A Journey Through Time
The Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, is an Inca Citadel located at 2430 meters in the Andes. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. To think of getting there is one thing. To get there and hike the trail is another thing.
Planning for Peru
Piku, reached out to Peru n U, and we zeroed on their 4 day Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Piku, based in New Jersey in USA, is a long distance runner and had done Everest Base Camp last year. Shubham, aka Akshay, based in Hyderabad, is a long distance runner who did the EBC trek with Piku last year. He is the gadget guru, who is armed with a DSLR, a GoPro and a Pixel phone to not let any moment slip from his hard disks. Ana, based in Melbourne, is relatively new to high altitude treks, although I did drag her to the top of Mt. Fuji a few years ago to see the sunrise over the Land of the Rising Sun. And then there is me – I am not as fit as the rest of the crew and am hopelessly clumsy climbing up and down mountains. But my love for adventure trumps my fitness. So we were on! We confirmed our plan and got our permits in 2023.
Hola, Peru
Peru is probably the farthest point on earth from Hyderabad. While Piku, Ana and I didn’t need a visa to go to Peru, Akshay did and boy, it wasn’t easy! He had to go to New Delhi in person to apply (why?). I decided to fly to Melbourne, which is sort of half way to Peru and India. Akshay had the most exciting flight into Peru. He wasn’t allowed to board a flight that transited in Paris without a Schengen Visa. So he flew to Mumbai (from Delhi) and took a last minute flight to Lima via Amsterdam! Meanwhile, Ana and I boarded a 13 hour Latam flight to Santiago that only fed us two measly meals and made me wonder if the seats are edible. Incredibly, Akshay, Ana and I landed in Lima around the same time and had a happy reunion! Piku joined us 7 hours later and we took the flight to Cusco the next morning.
Cusco
Cusco, was the capital of the Inca Empire, and is located in the Sacred Valley at a ridiculous 3400 meter altitude. Our flight to Cusco wasn’t uneventful. Akshay forgot his wallet in the lounge and had to run back to try and find it. I was almost certain it’s stolen (Lima is famous for its crime). But he found it where he left it! He was off boarded and loaded into another flight to catch up with us later. Phew! Meanwhile Piku, Ana and I land in Cusco. Piku fell in love with the Quinoa bar they gave us on the Latam flight. We checked into hotel Mirador Los Apus where they served us our first cups of Coca tea. So refreshing! No, the tea doesn’t give you a high. But it does magic. More later.
As the day progressed, Ana got a bit of altitude sickness and we finally ended up getting some emergency assistance from the local medical centre. Ana and I are booked for a Peruvian cooking class the next day and she does a miraculous recovery (thanks to copious cups of Coca tea from the chef!). That’s Coca tea for you. She gets strong enough to hike up to see Saqsayhuaman (which I was pronouncing as “sexy human”). We saw Cristo Blanco nearby who isn’t the said individual the site is named after (oops!)
Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
The next day we wake up in the wee hours to start our trek. We have a long drive to 82 Km, the start of our trek, at approximately 2,600 metre elevation. The trail leads to the Inca ruins of Patallaqta before we reach our first camp site, Wayllabamba, at 3000 meters. We are treated to sumptuous food, a hot shower and massage at the camp.
The second day was intense and extreme! We pass the Warmi Wañusqa, or “Dead Woman’s Pass”, which is at 4215 meter altitude, climbing OMG steps that seem to go upwards on and on. I almost think it’s called Dead Woman’s pass because it’s sure to kill a poor woman (me!), but I survive it. It takes me 13 hours to do the 1200 meter steep ascent and my legs don’t have any sensation anymore. In hind sight, long arduous treks are a bit like meditation or mindfulness. You just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. You can’t think of past or future. Just the present. Just that moment. Just one foot. Or that’s what I told myself anyway. Or is it because our guide Junior made me sniff Aqua de Florida, a Peruvian shaman potion that he claimed would give me super stamina? At that point I was ready to believe anything. So I sniffed and climbed. We reach Paqaymayu at 3500 meter elevation and camp there for the night. It was intensely cold in the night. But Maria’s massage soothes our bodies.
The third day should be easy, but isn’t. But it is unforgettable. At an elevation of 3,750 metres we pass Runkuraqay ruins which overlook the valley. The trail continues to ascend, passing a small lake named Quchapata. Our guides Ceaser and Junior teach us how to chew Coca leaves and get a burst of energy. Maybe it worked. I also have another sniff of Aqua de Florida at some point. Every bit helps when the only way seems to be hiking upwards. The trail reaches a pass at an elevation of 3950 meters and continues through high cloud forest, with dramatic views of mountains and dropoffs. We strangely encounter a couple of dogs that keep us company for a while. We then shoo them away thinking it’d be hard for them to get back if they followed us to Machu Picchu. Next, we pass Sayaqmarka (“steep-place town”) followed by the Qunchamarka. We pass through a long Inca tunnel and a viewpoint overlooking two valleys: the Urubamba and Aobamba. Another high point at elevation of 3650 m is crossed, followed by a campground, and then after a short descent, a site with extensive ruins. We camp at Phuyupatamarka.
The fourth and final day is full of anticipation. Our collective legs are jelly but we are excited. The trail descends approximately 1000 metres including an irregular staircase of approximately 1500 steps, some of which were carved into solid granite. Ceaser decides to be my personal guide as I seem to be the most challenged at steep steps along deep crevices. Vegetation becomes more dense, lush, and jungle-like with an accompanying increase in butterflies and birds. A second Inca tunnel is along this section of trail. We climb “monkey steps” before opening a bottle of champagne to celebrate the end of our climbs.
By this time our trekking poles feel like natural extensions of our bodies. We start to get mobile network signal and we can hear the trains at a distance. It feels surreal to come back to civilisation after 4 days. We reach Intipata which is a recently uncovered extensive set of agricultural terraces. We cross Wiñay Wayna and the trail undulates along below the crest of the east slope of the mountain named Machu Picchu. The steep stairs leading to Inti Punku (“sun gate”) are reached after approximately 3 km. Reaching the crest of this ridge reveals the first glimpse of Machu Picchu, which lie below. The two dogs we thought we shooed the day before are at Inti Punku, happily copulating, oblivious to everything.
A downhill walk is the final section of the trail and we reach the magnificent Machu Picchu, ending our pilgrimage. The Temple of Sun, the Intihuatana and huge terraces are breathtaking. It feels like a mystical place. Ten days after we returned the winter solstice sun would’ve cast a beam of sun light from Sun Gate through one of the windows of Temple of Sun perfectly! Inca engineers were amazing!
After the enchanting Machu Picchu, we take the Vistadome train back to Cusco and end our trip on happy memories.
Here is a short summary of our trip. Check out the cute llamas and cloud forest.
It feels slightly odd to walk without the walking poles for the first few hours after the trek. Sneakers feel like walking on clouds compared to our hiking shoes. Our eyes light up seeing an elevator in the hotel, after tens of thousands of steps we hiked. And to think the Incas did this trail several times carrying loads across the terrain!
Lima
Coming back to Lima, which is at sea level, makes our lungs happy with oxygen. We visit the historical centre of Lima, Union Street, Miraflores, Cat Park and bid good bye to the wonderful country.
