Cooper.
Inca Trail Day 1 – Starting the Hike!
Hiking the Inca Trail and going to Machu Picchu is very
exciting, even when you have to get up at 4:00 am to get there. On September 27, we
got up, took a 2-hr bus ride to pick up the rest of our hiking group (already in a nearby town), and went on our way to the start of our 4 day, 3
night hike. On the first day, we were supposed to walk 11.3 km to get to our
first camp site. However, the road was under construction, and our bus had to
drop us off earlier. So we ended up hiking an additional 3.7 km. Our group
started out with a total of 16 members but we lost 2 members to altitude sickness. The first one turned back early because he wasn't fit enough to do the hike (he was breathing so quick and hard we all thought he was going to have a heart attack), and the second guy was throwing up all the way for 3 hours and then turned back. We got to see them again at Machu Picchu on Day 4. The first day was very flat compared
to the rest of the days. We start at the elevation of 2400 meters above sea
level and ended at 2950 meters above sea level. Here is a picture of me hiking.
When we reached our tent site, one of the houses in the town
of 24 people below was BLASTING music until really late. And dogs barking all night. None of us had a good sleep that night. We were happy to learn there would be no more towns along the rest of the trail.
Inca Trail Day 2 – Climbing a Vertical Kilometre
All the people we know who have done the trail said
that the hardest day was the second one, and they were definitely right. Starting
at 2950 meters, hiking to 4215 meters and ending at 3600 meters. That means
climbing up 1200+ meters, more than a whole entire vertical km! At least the climbing was worth it for the
wonderful views.
We woke at 5:00 am on day 2 and 3, and had breakfast at
about 5:45 am. You may think that hiking up is a lot harder than down, well… you
are wrong. With the uneven stones laid out by the Incas and the steep steps they
made, it’s just as hard going down. My legs are still aching a bit.
When we arrived at our camp site, it was also our 1:30 pm lunch. You would
assume that the meals they provide are simple and small, like bread, ham and
cheese, but the meals were just the same that you would buy at a restaurant.
They even took it a step further on day 3!
Inca Trail Day 3 – The Longest Day
Waking up at the usual 5:00 am, today we arrived at our camp
site 12 hours later. That means 10 hours of hiking, with a 1:30 pm lunch.
Fortunately, it’s pretty much all down. About one and a half hours before lunch,
there was a neat cave we went through! Our guide is fun and he uses a small
dark corner in the cave to scare people in the group. I got them all on video. :) For lunch, we had a feast, including a surprise for dessert!
A big cake! As a group, we had picked a name for ourselves: the Hungry Hikers!
And the cake had that written on it. What a treat!
Also during lunch, it started to rain a lot. So I got on my
rain jacket, rain pants, gloves and pack cover and we set out in the rain. It lasted
for about an hour and then it became sunny. Right before our campsite for that
night, there was a huge Inca ruin that went up the mountain. Here is a picture
of me sitting at the edge of the ruins.
Inca Trail Day 4 – Machu Picchu!
We had to get up at 3:00 am, but it’s all worth it for the
final destination: Machu Picchu! The trail was going down a bit at the start,
but then became flat the whole way until right before “The Sungate”, where you first see Machu
Picchu. There we had to climb a very steep staircase called the monkey stairs. I’m already
a very good monkey, so I got up in less than 10 seconds, but everyone else took
a minute.
After The Sungate, it’s about another half hour to Machu
Picchu (depends how many times you stop to take pictures!) When we got to Machu Picchu, we were at the place where all of the
postcard pictures are taken. Here’s a picture of us finally at Machu Picchu.
Maybe our photo is also worth a post card! ;)
When we got a chance to explore Machu Picchu, we went to
some of the places sacred to the Incas, like the Sun Temple, the Three Windows, the Three Doors, and a few other popular sites.
After our time was finished in Machu Picchu, we took a bus
to a small town nearby called “Aguas Calientes” (Hot Waters in English) and
ate lunch there. Then we took the train back to Cusco.
Thank you Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, you were awesome!
Vern.
While there is no doubt that Machu Picchu
is a spectacular finale, the Inca Trail truly lends credence to the quote “it
is about the journey, not the destination”.
The Trail was a rite of passage for the
Inca elite, the road to the seasonal retreat of Machu Picchu. Over the forty kilometre section of Trail
from the town of Ollantaytambo to the “Lost City of the Incas”, the stone path undulates
through mountain peaks and valleys. Rising
from 2,400 m above sea level to 4,215 m and back to 2,430 m, the Trail leads
past ancient ruins on green mountainsides, affords hikers with vistas of
snow-capped peaks and waterfalls and descends into lush jungle: it is a journey
through quintessential Peruvian Andes.
The final hours of the 4-day trek are consumed by
the descent down to the city and the awe-inspiring tour of Machu Picchu
itself. I found myself lost in thought
walking between and through the almost-intact homes and temples and picturing
lives lived 500 years ago. For most, and possibly all of our group, the
pinnacle of the ancient Incas was a major bucket-list item, and there were no
disappointments.
Our entire group -- guides, porters and
fellow hikers -- were very impressed by Cooper’s enthusiasm, positive attitude
and physical stamina throughout the trek. (And his parents are equally proud of him.) The question now is: what do you do
next when you’ve successfully tackled one of the world’s most sough-after
destinations at the ripe old age of twelve?
(Also, our Finca Bellavista "Living in a Treehouse" blog entry is finally
up from Costa Rica. Galapagos posts also coming soon!)
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