The Inka pilgrimage and a ring!

So after our exhilarating adventure in the Canyon we were ready to head to the Inka headquarters of Cuzco and soak in some culture before we embarked on the once in a lifetime Inka trek. 

We decided to spend 5 days in Cuzco before the trek so that we could acclimatise (the town sits at 3300m) and have a little break. Because of the towns popularity not only for backpackers but also culture vulture holiday makers it resulted in some pretty expensive hostel rates. So instead of staying in the centre we found a small apartment for rent 20 mins outside the centre at a fraction of the cost of a hostel. It was a welcoming little home for our stay with a small kitchen, cable tv (friends re runs galore!) and wifi...perfect! 

Our days in Cuzco pre trek were spent wandering the beautiful cobbled streets of the old town, (watching friends) and also taking a day trip to the Inka site of Moray, which were circular terraces the Inka's used as a laboratory for agriculture. They were able to create different microclimates which meant they where able to cultivate varying different produce from potatoes to fruit. It was a seriously impressive sight and another stark reminder of just how advanced this race of people were. Our tour also included a stop at a salt farm which has been built into the side of a mountain. The water spring here contains an abnormal amount of salt content so via a drainage system different pools are filled with the salty water which are then left to evaporate leaving the salt behind. It was a dramatic sight seeing these bright white pools against the green mountain background. 

But we digress, it was finally time for us to prepare for our Inka trek to Machu Picchu. We had booked our trek before we had left for South America as this particular route to the archeological site of Machu Picchu has extremely heavy restrictions on the number of visitors allowed (only 200 trekkers per day), therefore it is necessary to book your place at least 3 months in advance. The 4 day Inka Pilgrimage to Machu Picchu is the trail that Hiram Bingham discovered after finding Machu Picchu and realised was the main route used by the Inka's from Cuzco to the site - specifically for religious ceremonies. The trek that is taken today covers 42.5km (26.5miles) and you experience varying scenery including; jungle, cloud forest and altitudes exceeding 4,000m. 

We arrived at our tour companies office the night before for our pre trek briefing, we met the rest of our group who were all American (apart from one Canadian couple) and mainly young and a number of couples. We also met our two guides Marco and Juan. We were taken through what we should expect over the coming days and also given our duffel bags which we could fill with our personal belongings (max 4kg each) that we would need for the trek, this would be given to a porter to carry for us so we only had to carry our day packs. We were sent away for an early night as we had to meet the next day at 4.20am to begin our journey. 

Our first day started with a bus ride to Ollyantambo in the heart of the sacred valley where we stopped to have some breakfast before then being dropped off at Km 82, the starting point of the trek. We left the bus and organised all our bags etc which was when we understood the enormity of the trek when we saw the team of porters that would be accompanying us (no mules / animals are allowed to transport equipment on the trail), 21 porters and 1 chef all carrying 14kg on their backs which included; tents, cooking equipment, sleeping bags, food and personal belongings. The company we used for the trek are one of the best in porter welfare and the "red army" of porters where kitted out with full clothing (all red) and footwear as they needed for the job. The most striking thing about our porters which became apparent throughout the trek is the camaraderie between them they all travel together in a group and there was often laughter and jokes, this we didn't see with other companies. 

So it was time to set off, our first section to our lunch time spot took 3 hours. We found this first section quite difficult, a mixture of tiredness due to the lack of sleep and also the path was very exposed with the blaring sun on our heads. However, the trail was pretty and on this section there were a number of local families that lived there so we got to see them in their day to day lives. We arrived at our first lunch stop thinking 3.5 more days of this?! But we were greeted by a massive round of applause and cheers from our team of porters who had steamed ahead of us, this was truly uplifting and happened through the entirety of the trek, whenever you arrived at camp or a rest point the porters would congratulate you, truly magical. The next lovely touch, fresh water and towels were laid out for us to freshen up and the kitchen tent was cooking up a storm. We sat down to lunch and were promptly served up 3 courses of freshly cooked and delicious food...just phenomenal. On we plodded after lunch for another 3 hours or so, unfortunately I had (Tasha) a terrible headache/migraine which made this afternoon a real struggle. However we plodded on and were never to far behind the rest of the group. We made it to camp and were greeted with the full site fully laid out with our tents for sleeping as well as the dining tent. The location was stunning, facing the valley below us and we had walked fast so had the opportunity for a rest before dinner. Another nice touch this night was that we were personally introduced to every one of the porters which made it feel even more like a team effort. We were all as expected extremely tired and after another delicious dinner and lots of jokes from our enthusiastic guide Marco we all went to our respective tents to tuck in for the night (which was needed as it was very cold!!). 

The Red Army

Day 1 & 2 we were warned were going to be the hardest as our company make you walk to the furthest campsites on these days so that you can be more rested for your arrival at Machu Picchu. It made complete sense yet there were only about 3 other companies that did the same as us during our trek. Day 2 consisted of clearing two peaks (2 up sections and 2 downs). This day would be 10 hours of hiking over 12km and reaching our highest point on the trek at the summit of the first peak, 4250m. Luckily the terrible headache and sickness I was feeling had subsided and after a good sleep we were feeling ready for the epic day ahead of us. Now our guide had said that the group was walking fast the first day, but when we made the first major rest stop shaving nearly 45mins off a 2 hour trek, we really were flying. The scenery in this first section was all forest and babbling streams and even though we walked fast we still stopped to take pictures and drinks. We arrived at the rest point and that was when we saw our demon - Dead Woman's Pass, the first and steepest ascent of the day and also the whole trek. We were feeling great though as we had made such good time already. This was the last point on the trail where there were local vendors selling sweets, pop and more importantly rum, which our guide said was imperative in your tea that night as it would be so cold, so as a group we bought a large bottle between us. After our break we then set off for the summit of the pass which would take approximately 2 hours. After the first 45 minutes many of the group were feeling the effects of the altitude and needing to take frequent breaks in order to catch our breath, me included, which meant the group started to spread across the trail. We were at the back with a few others taking our time and pacing ourselves and at times it was really hard but we made it under the two hours and without any major breakdowns, which was a great achievement. The whole group met at the top to celebrate that the hardest section of the trail had been completed before we then headed on our 2 hour descent to lunch. This was relatively easy however needed a lot of concentration as many of the stones were uneven and slippy. It was then that we saw the true skill of the porters who while carrying their enormous backpacks literally ran down the steps past us, it was incredible to see. We reached our lunch spot exhausted and ready for the feast that awaited us, wary that we still had one other peak to pass that afternoon. We set off after lunch on our ascent and after 1 hour came to our first major set of ruins (we had seen numerous signs of Inka terraces as we went along already), Runkuraqay was a circular structure with numerous windows and was actually a Tambo which was a building that Inkan messengers (Chasqui's) would use as a waiting/passing point to collect and then continue the chain. This was effective as many were located across popular routes so that the Chasqui's could literally run from one point to the next. It was also said that Chasqui's tongues were removed so that if they were caught by the enemy they could not tell them any information. The weather was changing to grey and we still had to summit our second peak so we solemnly donned our rain jackets and poncho's and plodded on. At this point we were feeling extremely exhausted and when, on cue, it started to rain it actually seemed to take our mind of the remainder of the ascent before us. We reached the top wearily in a thick cloud and a bit damp, but happy knowing that from this point on we had no more major ascents to tackle. We started our descent on the other side and before we new it the sun was out again. We were finally nearing the end of our day but we had one more ruins to visit, Sayaqmarka, which were truly spectacular. We then finally made it to our campground at 3600m in near darkness, completely exhausted and happy in the knowledge that we had completed that hardest parts of our trek. The rum did also help us go to sleep nice and warm this night!

Our third day only needed us to walk for 6 hours maximum on a downhill route so we were all awake and happy to set off on our easiest day yet. Our first rest point was a top of a beautiful mirador which we all immensely enjoyed and we then moved further down to another set of extremely impressive terraces named Phuyupatamarca and we finished with the ruins Intipata which meant a slight detour off the trail but because we had time this was no problem. We arrived at camp at 2pm for lunch and that was the last of our trekking for the day. After lunch and a little rest we then headed to one of the beautiful ruins on the trek, Winay Huayna (meaning forever young), many groups because of the way there companies work often don't arrive into camp until after dark meaning a lot of groups miss the opportunity of visiting them. This large section of terraces with numerous fountains and waterways were breathtaking. It was then time for an early night as we had to be up at 3am to leave for the start of the final section to Machu Picchu. 

 

Now, 3am may seem ridiculous however being the first group to the sun gate is a competitive game and our guide meant business. Essentially all the groups on the Inka Trek camp at the same site before the last check point to Machu Picchu, everyone wants to be first in line when the check point opens to the final section of the trail before you reach the sun gate which gives an amazing viewpoint over the site. So up we rose and got our things together as quick as we could and at 3.30am we were first in line at the check point with next group arriving just 10 minutes later. Now all we had to do was wait until the gate opened at 5.30! Luckily we were all in high spirits excited about what lay before us and I had my iPod and mini speaker which resulted in a mini disco which certainly kept morale high! Before we new it the gate had opened and we were dashing through the trail in darkness with the other groups closely behind. In a way I was a little disappointed that it was such a race at the end, the trail would be very pleasant if it weren't for the rush. After completing the infamous "gringo steps" which are so vertical you climb up them I was absolutely exhausted and out of breath that when we reached the Sun Gate it was hard to really appreciate the view. After catching our breath our guide took us a little further down the trail so we were without the other groups and had a really impressive view of the site, it really was breathtaking, better than the pictures and we also had a beautiful clear morning to see it. Knowing we had walked on exactly the same route, the same steps the Inka's had built to this magical place was incredible. 

So we were stood on this narrow ledge enjoying the view and the guides start taking pictures of different members of the group. It was our turn and we went to grin at the edge of the path. Then as I turned round to let the next couple go Matt was suddenly on his knee. I thought he'd had an attack of vertigo or had hurt himself until after a few moments I realised what was happening. He asked me to marry him (no long speech, just plain and simple) and I was overcome with emotions, it was something I was not expecting in the slightest, yet also made me feel instant happiness. How could I say no?! Through blubbering tears I said "OK then" (just pathetic!) and that was that! We were immediately surrounded by our group, whom we had grown very close to, with lots of hugs and congratulations. Matt produced the most beautiful ring which was his grandmothers, 5 beautiful Opals set into an intricate gold band which without prior knowledge perfectly fitted - it's a sign! 

 

The next 15 minutes where spent in a blur of amazement walking down to the main sight of Machu Picchu and we managed to beat most of the crowds to get that picture postcard shot in front of the sight. After a well deserved visit to the facilities (our first flushing loo and mirror in 3 days!) we then joined the masses of other people who were now at the sight for our tour with our guide. The site is split into different sections, the lower terraces where produce was grown, the houses made with irregular stone and mud where the population lived and also the ritual temples which were made out of perfectly cut stone slotted into place. It was very apparent that the construction of Machu Picchu was not finished when the Spanish arrived and the Inka's fled into higher ground, the site still houses a stone quarry and a number of stones that where obviously made for certain areas but had not yet been erected. Also there are many of the ruins that we visited on our way to Machu Picchu as well as the lower sections of terraces of the site itself that could still be excavated, however our guide stated that the government has not granted this work as they are happy with the sites as they stand. 

The tour was very interesting and throughout our 4 days our guides had shown that they were not only very knowledgeable about the Inka's but also extremely passionate about their culture and beliefs, especially citing the three rules the Inka's lived by; Knowledge, Work and Love. They obviously had an extremely interesting culture and were very clever and in tune with the lands they roamed and mastered. Who knows what we would have learnt from them had they not been eradicated? 

The Inka Pilgrimage is a once in a lifetime experience and certainly one we won't forget for more reasons than one! Not only was it challenging, it provided enlightenment, reflection and also a close insight into how the Inka's really lived. But most importantly....WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!!!