Saturday December 1 – day 5 of the Trek

I love my hiking boots – not a single blister!
I am getting tired of wearing the same smelly clothes
I still sometimes feel bad about being last in line – just can’t keep up with the crowd and even though Javier says slowly, slowly, his definition of slowly doesn’t seem to be as slow as what I am doing….
Today we leave at 8A for the Santa Teresa Valley. It is mostly downhill though in Peru if you want to go down you also have to go up a lot. This is our only day of rain – a drizzle requiring some rain gear but not a big deal. We leave Colpa Lodge and go back down to the river then up the steep hill again the way we came in yesterday. We trek across a field and over a stream. We walk and walk and then look across at the very same lodge we slept in, across a gorge from where we are. Maybe someday a bridge will be built, but then how sad to lose the time hiking! The views of the hills, the rushing waters of the river, the sky clearing to blue – this is becoming a beautiful day. The scenery is lush and there are banana and coffee trees, and lots of orchids and bamboo – but still no humming birds or parrots. Our cook has come up from behind and forged ahead so lunch is waiting when we meet up at the clearing around 1230P. The toilet tent is a real luxury, and the grass seems so soft I begin to take off my boots – but Javier scolds me back into them with warnings of round worm or some such parasite– ew!

Other high points today - there are some scary bridges I need help crossing. Once Javier almost goes over the edge trying to help me and I see our lives flash before my eyes. Yikes.

There is a bull being tugged to market along our same path by two men who frequently stop to rest and drink some sort of alcohol they have along, which then requires a bit of sleep before proceeding. They have to pass us several times, and that bull is not kidding around!

This afternoon we reach an actual road where a real van meets us (it seems strange!). There is a lot of interesting maneuvering as our gear is switched from horse to van, and then a little ceremony (always involving coca leaves) to say goodbye to our horsemen who have been terrific hauling our gear around. The van is a bit rundown – the back windows are all cracked and held together with some kind of tape. We can’t believe they can fit everything on the roof rack but indeed they pile it all on (as the van sinks lower to the ground). Then we all climb in, Augusto (the cook) too – and one of the horsemen climbs to the roof to hitch a ride… I can’t believe this vehicle can withstand all the weight but it does. After a short drive we are dropped at the trail head leading to our final lodge. Many porters appear to take our bags It is a humbling experience to struggle with walking uphill while sandal clad men and women are hauling our 30 pound duffels and tearing up the path, leaving us in the dust. Along the way there are banana trees and coffee plants, and some Inka steps for us to climb. After about 30 minutes we arrive at Lucma Lodge where our bags are already placed in our rooms waiting for us. No hot tub here, but it is warmer so we do not need it to take the chill off. This lodge is lovely, maybe our favorite. We are down to 2185 meters altitude, about 7,000 ft. Tonight everyone has wine or beer and even pisco and grappa…

Friday Nov 30 – day 4 of the Trek

Last night the little elves came and cleaned all of our hiking boots – they look better than brand new! It was exciting, but a futile effort as we headed out into the muddy day. It has been pouring rain overnight, and so our days are clear (just as I intended of course) but the trail is muddy in parts. Today we leave at 830 (I think this is described as the day we begin at leisure!) and head down through cloud forest with bamboo and orchids – we hear the humming birds but never actually see them. Javier tells us about the bugs called ‘Puma Huacachi’ which translates to ‘that which makes the puma cry’… by the end of this trek my arms and legs will be covered with these red welts (I hate deet and evidently am willing to pay the price) which itch mercilessly. It reminds me of the days when Leo would use the red marker to pretend he had chicken pox – it is exactly what I look like! But I am getting ahead of myself…Today is a pleasant downhill slog to Colpa Lodge at 2886 meters.

This lodge is beautifully situated above a rushing river, the Santa Teresa River I think – though it requires a steep downhill, cross the river, then steep UPhill to the lodge. We arrive in time for a late lunch and nap, followed by a meeting in the hot tub which is set in the bank in front of the lodge with several lovely wooden deck chairs lined up behind. The ‘Club Deck Chair’ has been formed and we discuss the secret handshake we might invent, and take pictures of us in the hot tub as well as in the luscious white robes the lodges provide us. Altitude is wearing us down for sure, leaving us sillier than any of us would usually want to admit to. There is a sweet boy here playing with his ball – he scares the bejeezers out of us by running after the ball right up to the edge of a cliff that would surely kill anyone who went over the side. This boy thought it was very funny. Show off.

My stomach still feeling overwrought I head to bed without supper for a good 10 hours sleep, drifting off to the sounds of laughter from my fellow club members having a good time in the dining room – but I don’t think anyone stays up past 930. Sleep comes easily here!

Thursday November 29 – Day 3 of Trek

We have to leave the comfy confines of Salkantay Lodge for our big trek today which will end at the next lodge, Wayra. The gang sends us off at the door with packs of snacks and plenty of water at 7am. This is the short story:

We depart at 3880 meters altitude and hike for 5 hours to get to the Salkantayccasa, the pass of Salkantay and Humantay Glaciers, sitting at 4655 meters. I can’t believe I made it!!! There are many cairns up here – piles of rocks- and we build one ourselves. Peter pulls out a plastic coke bottle with some scotch in it and we pass it around in a ritualized way making sure to pour drops onto the ground in honor of the mountain before slugging back a few drops for ourselves. At this point (on Diamox) I am huffing and puffing pretty well. The fog is rolling in so we head off for about another hour’s trek down the mountain to our lunch stop – Oh yes, Augusto, the chef, comes with us on this trek and will make us lunch during the day as well as dinners and breakfasts in the lodges. We arrive at our lunch stop, complete with a dining tent and even a toilet tent!! Hot soup and something else I can’t quite remember but it was delicious and too much as is the Peruvian way (and of course I have no self control to limit my intake).

Then on to the lodge – we see caracaras (mountain birds) and Andean flickers (like woodpeckers but there is no wood for them to peck) and even a pair of Andean geese. There is a long lous sound of a distant avalanche. We peer down at the Rio Blanco. We trek through landscape that makes me think of Scottish moors – lush, with rocks and boulders covered with a lichen that makes them look painted. Finally, Wayra Lodge where all materials were brought in by horse, donkey, or man. This is the lodge where 5,000 adobe bricks were destroyed in a storm and so building plans were changed to stone and mortar. It is 4P and we are mighty tired and ready for the Jacuzzi which feels fantastic. We are at 3960 meters altitude. Unfortunately Larry and I both get slammed tonight with the intestinal thing; we make the decision to go right to the Cipro since we have many hours ahead of us on the trail..........

Wed Nov 28 = Day 2- altitude 3880 meters

We meet for breakfast at 815, and plan to leave at 9A for another one of these ‘optional’ treks, this one up to the glacier lake. Javier promises we do not want to miss it, and this also is very important for getting acclimatized (the documents all describe this day as one to ‘relax and acclimatize’). So this is what it looks like:

These are really steep up-hills, and in some places there isn’t even pathway and we need to envision our own switchback trail to follow because you can’t go straight up. The mountain and glacier views are outstanding, I have never been in such a beautiful place. We even see condors flying overhead, a highlight of this entire trip (which also leads to many conversations about how we should be carrying dead baby lambs with us to attract more condors…this is an example of what happens to our brains at altitude). It takes about two hours to reach the top, and the lake. It is gorgeous, turquoise blue and a wonderful worthwhile sight. Some decide to walk around the edge to a smaller lake in the back that has some icebergs floating in it – seems like a good idea though about 10 minutes into it I realize even though it looks easy, the rocky path is not so simple. It’s a 45 minute detour during which it begins to spit rain.

We head down hill to the lodge, a bit hard on the knees and toes with the steep down hill. Thunder cracking towards the end, but we are back at Salkantay Lodge before the down pour. We have time to shower before a late lunch and then watch the hail come down as we dine on quinoa salad and a spicy beef stir fry. The afternoon is scooped up by local weavers showing their wares, a fortune teller reading coca leaves, a lesson in making pisco sours, and napping. Tomorrow is our big trek, and I am in bed early to be fully rested….

The Trek begins...

We are picked up in our Cuzco hotel at 730a. Since we are returning here (we assume we'll make it back) in a week we’re leaving a suitcase full of stuff. I am not quite sure how the contents of our duffles have expanded so much. Anyway, the pick up van goes from hotel to hotel getting us all – Larry and I, Eduardo (Peru, but originally from Argentina) a travel writer / tourism marketer; Judy (Washington DC) a cardiologist (yahoo!); Susan (upstate NY) an architect; and Peter (Watertown MA!) who I know from work because he is our operator in Peru. There are also two Peruvians who are joining us just for the first two nights in the first lodge – then they are getting a ride back to Cusco.. Javier and Jose are our guides.

I am making an excellent first impression by wearing an orange-ish pink shirt with my yellow-ish green pants. My legs are already sore from all of the walking we have done the last few days. I'm sure I look *really* professional.

We drive about 3.5 hours, making one stop in a cool little town for water. The last part of the drive is on winding dirt road – in the States it would not even be called road I don’t think. Then the van stops and we pile out. This is the beginning of the ‘optional’ hike to the first lodge. Javier says it is great for getting ready for the trek. It’s pretty clear this is not very optional. Well the views are beautiful, I am out of breath in no time, the path is steep and my greatest fear has come to be – I am last in the pack. Oh well, it is what it is. This is what it looks like:

2.5 hours hiking hiking hiking. Up hills, down hills. Beautiful breathtaking views. Break for our box lunch which is delicious once you catch your breath enough to swallow. Then hike hike hike up and down and up and down some more – after another two hours we are at the lodge. There is quite a large staff (local Quechua women) waiting for us, greeting us with hugs and steaming mugs of hot coca tea. And the hot tub! Ah it never felt so good, with heavy white terry robes to wrap up in afterwards. The lodge is lovely though still working out some kinks. And chilly – propane heaters abound. But the beds are fantastic. Dinner is cream of potato soup. local trout, snow peas and peppers, carrot puree, and passion fruit mousse for dessert. The food is excellent. And then we go to bed!

The Sacred Valley

I am behind already on this blog. On Sunday morning (Nov 25) we rose bright and early for a great buffet breakfast, quick hotel check out, and meet-up with out guide Hilda for our adventure to the Sacred Valley. We began with a stop at the remans of Tokampata, the first Inca palace, with a beautiful 16th century San Cristobal church and a large plaza overlooking the city of Cuzco. In the plaza were small groupings of pretty girls dressed in traditional Peruvian garb, llamas in tow, hoping we would pay them to take a picture (little did we know these would be the first of hundreds over the next couple of days). Then we walked through Sacsayhuaman, an archeological park where beautiful Inca walls have been excavated, vast open fields with terraced hills. It is our first view of the incredible stonework made by these people, huge boulders carefully carved to fit perfectly together without mortar. The ancient city of Cusco was laid out in the form of a puma, the animal that symbolized the Inca dynasty. The belly of the puma was the main plaza, the river Tullumayo formed its spine, and the hill of Sacsayhuaman its head. Wow.

Next stop - the llama project where we see and learn about the 4 different kids of llamas (all part of the camel family!) They are adorable and come right up to us to eat the long grasses we have to offer (as provided by the project). There is a new weaving project here now too, begun by the same woman who started the one in Chinchero (but that's tomorrow). It is fascinating to watch the women work the looms they have strapped around their waists. There is a 10 year old boy doing complicated patterns quite well - not as well as the older women but well enough he is getting a lot of attention in this project. There is a good bathroom here which we both makeuse of even though it entails walking through a rather large sales room FULL of woven and knitted stuff, kind of like a Macy's.

On our way to Pisaq we learn "Andes" comes from the word ANDENES which means terraced. Then we drive on to Pisaq where we walk through the ruins for more than an hour, past beautiful walls and homesteads bulit on the mountainside, even through a tunnel the Incas carved through the stone that was in their path, It is interesting how they truly worked with the land and not against it. There are ceremonial areas with huge slabs for sacrificing animals or humans - as you get closer to the temple the stonework in the walls is even more perfect, smooth and polished and perfectly joined. Even the combination of sizes, and the niches incorporated into the walls are believed to be in place to protect them in the event of an earthquake.. I love this place.

Lunch is back in town in the niddle of the Pisaq Marketplace in a nice, simple restaurant. We eat fantastic quinoa soup and sufed peppers, and even try Inka Cola (ick). After lunch there is a tedious project to find me a nice Peruvian blanket, just right and not too expensive -- the market is huge and I would be lost still today if Hilda had not caefull kept an eye on me. Thanks you Hilda! In the end I bought a *rug* and we left!

Did a quick tour of the Pakaritampu Hotel and still am not quite sure what people were complaining about - but then on to Chicha!! Our last stop today is at a little home of a woman who has 1) a big courtyard full of several of the frog - coin toss games the kid all love 2) a room full of guinea pigs running aorund (ignore the fact they are being bred for the next special feast) and 3) a tiny kitchen with many pots a boiling... the chicha. We all have a taste - hm - followed by a taste of the strawberry kind. Fun!

Our hotel - the Libertador Valle Sagrede is wonderful - lush endless gardens, rivers of water flowing through. One night is not enough here! The satelite is out so there is no internet (thus the belated blog) but it hardly matters in a place like this. Monday we head back to Cusco via Chinchero, then head to the mountians to begin the trek on Tuesday...

Peru is very Far Away....

...... as evidenced by the almost 20 hours it took to get here.

First the drive to Logan Airport (they make you so fearful you'll miss your flight if you don't go so early). There was not even a line at check in so things went pretty quickly. If it hadn't been for the 20 minutes of frisking at security (every metal grommet on my jeans was carefully inspected) I would have been at the gate before my ride (thank you Michael) got out of the airport. I met up with our Peru Guru Peter at check in - but he flew business class so our socializing was limited to airport connections. No dinner on this 7PM flight mind you - but I wisely purchased a sandwich to take on board.

It was 3.5 hours to Miami, where I connected up with Larry who had gone the day before to enjoy Thanksgiving with his family. He seemed pretty perky, but then he was on a fresh start whereas I already had 6 hours of 'travel' under my belt. Our flight to Lima left at midnight; once we were in the air the FOOD SERVICE started (who doesn't want dinner at 1am?) and the movie. American no longer serves free alcohol on international flights I guess, because a glass of wine was $5. We did manage to sleep - but with the plane landing at 530am there wasn't a lot of time for shut eye. This was the hardest connection - 3.5 hours before boarding our 1.5 hour flight to Cusco. Luckily the Lima airport has some fun shops and great coffee so we survived.

We were met by a porter in the Cusco airport (or Cuzco, there is a very long dissertation by Peter about which is correct or more popular but they are both used interchangeably even within the same paragraph) who somehow knew who we were and helped us get our bags to the street where our transfer guide Juan took over. Nice nice guy with a thick accent who does his job with joy; Juan took us to a spanking clean van where we met our driver Wilson (we are very important people!) Wilson is *also* delightful. At the hotel (a short drive) we chat and go over some maps and local info and agree on the time to meet our guide (yet another person!) tomorrow for our trip to the Sacred Valley. Now I understand all about transfer guides and assistant guides and head guides!

By noon we were settling in to our FABULOUS hotel room at the Libertador in the center of Cusco. And since the coca tea they served at check in successfully revived us we decided to strike out in the neighborhood. We strolled the little streets lined with tiny shops, which invariably lead to large open squares full of industrious children selling cloth dolls, shoe shines, and postcards. Everywhere there are churches and temples. When hunger got us we came back to the Libertador for trout (local, from Lake Titticacca which I cannot figure out how to spell) ceviche. $8 for an *enormous* plate - we each devoured our own plateful. Then we waddled out in another direction to the Plaza de Armas, just a really cool spot with lots happening and amazing views of town life surrounded by sharply rising hills dotted with adobe buildings. Wow, we are really in Peru!

One of the things happening in Plaza de Armas was a torrential downpour. All of our rain gear was back in the hotel; the children evidently dropped the postcards and suddenly appeared with piles of cheap rain ponchos - but we waited for it to clear while enjoying the shops under the covered walkway around the plaza. The search for the 'alpaca factory' almost ruined my day (WHY didn't I write down the address?!?!) because there is no such place with that name but there ARE 5,000 alpaca sweater stores none of which had what I was looking for (this is a long-story favor I promised someone thinking it would be a piece of cake) We did finally find it but now back in our room I read my notes and see she wanted BROWN when I had insisted all day (in a rather whining voice, just ask Larry) it had to be GREY....

This brings me to the effects of altitude which I would like to blame for not only the alpaca sweater fiasco (I'll be exchanging it when we're back here in a couple of days) but the fact we cannot seem to understand each others' meaning when we speak, or even make sense to ourselves. It's kind of funny but we are so tired or spacey or wired or something we can't even quite laugh. Altitude might also be responsible for my insane idea to get adventurous when searching out a bathroom on our wanderings (you really cannot stay 'hydrated' and not need a bathroom). If you dare, read on:

Rather than go into a nice looking hotel or restaurant I went right for the skeevy looking alley with a sign saying PUBLIC BATHROOM where a woman took my 50 centimos (about 15 cents), handed me a wad of toilet paper and pointed me out back to a falling down cinderblock building with several doorways. The one labeled 'hot shower' had a hose stuffed into the closed door. I went for the one other doorway that even had a door. Inside there was a squat toilet in the misdst of such squalor as I have not seen since China. I was desperate by this time though and really had no choice so in the dark managed to complete the task at hand without soaking my feet. BUT, even as I was relived and pulling up my jeans I began to hear growling. Yes indeed, right outside the door was the mangiest fiercest looking dog growling at me. I had to open the door - I was suffocating - but the dog would not let me step outside. I yelled and called for help and no one bothered to come. Finally the dog got bored and moved away and I escaped unscathed. Phew!

At 630p we were trying to figure out what to do next. It was torrential downpouring again (it better not do this on the trek). So we had ceviche again for dinner, along with a quinoa seafood salad and alpaca kebob. The hotel also offers an outstanding looking buffet, and live music in the dining room. It is beautiful here - have clients really ever complained about this place??

Tomorrow it's Hilda and the Sacred Valley. We have to get up at 630am!