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Machu Picchu

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

by Deeanne on August 31, 2009

If you’ve been to our house, you know that we have a World Map with pins all over it marking places we’ve been and places we want to go.  I’m not sure which had the pin first, Machu Picchu or Patagonia, but both have been long standing members on my life-list of places to visit in South America.  Backpacker Magazine had an article about the Inca Trail that reaffirms that while it’s certainly not off the beaten track (500 hikers, porters and guides begin it daily under a strict permit system) it’s still really special.

If you’ve been to our house, you know that we have a World Map with pins all over it marking places we’ve been and places we want to go.  I’m not sure which had the pin first, Machu Picchu or Patagonia, but both have been long standing members on my life-list of places to visit in South America.  Backpacker Magazine had an article about the Inca Trail that reaffirms that while it’s certainly not off the beaten track (500 hikers, porters and guides begin it daily under a strict permit system) it’s still really special.

Our Groups Sets Out

Our Groups Sets Out

Lovely Views all Around

Lovely Views all Around

We had to make reservations back in the spring, as permits for the high season (dry & clear season = now) typically sell out 4-6 months in advance.  This was actually the only dates of our trip that we had to work around; there are absolutely no changes after the bookings are made.  After doing a lot of research, I decided on Wayki Trek’s Classic Inca Trail because it had great reviews from other travelers on Lonely Planet’s Thorntree, and because they are under indigenous management.  Most of the porters are also farmers, and work on the trail as a way to supplement their income, or when they have a break from farming.  You can help local people from their village through organizations like KIVA, a microfinance corporation, or through Wayki Trek, which supports many community projects.

The Porters with a Lunch Break

The Porters with a Lunch Break

The hike itself was really easy for backpackers.  You only had to carry your personal equipment; porters carried the camp equipment and food.  Each day wake-up coca tea was served at your tent, and then we had about a half-hour to pack.  Breakfast was next, and included great pancakes, French Toast, omelets, toast, porridge, and hot chocolate.  Then it was time to hike for a few hours (and eat the packed snack of fruit and chocolate), and then lunch break.  Lunch was a full hot meal, with things like mashed potatoes, quinoa or rice with vegetables, fritters, chopped vegetables, and pasta or meat.  Usually a short siesta followed, and then it was a few more hours of hiking.  By the time we got to the camping area, the porters had been there for seemingly hours awaiting us, with camp set up and wash basins for us to freshen up with.  The cook had extra responsibilities once camp was set up.  First he prepared an elaborate tea, which included popcorn, crackers, cookies (biscuits), and other delicacies like banana wontons.  Then an hour or two later it was dinner time, and we had more delicious food, similar to the lunch offerings but with dessert too.  If it seems like we had an easy life with a lot of eating, that’s not far off!

http://akersons.smugmug.com/Backpacking-and-Other-Epic/Inca-Trail-to-Machu-Picchu/9458596_KTkzN/1/634898654_PLJoX

The Dining Tent

Lovely Scenery near the Highest Pass

Lovely Scenery near Abra de Huarmihuañusca (Dead Woman's Pass)

Our porters ranged in age from 22 to 64, and it was amazing to watch them on the trail.  They were usually running; and this under a 25 kg (55 lbs) load!  Their loads are heavily regulated, and each day they must pass a weigh station to ensure that they are not carrying more than 25 kg.  Prior to 2001 the trail was not regulated, and porters were carrying crippling loads upwards of 100 lbs. in some cases.  A testament to their fitness is the fact that a local porter owns the speed record–the same 27.5 mile trail with elevations between about 8,500 ft and 14,000 ft. that we spent 4 days and 3 nights on he covered in 3 hours and 47 minutes!  Amazing.

Good Morning Light Over Camp #2

Good Morning Light Over Pacamayo Camp

The first day was pretty easy; mostly “Inca Flat”, which means as flat as mountain trails are.  No passes. The second day we went over the highest pass, and then a steep descent into camp. Even for being known as the “hardest” day, it wasn’t bad at all.  The third day was the most interesting day I thought, for we were now walking on the actual stones the Quechua people had laid, and passed by four different ruins along the trail.  Three of the eight people in our group (including Garret) were sick this day, and unfortunately we now know it was Giardia and/or Salmonella, as Garret was tested yesterday with lingering symptoms and is now on medication for both.  One of the problems with a heavily used trail is contamination of the water supply, and the Inca Trail is definitely suffering from its own success at this point.  The last day was a short stroll into the Sungate at Machu Picchu, and several hours touring these most famous ruins.

The Second Ruins of the Day

The Second Ruins of the Day

Fancy Inca Gardens

Fancy Inca Gardens

They really are incredible.  I don’t think people today would ever work as hard as people did back when Machu Picchu was built.  Massive stones were quarried and carried into place, and painstakingly polished until they had an absolute perfect fit.  The most important buildings have no mortar at all, and not even a needle could be fit between the rocks.  But more impressive to me than the structures themselves is the setting; it is just an incredible location for a city; whatever the reason for its building.  The river below, mountains on all sides; it is spectacular.

Machu Picchu Unveiled

Machu Picchu Unveiled

The Sun Temple

The Sun Temple

Urban Sprawl of Machu Picchu

Urban Sprawl of Machu Picchu

Mama Llama Checks out the Tourists

Mama Llama Checks out the Tourists

Christmas Card 2009 (Consider Yourselves Mailed!)

Christmas Card 2009 (Consider Yourselves Mailed!)

A very long train ride back to Cusco finished our Inca Trail experience, where we’ve been recuperating for several days now.  I think we’re finally on the mend now (with the help of some strong medicine), and the nice beds, great shower, and good food that is available in Cusco are helping.  In a couple days, we’ll head out on another trek, this time to Choquequirao.  We won’t have the luxury of porters and wake up tea, but we’ll definitely have solitude.  It’s going to be a great hike!

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A Night in Huayllacocha

by Deeanne on August 28, 2009

Pencil Shopping for the Children

Pencil Shopping for the Children

The company that Garret and I booked our Inca Trail with, Wayki Trek, prides themselves on the fact that they are under indigenous management, and that they treat the local Quechua porters, cooks and guides well.  To convince foreign tourists of this, they encourage trekkers to spend an afternoon and night in the village before starting the Inca Trail.  It sounded like a fabulous idea to me, so the two of us headed out Monday afternoon with an assistant guide, Erlin, whose home is Huayllacocha.  Although probably less than 30 miles from Cuzco, it took about two and a half hours to get their by local busses.  En route, we stopped at a local market where Erlin suggested we buy a hostess gift of a kilo of rice, which we did; as well as a couple dozen pencils for the children.  He also introduced us to a local drink called chicha morada which is basically made from ground purple corn and a healthy dose of sugar!

It is always lovely to leave the city and find yourself in the country.  Erlin showed us around his village, which was probably home to about 2000 locals, mostly farmers.  All the structures are extremely simply made with dried blocks of mud and straw with thatched roots.  There was no cement anywhere in the village, all the floors were packed mud, and the only furniture in side was a simple table.  Benches were made out of the mud, and a few more chairs were overturned buckets.  There was no running water inside, and the cooking stove was simple clay.  The only indication of modern living was one bard lightbulb hanging in the ceilng.
As we were walking around, Garret took a turn at the plowing with a farmer, and I helped a woman do some hoeing in her plot.  It was hard work, so then it was time for some play.  Garret played futbol with lots of the guys, while I chatted the entire time with an inquisitive local about life in America.  Considering that Spanish is a second language for both of us, we did pretty well!  He wanted to know how much a car costs in the USA, how many children people have, and if most people have enough food to eat, among many other questions.
When it was well past dark, the futbol game finally had to end, and we went back to our hostess’ home for dinner.  I was a bit nervous about the whole meal thing, even though I had told the agency three times that we were vegetarian (which you must specify here means no meat, no chicken, no fish; otherwise “vegetarian” usually means just not beef).  I had imagined myself being served an entire cuy and wondering how I would get out of that awkward situation (guinea pig is not a pet in the Andes, it is a very sustainable food source and every kitchen has a population of them running around.  They love the warmth of the kitchen and won’t leave, even though they will inevitably be roasted in the clay oven).  However, when dinner was served it was a delicious soup with vegetables, potatoes and local cheese.  The guinea pigs had a few more hours of safety!
After dinner, there was singing, music and dancing.  It was too dark to take any pictures, but imagine about 15 of us in a room about 8 ft. by 15 ft, sipping fresh manzanilla tea (or the other local beverage of choice) clapping and watching one couple at a time dance in the middle of the room, listening to song after song in Chechua.  Apparently like most music, their songs are about love lost and found.  Two of the guys there would end up being porters for our trip the next day, and one of them insisted that I dance with him.  Garret also was dragged onto the “dance floor” with la duena, the woman whose home we were staying in.
In the morning we enjoyed a local breakfast which included plain boiled potatoes, a porridge cereal (made from ground corn, lima beans and a few other grains), roasted corn kernals (think very large cornnuts), a vegetable juice (mostly very sweetened lima beans) and… unfortunately… cuy.  Some felt a little guilty as they tried the new meat, mostly because of the two or three dozen that were running around the kitchen eating their morning grass and playing.  But it is a very long standing tradition in the mountains, and a food used for celebrating important occasions (birthdays, weddings, funerals, and company).  Luckily for me, there were lots of other food choices, and I was able to carbo-load quite nicely for our first day of hiking the Inca Trail, which we started mid-morning.

The company that Garret and I booked our Inca Trail with, Wayki Trek, prides themselves on the fact that they are under indigenous management, and that they treat the local Quechua porters, cooks and guides well.  To convince foreign tourists of this, they encourage trekkers to spend an afternoon and night in the village before starting the Inca Trail.  It sounded like a fabulous idea to me, so the two of us headed out Monday afternoon with an assistant guide, Erlin, whose home is Huayllacocha.  Although probably less than 30 miles from Cusco, it took about two and a half hours to get their by local busses.  En route, we stopped at a local market where Erlin suggested we buy a hostess gift of a kilo of rice, which we did; as well as a couple dozen pencils for the children.  He also introduced us to a local drink called chicha morada which is basically made from ground purple corn and a healthy dose of sugar!

A Local Market en Route to Huayllacocha

A Local Market en Route to Huayllacocha

Pencil Shopping for the Children

Pencil Shopping for the Children

It is always lovely to leave the city and find yourself in the country.  Erlin showed us around his village, which was probably home to about 2000 locals, mostly farmers.  All the structures are extremely simply made with dried blocks of mud and straw with thatched roots.  There was no cement anywhere in the village, all the floors were packed mud, and the only furniture in side was a simple table. Benches were made out of the mud, and a few more chairs were overturned buckets.  There was no running water inside, and the cooking stove was simple clay.  The only indication of modern living was one bare lightbulb hanging in the ceilng.

As we were walking around, Garret took a turn at the plowing with a farmer, and I helped a woman do some hoeing in her plot.  It was hard work, so then it was time for some play.  Garret played futbol with lots of the guys, while I chatted the entire time with an inquisitive local about life in America.  Considering that Spanish is a second language for both of us, we did pretty well!  He wanted to know how much a car costs in the USA, how many children people have, and if most people have enough food to eat, among many other questions.

Garret Works in the FieldsThis is Way Harder Than it Looks!

Garret Works in the Fields

Harder than it looks

Harder than it looks

When it was well past dark, the futbol game finally had to end, and we went back to our hostess’ home for dinner.  I was a bit nervous about the whole meal thing, even though I had told the agency three times that we were vegetarian (which you must specify here means no meat, no chicken, no fish; otherwise “vegetarian” usually means just not beef).  I had imagined myself being served an entire cuy and wondering how I would get out of that awkward situation (guinea pig is not a pet in the Andes, it is a very sustainable food source and every kitchen has a population of them running around.  They love the warmth of the kitchen and won’t leave, even though they will inevitably be roasted in the clay oven).  However, when dinner was served it was a delicious soup with vegetables, potatoes and local cheese.  The guinea pigs had a few more hours of safety!

After dinner, there was singing, music and dancing.  It was too dark to take any pictures, but imagine about 15 of us in a room about 8 ft. by 15 ft, sipping fresh manzanilla tea (or the other local beverage of choice) clapping and watching one couple at a time dance in the middle of the room, listening to song after song in Qhechua.  Apparently like most music, their songs are about love lost and found.  Two of the guys there would end up being porters for our trip the next day, and one of them insisted that I dance with him. Garret also was dragged onto the “dance floor” with la duena, the woman whose home we were staying in.

In the morning we enjoyed a local breakfast which included plain boiled potatoes, a porridge cereal (made from ground corn, lima beans and a few other grains), roasted corn kernals (think very large cornnuts), a vegetable juice (mostly very sweetened lima beans) and… unfortunately… cuy.  Some felt a little guilty as they tried the new meat, mostly because of the two or three dozen that were running around the kitchen eating their morning grass and playing.  But it is a very long standing tradition in the mountains, and a food used for celebrating important occasions (birthdays, weddings, funerals, and company).  Luckily for me, there were lots of other food choices, and I was able to carbo-load quite nicely for our first day of hiking the Inca Trail, which we started mid-morning.

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