We arrived in Cuzco, Peru at 7:30 a.m. deeply tired and a little
disoriented from our 9-hour layover the previous night. The short
flight to Cuzco afforded magnificent views of the Andes jutting proudly
through the clouds. Over several cups of coca tea, Ruben and Edwin,
our personable tour guides, briefed the group on the specifics of our
hike to Machu Picchu. Ruben, in his irrepressible good humor, made the
hike seem as though it would be a pleasant jaunt. Walking around the
city, we enjoyed Cuzco’s interesting blend of Inca heritage and
European historical presence.
The hiking that first day was
relatively easy, leading us up at a slight incline. Right from the
start of the trail, the immensity and majesty of the Andes were
evident. Our crew of twenty-seven intrepid porters prepared a
delicious lunch for us, the first of many fabulous meals. Every day
the porters literally ran to the next campsite with 25 kg (55 lbs)
packs strapped to their backs. That night, on a dusty field between
two rock outcroppings, team gringo faced off against team porter in a
friendly fútbol match. After a wonderful dinner, we returned
to our tents under the brilliant Andean night sky. The following day
was grueling. We hiked six kilometers up over Dead Woman’s Pass, where
we were greeted by a freezing rain and miserable fog. The top of the
pass reached an incredible 4215 meters (nearly 14,000 ft). Needless to
say, we slept well that night. The third day was the most scenic of
our four-day trek. We stopped at the ruins of Inca villages, learning
the history of Inca settlements in the Andes. The trail wound around
the outside of the mountains, leading us through ancient Inca tunnels
and briefly through a lush jungle. The morning of our fourth and final
day, we rose before daylight. Bleary eyed and tired, but excited for
what lay ahead, we set off to a nearby Inca ruin. We scattered
ourselves across the ruin and patiently waited for dawn. The sky
softened. Blue subtly gave way to pink. Shadows lifted, and it was
morning. Up fifty final stairs, we reached a ridge called the Sun
Gate, from which, at last, we beheld the ancient city of Machu Picchu.
After resting and absorbing the magnificent view, we wound our way down
to the great Inca city itself.
Ruben gave us a historical tour
of the city and introduced us to its many resident llamas. After an
hour of free time to explore the ruins on our own, we rode down to the
nearest town, Aguas Calientes, and feasted whole-heartedly at a buffet
style restaurant. That night, thoroughly worn out, but deeply
satisfied and triumphant, we rode the train back to Cuzco, showered,
and eagerly prepared ourselves for the next leg of our trip: China.