Adventures of a Wandering Thirtysomething

After the emotional high of Machu Picchu, we hit a bit of crash period – the let down after completing something we had dreamed about for so many years. Thankfully, we planned a few days of exploring and relaxation in Arequipa and Colca Canyon to wind down the trip.

Admittedly, it was a bit of a shock to go from the lush green landscapes of the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu to the dry and dusty desert of south Peru. Similarly, after several days of peace and quiet on the trail, it assailed our senses to hear the incessant honking of cars and smell the stench of diesel exhaust in the city.

We managed to find solace with a visit to the Santa Catalina monastery, a 16^th century structure that has housed cloistered nuns for centuries. A respite from the noise and smells of urban life, the monastery was a city unto itself with quiet, flower-lined streets and courtyards ringed with colorful archways. We ducked inside the dark cells that had inhabited the nuns, winding our way through crude kitchens and narrow hallways where peace, prayer and simple living reigned.

Afterward, we enjoyed the beautiful Spanish architecture of the main square before heading to the Museo Santuarios Andinos to see Juanita, the Incan maiden who had been sacrificed atop a nearby volcano. An incredible discovery, Juanita is the best-preserved human ever found. With skin, hair, clothing and even internal organs still intact, it was both fascinating and heartbreaking to see her and think of the sacrifice she made, along with many other children who have similarly been found on the local mountains and volcanoes as offerings to the Incan gods 500+ years ago.

The next day it was off to Colca Canyon. With our guide, Pilar, and driver, Lucia, we headed out from Arequipa into the Peruvian southwest – the mountainous, volcanic desert of cactus and scrub brush. Along the way we spotted and photographed vicuña and watched the Huaynaputina volcano spew white plumes of steam from the high point of the drive at 16,000+ feet. After four hours of winding our way through mountainous desert, we arrived at beautiful Colca Canyon Lodge and spent the afternoon exploring pre-Incan ruins at Uyo Uyo, then spending some time with the alpacas at the lodge’s ranch.

The following morning, we met up with local farmers to get a taste of farm life in Peru. Walking from the center of town down dirt roads to the farmer’s plot of land, we picked our way through the fields to help harvest corn alongside the colorfully dressed local ladies who were at least 20-30 years older than us and quickly tackling the same laborious tasks. After shucking beautiful and brightly colored corn that would be used for Peruvian popcorn, we made our way over to the cows to help milk them. Having never milked cows before, Matt and I were both slow and clumsy at the task. Thankfully, the cows and the farmers were patient and kind, allowing us to get our fill of milking before they swiftly and expertly filled a large bucket with fresh milk in no time.

Taking the bucket of milk, we then plopped down in the field to make cheese right on the spot. The farmer pulled out a bottle of liquid to help the curdling process – it was the stomach and liquid of a dead baby alpaca that apparently gives the cheese its distinct flavor. Though a bit odd and off putting to think of, we greatly appreciated how even the unfortunate death of an animal has value and utility for the creation of other things in this culture. Plus, it worked. After just 15 minutes, the bucket of milk had begun to separate into curds and whey, which the farmer then formed into small balls to place in molds that would be finished cheese by the afternoon.

After a morning of farming, we took the afternoon off to give our muscles a much-needed break in the hot springs at our resort. The rushing water of the river, the wind in the surrounding hills, and the cozy heat of the pools helped us finally feel like we could wind down and close out our trip to Peru.

But, before we could head back to the States, we had just one final thing to do – see the condors. Revered by the Incans, these beautiful birds with a 10 foot wingspan are best seen in the morning in Colca Canyon where they use the lift of the steam vents to soar high along the cliffs of the canyon. We arrived extra early to claim our spot at the best vantage point, and then patiently waited for nearly an hour and a half for the sun to rise high enough to warm the canyon and set the birds flying.

It was worth the wait.

As if on cue, the sunlight reached the bottom of the canyon and more than 20 condors began soaring around us. Higher and higher they rose until they skimmed over us, silently circling as the crowd of tourists oohed and aahed. Despite us not being particularly educated or enthusiastic bird watchers, the condors were a fascinating sight to behold against a gorgeous backdrop of

Despite our excitement to finally reach the archaeological site, it was also an emotional one as it was our final day of camping in the mountains and being with our porters. After breakfast, we got to say our goodbyes – learning a bit about the lives of each of the porters and telling them know how much we appreciated them and all their hard work to make our trip so special. We had a few laughs too. One of the porters – Roberto – was in his role as server for the very first time. Abe hollered ‘Roberto!’ so many times during our meals if something was forgotten or arriving late, that we already knew his name. When it was Roberto’s turn to introduce himself, before he could speak, we both shouted ‘Roberto!’ then jokingly apologized that he was so relentlessly abused on our behalf. Matt and I both were holding back tears as we said our thank yous and goodbyes and handed out tips.

The hike to Machu Picchu was a relatively easy one compared to some of our other days. Mostly downhill and mostly in the shade. Despite its relative ease, Matt insisted that I try coca leaves since we were nearing the end. I grabbed a wad of leaves, rolled and chewed them, and let my wad of coca start working its magic. After about 10 minutes, I wondered why I hadn’t been chewing them all along. I began speeding up my pace and, when we reached the extremely steep steps called the “gringo killer,” I ran up them and was so energized I was tempted to run back down and do it again. Matt was less than thrilled with “coca wifey” – I had already been hiking too fast for the trip, now I was hiking even faster and tackling the challenging sections like they were flat trail. I’m now a big fan of the Inca Powerbar, as our guide jokingly called coca leaves.

In the early afternoon, after trekking more than 26 miles from the start of the trail, we climbed the final steps up to the sun gate – the original entrance of the nobles when they made their pilgrimage to Machu Picchu. Feelings of accomplishment and excitement washed over us. We had our first view of the site and it was spectacular. Massive compared to the many smaller sites along the Inca Trail, and amazing in its uniquely protected and beautiful location completely encircled by emerald mountains and snow-capped peaks of the Andes.

After our obligatory photo to capture the moment of entering the site, we dashed down the trail to check out the Inca Bridge before it closed for the afternoon. The bridge, part of the commoner’s trail to Machu Picchu, and an extremely treacherous section – essentially a two-foot wide trail clinging to the edge of a cliff. The bones of hundreds of Incans were found at the base of the cliff below. It’s believed that the commoners who finished their seasonal work, were pushed off the trail while traveling home to protect the secret of Machu Picchu.

Following the Inca Bridge and a quick snack break, we made our way more deeply into the site. The afternoon was cool and the crowds had dispersed, allowing us to photograph and walk around the site completely unobstructed and enjoy some of the most famous parts without anyone else around. From the king and queen’s rooms to the temple of the sun, every piece of the site helped tell a fascinating story about what life would have been like in the Incan city.

As we headed out for the day and took the bus to the touristy town outside the site, we were filled with overwhelming gratitude for having experienced the site the way the Incans would have. Visitors who only drive up to it on the bus not only miss out on the beautiful views of the trail, but also the deep meaning behind following the pilgrimage trail, the rich history and many sites along that way that all point to the final destination of Machu Picchu, and the sense of satisfaction in seeing it for the first time the very same way the Incans did after days of hiking and exhaustion.

It was truly an exhilarating and emotional experience, and will remain one of the most unique and awe-inspiring travel experiences we’ve ever had.

They say that day 2 of the Inca Trail is the challenge and that day 3 is unforgettable. While in essence they are correct, make no mistake that day 3 also packs a punch.

After crossing dead woman’s pass yesterday, I felt myself completely relax in the knowledge that I could tackle whatever else lay ahead. What made the pass so difficult for me was not the the strain and exertion, of which there was plenty, it was the fear of the one thing out of my control, altitude sickness. When you are planning a trip to Machu Picchu this sickness is mentioned more than anything else you will read, in fact you even plan your trip around preventing it. No matter the precautions, however, you can never know if it’s going to strike. I was prepared to push myself physically to the limits to finish this hike but if altitude sickness strikes, you’re done. There’s no alternative but to retreat back down the hill, as we saw a couple people doing yesterday.

 

Heading up the second mountain pass in as many days the fear was gone. I’d reached the highest heights and now I could push hard without worry. After a brief 2,000ft climb to start the day we paused at the top to take in the views and quickly descended into lush forests and fantastic Incan ruins. This day the hike transformed into the image of the Inca Trail I’d imagined, hiking through the jungle from ruin to ruin following in the footsteps of the ancient Incans making this same pilgrimage thousands of years earlier.

Emerging from the lush vegetation we found ourselves following the ridge of the mountains with the trail literally clinging to the edge of the cliffs. It was during this stretch that our guide reminded us that this trail was the path used by Incan nobility. The commoners followed an alternate route thousands of feet below. It was easy to feel like a King hiking this spectacular stone trail, every corner another amazing vista. The beautiful scenery and even the trail itself an endless string of photo opportunities.

Camp for our final night had us still perched atop the ridge line. This location, passed over by most hikers pushing on closer to Machu Picchu, proved to be the site of our greatest vistas yet. Just below our tent a view down to the mountains protecting the still hidden city of Machu Picchu and snow topped peaks surrounding in all directions. After another incredible dinner we took a quick stroll to the top of the hill and watched the sunset. Taking in the majesty of our surroundings the moment was bittersweet knowing that tomorrow the journey will be over, and we will get our first glimpse of Machu Picchu.

Day 2 of the Inca Trail and we started really strong. Decent sleep at camp – marred slightly by barking dogs and crowing roosters from the local farmers – meant we rose early and headed out just as the sun began rising over the valley.

Today was the most challenging day of the entire hike. With 3,200 feet of elevation gain and very thin air, even the toughest of athletes would be humbled by the slow and steady pace you must maintain to get to the summit without losing your legs, your lungs or your lunch.

Unlike Day 1 of mostly dirt trail, the Day 2 trail is largely stone stairs all the way to the top. So, you plod your way through beautiful mossy green forests, next to babbling streams and on the edges of mountains focusing on taking just one more step to keep making progress upward.

Matt really found a good pacing system today. On Day 1, our guide “Abe” and I set a pretty swift pace, which resulted in beating all other groups to camp, but in Matt feeling pretty awful by the second half of the day. Today, instead of trying to keep pace with us, Matt found his own system of moving a bit slower and taking short rests as needed, and he not only looked 100% better throughout the day with no altitude sickness or exhaustion, but also managed to stay just about 20 minutes behind me.

From 6:45 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. we picked our way along the trail, breaking for lunch for an hour to recharge before we hit the final, and most challenging, section to the summit. The last 1,200 feet after lunch were the most challenging of the whole day – an extremely steep section that seemed to go on forever. Despite being fairly energetic all day, even I started to run out of gas with about 100 yards to go. Right about the time I thought I might just have to baby step the last bit, a gal named Liz from Utah started a conversation right as I caught up with her. The conversation was exactly what I needed – the distraction of talking as we walked helped me pick up the pace and make those last 100 yards with ease.

Matt, true to his personal pace, made it to the top just 20 minutes behind me. As Abe and I waved to him in his final steps to the top, he held back tears – so grateful to have not gotten altitude sickness and to have made it through the most challenging part. He went straight to the summit pole and hugged it while Abe snapped his picture. I was so incredibly proud of both of us for crushing it all the way to 13,700 feet.

After all that uphill, it was straight downhill the other side of the mountain to camp. Those dang stone stairs again that made our quads and butts scream now made our knees and ankles creak as we picked our way along the uneven stones for 1,500 feet. Poor Matt caught a slippery stair and fell down on a cactus, but aside from his slightly bloody hand we otherwise made it through the day unscathed. We are tired and have some sore muscles, but mostly we are so happy to have accomplished such a challenging hike.

 

View to the bottom of the valley where we started the day