Inca Trail - Day 2

I slept like a baby...yes a newborn...I woke up a few times to the sounds of horses grazing outside my tent and to the early morning roosters.

Happy to report my clothes are dry, donned and we are ready to head out by 7:30am.

Breakfast: a type of cream of wheat, toast and coca tea. Coca is good for altitude sickness. The guides and porters chew it like skoal 24/7, I guess if you suck long enough you can pull some cocaine out...

Inca Trail - Day 2

Start: Wayllabamba @ 9,842'

End: Pacaymayo @ 11,929' 

Miles traveled: 7.5 miles

Elevation: +4000 -2000

Highlights: 

Warmiwanusca or Dead Woman's Pass @ 13,828' (highest point on this trail) 

Off we go...look ma no stairs! :) 

They say no walking sticks...I would not have been able to do it without my poles! Although I would advise you to put rubber tips on the ends, better support, good for the trail and they can't hear you coming! 

First refueling and bathroom stop of the day. There are "toilets" (really holes in the ground surrounded by porcelain) along major stops and camp sites. Don't forget  your toilet paper! Two hours to go to summit Warmiwanuscca. 

Got a little chilly...lets keep on trucking...

Two porters leave in front of us...this trail allows permits for 500 persons per day on the trail, of which 200 are Trekkers, the rest are porters, guides, and cooks...hire a porter! 

Uhoh...here are the stairs...

Just a few of my least favorite things...stairs...I was scared for life and am now in stair therapy...

One more big stop before the summit...gets cold in the shade. 

Come on, come on...almost there! 

And to the top we go! 

A little selfie break...

And back down we go...

A few more hours to go in our 10 hour hiking day...

Hit camp...taking a chance and putting my feet in the water while some fill pots and others wash up up stream from me. 

Hi little yella' my home away from home! 

See ya in the morning... :) 

Inca Trail - Day 1

In the beginning...I love challenges, I have been secretly obsessed with "spiritual mountains" since I tackled Mt. Shasta. Every adventure I take is another opportunity for self exploration, assessment, fine-tuning & readjustments.

Hope you enjoy my Inca Trail (aka Inca Stairs) journey...it has some drama...

First off, quick history of the Inca Trail to MP - it is just a small sector of the thread of paths that linked the Inca empire together. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is thought to be a route of pilgrimage used by the Emperor (Inca) in the 15th century, and/or a religious route and/or a supply route to transport provisions to the ruling Inca and several hundred servants. 

I learned quickly, "no one knows anything for sure, because either it wasn't written down, or the Spanish destroyed what was written down".

Questions: 

Who built the inca stairs?

How long did it take? 

Who maintains the trail today? 

Inca Trail: Day 1 - the "Goat rodeo" ...

Start: km marker #82 Piscacucho 

End: 6.8 miles 

Elevation: +\- 2000'

Dress code: 80L pack filled (70lbs.), my NEW Hoka One One Tor Summit boots 🎉, Kuhl splash roll up pants, my reliable wrightsocks, a ski turtle neck, a tank and a tshirt, my every ready 9 hat and sunscreen...

I think the reason I have had a harder time writing about this trip is because I don't like to complain about things, but I wasn't thrilled with way this trip laid out... 

My trek group was supposed to be "Wayki Trek". I quickly found I was "sold/farmed out to/tacked onto" another trek group...think third wheel on a first date...wonky and bizarre! 

I am accustomed to REI: great treks, guides and itineraries, but because of the complex logistics of the #3GenCPeru trip I had to use a different group...

So let me start by saying I totally dug my guide, Luis, and was awed by the porter, Sonan...but the rest was wonky wonky! 

Hindsight, my first red flag should have started with the guy who briefed me on the trek...

Briefer: "Be in lobby at 4:00am, here is a list of things to pack..." 

Me: "really? A bathing suit? Really nothing else? What about tipping?"

Briefer: "I guess no bathing suit, here is a map you will follow, 60 soles ($18) for guide and same porter, bye bye" 

I was in the lobby promptly at 4:00am...My guide showed up at 6:30am to pick me up...I spent two hours thinking I had the wrong day, trek, meeting spot and I had missed my inca trail trek...

4am, 5am...6am...guide still not here but I am still staying positive and smiling...

Ok enough worry...Finally stars start to align, the guide arrives, we walk a mile to meet the bus and take an hour or so bus ride to the trailhead...

Don't forget your passport! Right after this start is the 1st passport control center. 

After passport control, bridge over the Cusichaca Stream. @ 9,022'

Up up we go, a village stop along the way. Bring some soles to buy snacks and drinks. 

Our lunch tent in Tarachayoc

The first of many amazing architectural amazements - Llaqtapata @ 8,694'

Wayllabamba @ 9,842' 

Almost to our campsite...its been a long day, I packed too much and should have hired a porter...

Ooooo, my new favorite snack, try it when you are in Peru - grenadilla 

Our first camp site. Filled with chickens, and other livestock grazing around. My tent is little yella'!

End of day! Retired my sweaty clothes to my make shift drying line...fingers crossed everything is dry by morning...

1st day over... 

Day 9: Peru - home again, home again!

An amazing #3GenCPeru trip! 

To Sees on my next Peru trip:

Lima (for a day and night)

Salinas de Maras 

Cusco again

Climb Toqllaraju, Huascarab, Cordillera Blanca... or any other Andes mountains, so many options - like a candy store! 

Nazca Lines 

Ballestas Islands (Peru's Galapagos)

Arequipa 

Books to read:

The Conquest of the Incas, Hemming

Touching the Void, Simpson

Wizard of the Upper Amazon, Cordova-Rios

Our trip was amazing, everyday packed with action. A most memorable experience for our three generations. 

Hope you enjoyed it too! 

In closing, i do believe with the growing unrest in Europe and the rest of the world, travel to the central and south Americas will increase tremendously, I know ours will.

❤️

Hiking Mama

Days 4,5 & 6 - Peru: Mimi and Milli take on Puno

6:30am departure for their 3 day Southern Peru trip ---

This trip was a Herculean logistical accomplishment by our travel agent Abby! Brava!!! Email me if you want her information. 

From Cusco to Puno to Taquile to Juliaca back to Cusco again and then to Aguas Caliente for a sunrise start to meet up with me at Machu Picchu. 

M&M were on the move. 

Puno is known for its plateaus and plains and for its alpacas and llamas and agriculture. The locals not huge on the photographs, they think the camera sucks out their souls! But it seemed like a warm smile and some soles could help your photo seeking mission. 

M&M stop in Pucara (means fortress in Quechua) along the 7 hour way down 3S towards Puno. 

Don't worry Mimi, we are not climbing that! 

Milli and Mimi take in the views from Puno.

The Uru people and their reed island and boats! 

Milli met and captured on film a little Uru girl. Some awesome photography! 

Lake Titicaca sits high in the Andes at 12,507' (don't worry Mimi brought her oxygen!). It is the highest large lake in South America and the highest navigable lake on earth, it shares its shores with Bolivia and Peru.

The Uros, are people who live on 42 self fashioned floating islands in Lake Titicaca. The larger islands house about 10 families, while the smaller ones house about 3 or 4. The islands are made entirely from Totora reeds and are anchored with ropes attached to sticks driven into the bottom of the lake and they make reed boats. New reeds are added to the top every three months because bottom reeds rot quickly.

Taquile Island is 28 miles offshore from Puno. It's about 2 sq miles, tallest point sits 13,287' above sea level, the main village is at 13,000'. Just think, M&M didn't have to hike stairs to get there! It's an island of textiles, the men do the knitting...the women prepare the yarn! Approximately 40,000 tourists visit every year. 

Day 8 - Peru: Cusco, the final hours

We are now conditioned to wake at 5am, no alarm required. Ugh!  So what are three girls to do at 5am? Of course, pack and repack bags, squeeze in more sites to see, places to eat and prezies to purchase before we fly back home. 

Peru is going to be a repeat destination for all three of us. The people were wonderful, the energy was magical and the historical, mythical and archeological stimulation is endless. 

Morning starts with a fly by Hotel Monasterio, very zen! And lush! 

Next up, a Cusco MUST, before and after a visit to Machu Picchu. Mimi and Milli snuggling up to Inca Yupanqui-Pachacuti at the Museo Inka. 

Next a redo at San Pedro Market, it's everything under one roof! A Marrakech spice market meets a farmers market meets juice press on steroids...rows of artisans, herbal remedies and a plethora of lunch, coffee and dessert bars. 

Tips:

Bring small bills, negotiate, and leave plenty of time to take it all in!

Three rows of juicers! Mimi opted for orange and mango, I opted in for all verde with ginger! 

Colorful prezies all around...taking a shopping break! 

Flowers...

Spices...

All the sites made us hungry...bellying up to a lunch bar for pollo and papa fritos, and a chi cha murado (you have to try this purple corn drink or the alcohol version, chi cha - fermented yellow corn). Lunch for two - 10 soles = $3 USD

As we exited San Pedro Market we couldn't resist a bag of churos and an strawberry ice pop for 2 more soles = $.60 USD

We set off to find a Feliz Dia Padre prezie and we learned about the perfect place to go...but first, we were swallowed up by another parade! June is definitely a fabulously festive month to enjoy Peru and Cusco, if you stay a few days later than us, you will enjoy the biggest celebration on June 21st. 

Parade mob...traveling like a pod of fish down Calle de Marquez...

Another proud mothering moment for me! Milli and I learning about Pisco and choosing a Fathers Day bottle for Dad!