400 meters. We were awake at 5:30 am so that we would have time to get ready and put two bags in storage at the hotel. At 6 we met our guide, Socrates Caballero, who would be with us for the duration of the hike. We stopped briefly in Urubamba, a cute little town, to fill ourselves with eggs, rice and coffee. After Michelle purchased some protective rubber tips for her hiking poles, we were off to “Kilometer 82″.




When we got to the parking lot, we met our 5 porters and the chef who would be accompanying us on the trail. This may seem excessive, but the tour is designed for up to 8 people, and they had to carry the kitchen tent and cooking equipment, the dining tent, table, chairs and other accoutrements regardless of the number of actual touristas. So we had a staff.

The beginning of the hike was not too challenging, as we stayed on a relatively level path along the river. We could see all the lazy people continuing on the train towards Machu Picchu, and they could see all the crazy people that decided to hike for four days over the mountains. All of the porters are paid a daily rate specified by the government and they can carry a maximum of 25 kilos (55 lbs) which is verified at 3 checkpoints along the way. Generally, the plan was for the porters to pack up the campsite after we leave, race ahead of us and set up the next campsite before we arrive. However, the checkpoint at the beginning of the trail was particularly crowded that day, so it took them a couple hours to get through the line. As they passed us, our guide suggested that since we were making good progress, we should skip our “lunch” stop at noon and simply carry on to 1:30 pm at which point we would already be at our campsite for the night (Huayllabamba). We readily agreed to the new plan as this would save all of us an extra stop and a couple of hours at least.

Of course, I had an ulterior motive for wanting to get to the campsite. The guide promised that there would be a TV available in the “shop” next to the campsite and this was, after all, the final game of the World Cup. After an astoundingly good lunch (more on the incredibly good food later), Michelle and I packed into a 10′x10′ hut with 30 porters and guides to watch the second half of the game. They were all drinking “Chicha”, which they claim is a type of “corn beer”. We just tried a sip, and it was certainly something different. As an interesting aside, every time one of the porters received a new cup, they would pour a little bit onto the floor to honor “Pacha Mama”: mother earth.

Every day, we would have breakfast at about 7 am, lunch around noon, “tea” at 5 pm and dinner at 7. The food was magnificent. It was without exaggerating some of the best food we have eaten, which is particularly astounding considering the circumstances of its preparation. Breakfast was usually pancakes and “tea” was just popcorn and coca tea (or regular tea), but lunch and dinner were spectacular.

Around the campsite at the lower altitude, there were chickens, pigs, guinea pigs (aka Cuy), goats, dogs and cats. There were several small villages and even a few houses right along the trail. All of the locals make their livings at least indirectly from the tourist trade, whether carrying up gatorade and other sundries to “shops” along the trail, or selling Chicha and other wares to the guides. Most of them are also subsistence farmers, but as the altitude increased, the number of locals decreased.

We both were a little lightheaded from the altitude, but in general we felt great. After a hearty dinner, we retired to our tent to get some rest…

The full album of photos from 20100710 can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/jbartucz/20100710?authkey=Gv1sRgCIOmgNqE1_StjgE

Up at 6 am and on the road back to the airport. As we were driving through Lima, I couldn’t help but think of the similarities to Rome. Apart from the ocean, I mean. Too bad we couldn’t have more time to see Lima, but the mountains await!

The flight to Cuzco was quite short (it doesn’t take long to land at 3,400 m) and the local rep, Rocio, met us at the airport. Historically, Michelle and I have done all of our own bookings and arrangements, but I have to say that having someone local meet us at the airports/hotels and taking care of all the transportation details really took a lot of the stress out of travel. Rocio took us in a minibus directly to our hotel and gave us a rundown of the town of Cuzco as well as our plans for the next two days.

As soon as we got to the hotel, we met Socrates who would be our guide along the Inca trail. He explained the plan for the next 4 days and asked us to be ready at 6 am. We retired to our room to have a rest before lunch and a tour of the city. The hotel is a converted monastery, so the architecture was quite unique. On the main floor was the reception area, two restaurants, a lounge and a bar. The rooms were on the second floor off the hallway surrounding the main courtyard. The service at the Monasterio Hotel was absolutely spectacular and we really enjoyed our stay both before and after the hike.

After a brief rest and a shower, we ate lunch in the hotel courtyard. Since it was our first time in Peru, we dove right in to the cuisine. Michelle ordered alpaca and I ate some cuy. Fried guinea pig, as it was prepared this time, actually had the consistency of duck. Michelle quite enjoyed it, but I can’t say that I was a huge fan. Apparently it is quite the delicacy for people from the Cuzco region, so it caused quite a bit of consternation when I tried to explain my distaste. The alpaca was somewhat similar to venison, although a darker meat.

After our hearty lunch, we had a guided tour of Cuzco and few of the surrounding sites. Both Michelle and I could feel the altitude after climbing stairs, etc., but for the most part, we seemed fine. Our resting HR’s were still in the low-60′s.

Our first stop was the cathedral in the main square. The most interesting aspect of the cathedral was that the local population had intermingled their own cultural history with the Spanish Catholicism. The building had suffered some earthquake damage, but the paintings, the gold- and silver-work and the architecture were still very impresive.

We proceeded to Saqsayhuaman, a large Inca/Quechua archeological site with some amazing stonework which when viewed from above appears as a lightning bolt. We learned of the significance (for the first time of many) of the different types of masonry as well as the importance of the Condor, the Puma and the Snake to Andean culture. We also got to slide down a natural stone slide. From the edge of the site, one could see the entire panorama of Cuzco.

Our next stop was the Tambomachay springs, where we learned more about the importance of the stonework, as well as the reverence for water. We then moved on to the Q’enqo labyrinthe and the alter to the toad. At the entrance to every tourist stop were people selling trinkets, blankets, hats and more.

We drove back to Cuzco and visited one more cathedral and museum, but by this time, we were completely worn out. We made a reservation at the Inca Grill and just spent some time walking around the main square, doing a bit of shopping. Despite the crowds of people in the square and walking about the town, by 7:30, we were completely zonked and just headed back to the hotel. We re-packed our bags in preparation for the hike and went directly to bed.

On Friday afternoon, we said goodbye to Annika and Michelle’s mother drove us to Rochester airport. Unfortunately, the incoming flight hadn’t arrived, so Marilyn was kind enough to drive us all the way up to Minneapolis to catch our connection.

After a brief stop in Atlanta, we landed in Lima, Peru at 11:30 pm. A rep from the travel agency met us at the airport and took us to our hotel. Asleep at 1:30 am, alarm set for 6!