Pacha Mama

The next morning we were picked up at 5 am to start the 4 day hike to Machu Picchu. We were hiking the Inca Trail with a company called SAS. In theory, Paddy and I were well prepared. We had brand new hiking boots, two bottles of bug spray, extra socks, sleeping bags, tons of sun screen and of course, extra toilet paper. We looked like professionals. Boy did we fool ourselves. What we thought would be a casual hike across beautiful rolling hills turned out to be one hell of a challenge.

We were in a group of 15 people from all over the world: Sydney, London, Denmark, Minnesota, New York. (Charlie and Grace, we even had a guy from Donegal!) A Peruvian man about our age called Wilfredo was our main tour guide and he named our team "Pacha Mama" which means Mother Earth. Wilfredo, another guy called Danny and 19 porters (which Willfredo had us call Chachkis as that was the name for the Inca messengers) were leading the way and carrying most of our camping equipment to Machu Picchu.The journey started at a place they kept referring to as KM 82. We later find out that this was the distance between our starting point and Cusco. During Inca times those making their way to Machu Picchu would start in Cusco and walk the 82 KM that we just drove and continue on for another 49 KM to the lost city of the Incas. Almost all of the modern day Inca Trail expeditions start from KM 82.

The first day we hiked for 16 kms over 6 hours. It was meant to be the easiest day of the four and for the most part that was true. We casually hiked through gorgeously lush valleys getting to know the other people in our tour group. It rained for most of the first day which made the surrounding scenery seem even more exotic and remote. Locals quickly trotted past us with their horses or donkeys and looked at us like we were crazy because we were often out of breath from the altitude. For most of the first day the trail followed along the Urubamba river which rushed rapidly passed us almost as if it too was in a hurry to see the lost city.We stopped at one archaeological site on the first day. It was still in the process of being excavated but was still a stunning site. The ancient Inca site hugged to the bottom of the cliff and if you looked closely you could see that the wall of the village followed the curves of the river that ran along side it.

Notice the skull and bone. The last hour and a half of the hike was a pretty steep climb uphill. We were thankful to be done for the day once we reached camp. We were even more thankful when we saw that a local woman was walking around with a bucket of cervezas! Paddy quickly jumped up and followed her around to buy a beer. I don´t remember a beer ever tasting so good.

SAS had a great system set up for when we were at camp. By the time we arrived our tents were already set up for us and we had hot water waiting outside our tent so we could wash our face. After each day we had what they called Happy Hour which included unlimited popcorn, cookies, and hot coco. At first we felt a wee bit embarrassed about this "easy" camping lifestyle. I mean, surely we could have set up our own tent. However, after the second day of hiking this feeling quickly disappeared and we were desperate for the easy way.

Our group of 15 had our own little dining tent and we all came together to eat, relax and hang out. After the happy hour we had a three course meal which started with soup (every meal has to start with soup in Peru!), followed by a chicken or beef dish and a lot of vegetables. We ate very well on the trail. The guides made sure we were never hungry.

The first night we were all in our tents and ready for bed by 8:30. Most of us were pretty exhausted and we knew that the next day was going to be the hardest of them all. In the tent Paddy and I almost simultaneously mentioned how much we really liked everyone in our tour group. It was the first time ever that we had been in a tour group where everyone seems to like each other and get on very well, almost like we had known each other prior to this trip. We were very grateful for this as it would make the next four days in close proximity with these new travel companions a lot more enjoyable.

The next day the guides woke us up at 5:30 to start the day. We packed up our stuff, got in our gear and then half asleep stumbled to the tent for breakfast. Porridge, pancakes and mate de coca (tea made with coca leaves): the breakfast of champions. It was the fuel we needed to get through today's hike and fight off the altitude sickness. Today we were climbing to Dead Woman's Pass. It's the highest point on the Inca trail sitting at 4,215 meters above sea level and it was on this day that Paddy and I realized we really had no clue what we had signed ourselves up for.

The first 45 minutes of the hike was relatively easy, easy up and down hills. Then the stairs started...... and they never ended. We climbed stone stairs through rain forest, along the river banks and through the clouds. We took breaks as necessary and at one of the breaks Wilfredo handed us all this flask to sniff. He promised it would give us energy so of course we didn't hesitate at all. I still have no idea what was in there put it smelled like pure alcohol. It definitely woke us up a bit and then we kept moving. Zig-zaging across the steps made it a bit easier on the legs as some steps were over a foot and a half tall. The key was to keep up a good easy pace (and to avoid looking up). We climbed over 1,000 meters in a couple of hours. Each time you looked up you thought you could see the top, only to reach that spot and see 400 more steps above you. We talked with our group for most of the walk which made it go a lot faster. However, the last 300 meters we were dead quiet as we were so high up that even a slow walk would cause you to breathe heavily.

The trail leading up to Dead Woman's Pass

After a couple of hours we finally reached Dead Woman's Pass. Exhausted and very cold we looked back at the portion of the trail we had just completed. You could only see a fraction of the climb as the rest was lost in the clouds. We were so glad to have reached this point.

Our guide serenading us to the top of Dead Woman's Pass.

After a bit of rest at the top we then started our steep decent downhill. Wilfredo informed us that we would be descending approximately 800 meters in about 2.5 hours. I couldn't help but think in this moment that maybe the last climb was completely unnecessary as we were going straight back down the other side of the mountain. I pushed these negative thoughts aside and kept trekking. Being the total clutz that I am, we actually had to move slower going downhill then when we did going up hill. The stone steps were quite slippery, very steep and there were quite a few tricky loose stones that were hiding just waiting to put you on your bum. The stairs were so narrow and steep at times that we had to hold on to each other or the cliff edge for support. The Chaschkis would of course go sprinting past us making us feel very unfit.

We went down hill for a couple of hours, passing this gorgeous waterfall that started about 200 meters above our head and continued down into the valley another 300 meters below us until we couldn't see it any more. In this valley is where we had lunch. It was a very welcomed break since we had been hiking for the last 5 or 6 hours. There were loads of other hiking groups at this site and although it was only lunch, many groups were setting up camp here for the night, too exhausted to press on from Dead Woman's Pass. Our group on the other hand, was moving right along. (this was of course the guides' decision and not necessarily ours!)

After lunch we hiked up to the next pass. It was not nearly as difficult and high as Dead Woman's Pass but my legs were still screaming from the morning hike which made it seem just as challenging. As it was later in the day and we were at a lower altitude then this morning, the clouds were not as think which allowed for incredible views of the surrounding mountains in the distance and a birds eye view of the valleys we had crossed.

You can see the very top of the waterfall and follow it down all the way to the valley. That was how far we descended.

After a few more hours of hiking we reached an archaeological site quite close to where we would be camping for the night. Now, being that this was the only site that we would see today you would think that we would be incredibly interested in the ruins. However, I have to admit that the thought of getting out of my hiking boots, getting into some new clothes and enjoying a hot cup of tea at the next camp site slightly overshadowed everything he said about these very old stones. I did my best to focus and take it in though. I felt like we were on top of the world. Absolutely surrounded by clouds with no one around for miles. Despite the pain in my legs, it was extremely peaceful.



We reached camp around 6 that night and had been hiking since 7am. Needless to say, we were exhausted. We all changed into some fresh socks and shoes, bundled up in our woolly hats and gloves and then enjoyed some hot popcorn and dinner. Despite being really tired, we all stayed up for a couple of hours and chatted about embarrassing moments on the trail and life at home. We had a really good laugh with everyone and enjoyed some traditional Peruvian alcohol that was a special surprise from Wilfredo for surviving the day.

The next morning we all inspected our injuries from the day before (mainly massive blisters on our feet) and got ready for the day's hike. Spirits were pretty high in the group for a few reasons: first, we all knew that we only had about three hours of hiking to do today, second, the pass we were climbing today was way smaller than the two we had done yesterday and finally, we knew that when we reached the next camp-site, there was going to be a shower available for us to use!!! The thought of having a shower nearly gave us enough energy to sprint the next three hours.

The morning hike was beautiful. Despite the rain throughout the night, the sun was shining, the sky was clear and we had the best views over the various valleys. It was definitely the most gorgeous day we had. We hiked for a few hours, first up to the final pass and then downhill for quite some time. The downhill stairs were the steepest and narrowest stairs we encountered during the whole hike. After carefully descending down the third pass we eventually reached our first archaeological site of the day. We wandered through the site exploring the different levels. They believed this site had been used to farm various fruits and vegetables. There were gorgeous flowers all along the site but the best part about this location was that it was the first time we could spot the top of Machu Picchu mountain.

The trail had massive lady bugs.

Shortly thereafter we reached our final camp site. It was 1 in the afternoon and we were done hiking for the day! We were so excited. We ate a quick lunch, enjoyed a beer and then ran straight for the showers. It was definitely not the cleanest shower I have ever been in but I loved all 7 minutes of it (there was a 8 minute time limit).

We had a few hours of free time after the showers where we just relaxed in our tents and read a bit. Just as the sun started falling behind the mountains, Wilfredo gathered us all for one last archaeological site just 10 minutes from our camp-site. With the exception of Machu Picchu, this was the most breathtaking of the Inca sites. Researchers believe it was an old palace that royalty would stay in prior to heading to Machu Picchu. The viewing point at the top of the palace had a spectacular view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

One of my favorite pictures with some of our group.

When we returned to camp all of the other groups were there and the place was filled with energy. Loud American music was playing and everyone was drinking beer. It looked more like a college campus then a camp site on the Inca Trail. We had dinner and the cooks surprised our friend Evan with a cake for his birthday.

After quite a few drinks with the group we called it a night and went to our tent. Shortly thereafter, we were awake again and ready to start the final hike to Machu Picchu. The guides woke us up at 4am so that we could be at the front of a very long queue of all the hiking groups trying to enter the site. More importantly, we also woke up this early so that we would reach the Sun Gate in time to see the sun rise over Machu Picchu. So, although we had very little sleep, we were extremely excited to be reaching Machu Picchu today and to not be sleeping in a tent that night!


After roughly 2.5 hours of easy hiking (fortunate for Paddy as he had to make a few stops in the bushes on the way), we reached the Sun Gate. With much anticipation we climbed the last remaining stone steps and swung around the corner of the gate only to see ......a blanket of clouds. Nothing but clouds. Everywhere. We couldn't even make out objects 30 meters in front of us. This was slightly disappointing but what can you do? We decided to wait it out for about a half hour to see if the clouds would part a bit but unfortunately they didn't move much. As such, we decided to make our way down past the clouds and into the ruins.

Roughly 30 minutes later we had made our way through the clouds and started seeing signs of the place we had seen so many times on posters and postcards. We had made it to Machu Picchu! There were llamas everywhere grazing on the grass. Our guide walked us through the site explaining various buildings and shrines and then gave us a few hours of free time to explore on our own. We slowly made our way down taking in the gorgeous view. My words probably couldn't do it justice but hopefully you will get the idea through our pictures.... enjoy!

Grassy-ass Senor

After our whitewater rafting adventure we spent a week in Cusco taking Spanish lessons and staying with a family in their home. It was quite a different experience for us as the house was a bit out of the city and essentially in the suburbs of Cusco. Living in this area it was apparent how very poor the living conditions are for a large percentage of the Peruvian population.

Our Street

The house we stayed in was much like other Peruvian homes with an open courtyard area and separate rooms surrounding the courtyard. Three generations of the family lived in this house: grandma and grandpa, their three daughters and the daughters' children. Although the three daughters were older than me and had their own children, their mother and father were still the head of the household. There was one communal kitchen where the grandmother cooked everyone in the family and us breakfast, lunch and dinner. The family had extended their house by adding rooms for those travelers who wanted to take Spanish lessons and contribute to the charity.

The rooms were spacious and we had our own bathroom (albeit with a tempermental shower: it either gave you an electric shock or tried to give you hypothermia). We were on the top floor which gave us a spectacular view of the mountains. My favorite part was the traditional handmade wool blankets they provided that were so deceptively heavy and extremely necessary at night when the temperature dropped. There was a thunderstorm every night that we were in Cusco but we didn't mind as the sound of the rain drowned out the hundred barking stray dogs and a rooster that liked to cock-a-doodle-do a few hours before the sun came up. And it also provided gorgeously vivid rainbows.

Please mind the awful big bum shot. It was the only one we had of the room....

A charity called FairPlay organized the home-stay and the Spanish lessons. It was started by a Dutch man called John and his Peruvian wife Fanny (Brits, I did not make that name up). Fanny is one of the three daughters of the family we were staying with. The main objective of Fairplay is to help single mothers in Cusco get back on their feet and provide a decent life for themselves and their children. Single mothers are highly discriminated against in Peru and there is no form of community or governmental support to help them care for their children and get a full time job. Fairplay trains them to become Spanish teachers at the school and provides courses for them to learn how to save money and budget their expenses.

Paddy and I did a week of Spanish lessons. We each had our own teachers, one grammar teacher and one practical teacher. We would start our mornings at 8 am with our grammar teacher and then 2 hours later would head off into town to practice for another two hours with our practical teacher. The courses were great but also pretty intense. You couldn't exactly zone out in class when the teacher is working only with you. We would get homework every night and I have to admit, it was kind of fun being back in the school environment. Paddy of course would copy my homework everyday which is clearly reflected in how well he speaks Spanish now. Every time he says thank you to someone I burst out laughing because it sounds more like "Grassy-ass". One night he wrote little notes in my school notebook in Spanish. I didn't find the notes until the next day with my teacher and we both had a good laugh as he had written: "Paddy is my girlfriend!" I wouldn't say either of us are any where near fluent but it has definitely sparked my interest to keep learning.

Our Spanish Teachers...

On the Wednesday night the school had a cooking class and invited all the teachers and students to come along for dinner and drinks. It was a great evening with absolutely delicious food (beef and french fries cooked in a brown sauce and served with rice). Peruvians love to add french fries to stews. It's very strange but also quite yummy. Unfortunately, I can't say I actually learned how to cook a new dish during this cooking class. The extent of my contribution was chopping up a few onions. However, I was drinking quite a few glasses of my new favorite red wine (Gato Negro.... out of a BOX!!) and mingling with the other students. Overall, it was very enjoyable evening.

When we were not in class we either went back to do a bit of homework or explored around the town. The town is extremely beautiful and lively. It seemed that every corner we turned offered another photo opportunity. At least every other day that we were there we stood on the side of the street while a peaceful protest paraded by. Often times the protest were requesting equal rights for the indigenous people.

One afternoon we decided to test our luck at a little place called Paddy's! We just couldn't resist a little taste of home. It was delicious but as expected, there wasn't a single local person in there.

Our last night in the home-stay also happened to be Meme's birthday (one of the three daughters in the house). They threw a party for her in the kitchen and loads of teachers from the school game. They made jug after jug of rum and cola and we had quite a few laughs. It was a great way to say goodbye to Cusco.