Finally a Honeymoon

 You’d think after months of travel, taking public transit, busses, planes etc, you would get good at sleeping in all scenarios, I wish, planes I am still trying to figure out. The constant movement from the guy in front of you hitting your knees, food and beverage services every few hours(which I’m thankful for), and the always overlooked jet lag, screws with your ability to get comfortable and a good nights rest. Our 11 hour flight from Madrid Spain to Lima Peru was no difference. You watch a few movies(I watched Green Book and it was excellent,I recommend) you close your eyes, eat some food, roll around, stand up, use restroom, and the 11hrs disappear. 

After the long flight and Peru requiring N95 masks (we didn’t have those so we had to wear 2 masks) the restrictions going through customs were more strict then we have seen most of our other travels. We were in the back of the plane but didn’t realize they were saying in Spanish “if you have a connection you get priority de boarding,” so not understanding but also like good kids we waited our turn which caused a sense of urgency due to our short layover. Before arrival into Peru we were supposed to fill out a form about Covid (which we didn’t know about) so Nicolette scrambled to get that complete while going through customs, so we could get into Peru and make our next flight. After going through customs we had to exit the building and go back through customs to fly to Cusco. Confusing I know but that’s how they do most international flights. We made it to our gate with 20min to spare. We landed in Cuzco happy to be done traveling and caught a cab to the hostel. Not prepared for the cold weather 50degF, we had to throw on our jackets. It only being 10am we were not able to check into our hostel room so we went and walked around, Found some empanadas, water, and checked into our Machu Picchu hike with our trekking company.  While walking around a guy named Luis convinced us to take a free walking tour(based on tips only) with him around the city. So he explained the history of the incans, how the colonization of the Spanish built catholic church’s on all of the Incan god temples. How there is still a local language that is 5000 years old (Quechua) and how Cusco (Quoqo, belly button in the above language) was the capital of the Incan empire. It was a great tour of history and culture. We even ended at a restaurant where we got free pisco sours and ceviche which are both local culinary specialties. We met other travelers from Germany, France, Uruguay, and enjoyed a few more drinks and dinner after the tour. We didn’t get back to our hostel and get checked in until 6pm, where we showered, got organized and fell asleep at 7pm. The 40hours awake traveling with 2 hours of sleep on the plane meant an early night. I will say we are getting good at Ignoring our tiredness and exhaustion and pushing through the jet lag, because every day abroad is like a golden ticket, and you can’t let them go to waste.

Up around 7am we started organizing our hiking stuff caught breakfast at the hostel (coffee and bread) and then cruised around town, we visited Saqsaywaman an Incan temple that was built 1000 years ago and somehow they made the walls fit perfectly together like a puzzle. It was ginormous in size and I still don’t understand how they carved the stone and/or moved them into place so perfectly. They even angled the walls at 13deg so they withstood earthquakes. No joke these blocks were the size of full size trucks. It was mind boggling. We then walked over to Jesus on the mountain and had another great view point of the Cuzco valley. We walked down a million stairs back towards the main square area and decided we should catch a quick lunch, KusyKay. The restaurant serves alpaca, trout, Guinea Pig, all local favorites so we opted for a salad and trout tacos. We received the food and within one bite we instantly knew this was our best of the trip so far and potentially of our lives. It was incredible. The tacos had so much flavor and the trout melted in our mouths and the salad had so much flavor I didn’t realize greens had. The waiter even gave us some helpful hints for our Machu Picchu hike. 5 stars coming right up, WE WILL BE BACK. During lunch Nic expressed that she was a little worried about her lack of warm clothes so we went to the local market and found a hat and gloves for 5$ and walked through the food stalls and saw chucks of meat that put our earlier travels to shame. We found her a thermal top and then went back to the hostel to organize our packing materials a bit more. At 6pm we had a meeting with our guide and he explained our route and expectations (the main one being there will be no power) for the next 7 day hike and answered our couple questions. Back to the hostel, the finishing touches on our bags Nic and I schemed a plan on how we would go 7 days with no way of charging our cell phones and to ensure we had power for pics the entire time, and to sleep we went. 

Machu Picchu, Likely the most famous hike/monument after Mount Everest it is categorized as the 7th Wonder of the World located in the upper echelon of The Andes mountains in Peru. Not easy to visit due to the limited amount of tickets they give out each day to 500 visitors to hike in on the Incan Trail. (They do allow a total of 4000 visitors/day by other means of access) This is a holy grail among world travelers and has been rumored to be closing soon due to the destruction it takes each and every year from the likes of Mother Nature and tourists. There are multiple ways to visit and we chose the least popular one, the 7 day hike which includes a portion of the Salkantay Hike. The other options are train/bus……. And other hikes including 2,3,4,5 day hikes. 

The history behind this hike goes way back not only for the Incans(600+years) but also Nicolette and myself, we planned on doing this hike as our honeymoon in 2020 but as we all know Covid took over the world and everything was pushed out for multiple years. Finally here we are doing the very thing we planned on sealing the deal for our wedding. When we first started talking about our honeymoon we went back and forth and we couldn’t agree on much, (hard to agree I know) Nicolette wanted a relaxing beach vacation and I wanted to go on a mountain biking excursion around the world. Finally she said “I don’t care what we do I just want it to be all inclusive so I don’t have to think about anything” and so I booked a 7 day/6 night all inclusive hike to Machu Picchu that includes 60miles hiking distance and 1000’s of feet of climbing. I figured it’s the best of both worlds, she gets everything included and I get to be out hiking and enjoying one of the 7 Wonders of the World. At first the conversation didn’t go great but she soon was fully on board and just as excited as I was.  

Day 1, we set the alarm for 330am so we could finish packing and get picked up by the bus at 410am to begin the 4hr(was supposed to take 2.5hrs) drive to the start of our Salkantay Hike. The weather was brisk 35degF and a dark morning with no moon in sight. In our bus was the driver, Max our tour guide, Dennis our chef, Herman the sous chef, all of them Peruvian, and then Bo from Australia (who lives in Denmark) and Nicolette and myself. The road started out fine but I questioned why they had so many speed bumps. But as we slithered our way into a canyon I was dozing off and Nicolette brought me back to reality and we caught the first glimpse of sunlight gleaming off the snow covered peak off in the distance. From there the roads got horrendous, pot holes the size of horses, as narrow as our bus and worst of all steep as all hell. We were getting tossed around in the back of the van like bingo balls in the roller. Max said they were fixing the roads but I can’t imagine these fixes taking any less then 10+ years. The steep mountains have rivaled anything I have ever seen before, and the poor communities and mountain villages left me thinking, how do these people survive in this climate with little to no way to make money. My assumption is they live crop to crop each season that the earth turns. We finally pull off the road into a farmers pasture, thinking it was just a bathroom break but it was the starting point of our trek at 11318ft. We had coffee, tea, hot oat milk, and a slice of bread with eggs and hotdogs; Gourmet to say the least. As we were sitting enjoying our views, and condors flying overhead, busses in droves started stopping and letting out more hikers to begin their own journey into the mountains. The real money maker of the morning was the farmer who was charging 1soles(25cents) to use his bathroom (which included toilet paper) and all the tourists grasped at the opportunity for a real toilet which may be the last time for their 5-7 day treks. As we began hiking we quickly realized that we were hiking at an elevation we have not experienced much before. Although the trail wasn’t steep or challenging we exhausted our lungs for all they were worth. We continued along the path which followed a canal(flume) that was built by the incans back on the 11th century. Still to this day nearly 1000 years later they are still in use supplying the farms and communities in the valley with fresh glacier snow melt water. It was a slow morning, passing other larger groups and watching the locals chew coca leaves as to not slide into altitude sickness while looking up at Humantay Glacier topped mountain shooting up at 18536ft. We had many breaks but got to our campsite for the day at 1130am. Way earlier then expected, but happy that the glacier capped mountains are gracing us for the next 18+ hours. Now it’s lunch time, none of us are too hungry cause we just stopped for a snack like 1hr ago, but the serving plates were piled high so we scooped and dished our plates to try the local mountain cuisine. Because Peru is home to more then 4000 different types of potato’s we of course had 2/3 for lunch. We started with the dry potato soup (wasn’t dry at all), and then worked into a pickled salad full of tomatoes, potato’s, carrots and cauliflower, also a mountain of rice, quiche, and lastly potatoes and beef covered in a green sauce. All of it was very excellent and because we weren’t hungry to start with,we now were uncomfortably stuffed. Max then said we had a siesta(nap time) for 1.5 hours before we hike up to a lake and return just in time for dinner. If anyone knows me, I am not much for naps but the Siesta disappeared in no time, the early morning and good food put me in a hypnosis state instantly. Shoes back on and up the mountain we go, there were multiple trails all leading to the Humantay Glacier lake we had to stop many times because it was steep and the air so thin it felt like someone was squeezing my chest and at 13779ft I knew why. The round trip time took about 3 hours but we got incredible views of Humantay peak as wells as Salkantay peak and of course the mountain blue waters of freezing cold snow melt. We had a little ceremony to thank Mother Earth for allowing us to enjoy the trails and her beauty and during our moments of silence we heard a cracking above us and witnessed a small avalanche slide down the mountain side towards us, good thing it got held up by another ledge much higher than we were standing. The clouds began to take over the sky and we went from hot to very cold in an instant. We shuffled down back to camp and was graced with hot tea, hot coco, and popcorn. We spoke about our favorite parts of the day(which I listed most of them above) and then were served more hot soup, stuffed tomatoes, rice, and condor feet(max’s joke for chicken legs/breast) that was all absolutely delicious. No showers, no WiFi, and no power, we crawled into bed at 730pm to try and catch up from the very early morning and prepare for the big climb tomorrow. Our hut had glass ceiling so we watched the stars above us as we drifted into a deep sleep. 

Day 2, I had to get up a few times in the middle of the night to pee because we drank so much tee for dinner but the stars and Milky Way illuminated the sky like solar beams. We awoke to hot tea at 645am and we began getting ready and packing our belongings up to begin the days trek. Breakfast included omelette with onions and tomatoes, fried potatoes and plantains, chicken bacon, some bread and my current favorite; hot oat porridge. After breakfast we got to take a shower….. They gave us a 1/2 gallon bucket of hot water and a wash cloth and we cleaned ourselves off outside in 35deg weather they called it a baby bath. The sun had not yet hit the valley so between that and the cold bathe we started the hike chilly. It didn’t take long before we were in the high elevation sun and I had to shed my pants and coat. We got to the lunch spot at 10am, a head of schedule by about 1.5hrs. Our guide said “you guys are oh so fast” so we had our snack and our cooks and horsemen passed us and pushed on. We got to see more condors, llamas, and glacier fields that towered over us. It’s hard to fathom how Mother Nature has carved a valley into the side of a rock face like this. We got to our camping spot for the day at about 1230pm. Again our guide said, “you guys are so so fast”. We assisted the horseman set up our tents and we got our sleeping arrangements organized while the cooks finished getting lunch ready. Again we started Lunch with soup this time pumpkin soup, and then we had trout with veggies, corn and potatoes, pasta, and my personal favorite fried tortillas with guacamole on top(looked like an ice cream cone). During lunch our guide told us he began as a porter at 9/10yo carrying 100lbs worth of gear for people during these types of treks. He then was the cook and now is the guide. He said that the government created a law  in recent years so that porters cannot carry more then 50lbs because they are not animals. Finished the meal with peppermint tea, and off to siesta we go for 2 hours because again we hiked to fast. We laid in the tent and from out the tent door we could see Salkantay peak that made us feel like ants at 20,505ft. While we were drifting off we could hear some cracking so we looked out the tent door and saw a small avalanche stumbling down the side of the immense mountain. Our camping site sits at 14763ft, so breathing is very labor intensive and multiple times during the hike I thought for sure my lungs were not going to give me the oxygen I needed. Awake and off to another mountain lake which is only about 20min from camp. This is not a popular trek so we were the only ones and the mountains spiked up before us out of the lake. We could hear rocks tumbling down the mountain side and cracking from the snow we hoped that the potential snow slide wouldn’t reach us. We sat and watched the clouds twist and turn as they came up the valley and engulfed us. The sun dying off in the distance the mountain peaks and clouds grasped on to the last strays of sunlight. Back at camp we took our baby baths which were much needed due to it being the dry season it hasn’t rained for what seems like along time the trail was so dusty. So dusty that my feet and legs are black each night from the dust that billows around my shoe after each step. We stripped down to just your bottoms with no shirt or shoes, and you are throwing water on your body trying to get clean, as the temps dip towards freezing, uncomfortable to say the least but laughter over takes us that this is an experience I will never forget. Into the dinner tent we warmed up with tea and popcorn until dinner was served, tonight’s gourmet meal included chicken noodle soup, deep fried potato cakes, chicken legs, rice, and lasagna (chicken, Alfredo, mozerella, noodle) a delicious cap to the day. When we departed the dinner tent the mountain shined brightly as the glacier reflected off the moonlight, a view so incredible it’s hard to put into words. Because of the negative temps we slept in for the night, they gave us “baby alpacas” (water heating pads) to put in our sleeping bags, they were so hot I couldn’t let mine touch my skin, Nic said it was the best feeling ever, another enjoyable add to our experience. 

Day 3, the night was a struggle to find a comfortable position on the ground while searching to stay warm, at one point I got up to pee out the door and down the valley I could see lightening illuminating the sky as well as the glacier off to my right, what a view. Freezing I put a few more clothes on and crawled back into my sleeping bag and listened as I could hear thunder and cracking of the glacier as I slipped off to sleep. I woke up multiple times and could hear rain/sleet and knew there was nothing I could do just hopeful it would stop by morning. Finally it got light out and through the sides of the tent I could see snow, “oh shit” I opened the door and it was white everywhere must be 2-3” and with lack of warm clothes I started getting worried about our toughest day ahead yet.    It being only 6am both Nic and I were wide awake because we couldn’t sleep anymore because we were so cold, must be below freezing. So we chatted about how we were going to stay warm through the day. We each got fully dressed, multiple pairs of pants, multiple socks, multiple shirts, all of our jackets, and we emerged from the tent. Luckily the sun was out so the cold was bearable but the pass we were about to hike up,  I couldn’t see because it was buried in clouds. We quickly went to the dinner/mess tent and had warm tea, and waited for the cooks to finish making breakfast, lots of warm drinks and the heat from the propane stove on the other side of the dinner tent helped us warm our soul that was still shivering from the night before. For breakfast we had a chicken fajita crepe, absolutely delicious and helped us gain back our PMA (positive mental attitude). Because we hiked so fast the previous day we actually stayed at a higher elevation then originally planned. They gave us hot water to take our baby baths but I couldn’t muster the courage to get down to my skivs in the freezing temp to wipe myself off with a few droplets of hot water that I knew was getting colder by the second. Looking out over the valley the morning was clear and we were able to see mountains far off that the day previous we were not able to see as well as the nearer mountains and all the beauty they continued to provide. We looked in the direction we were meant to begin hiking and saw a group of horsemen running down the steep and winding switchbacks with 10-15 horses, Max said they were running late to their morning meeting at the location of our night 1. As they walked through our campsite I saw a few of them wearing open toed sandals and it brought me right back to reality that if they can run, down a mountain side full of snow with sandals on, we have no place to complain about the cold. So we marched to Salkantay pass at 17060ft, and we were both thankful we weren’t the first tracks of the day on the trail. From the pass the surrounding area was so expansive it seemed to never end. We began walking down and we walked down the rest of the day, new valley, new mountains, new streams, and by snack time we had already hit our planned lunch spot. Shortly after our horsemen 5 horses/mules, and our cooks pass us on the trail, and soon they disappeared in the distance in front of us. With still 2hrs to go to the campsite the wind picked up and it started sprinkling. We trudged on and the weather changed every 5min between sun and rain. As we turned the last corner to camp we could see a small village with grass roofs and solar panels and Max explained that they still do not have power here, only the solar, and they still build their houses like the incans did 1000years ago. We saw llama cages(corrals), and potato farms and finally into camp we made it at 1:30pm right along an Incan canal built over 2000 years ago. We started the day at 14763ft, up to 17060ft and back down to 12467ft for our campsite over a total of about 7miles. We had to wait in our tents because it was raining and lunch wasn’t quite ready but when it was we gorged ourselves with corn soup, fried veggies, quinoa with hot dogs, and mash potatoes with olives, weird combinations but we were happy for the food. We took a bit of a siesta while Max went to speak to some of the village people in hopes we could visit their homes. So we gathered up after the siesta and walked a bit further down the valley to visit a family homestead. Come to find out the lady who lives there alone, takes care of everything at the farm. Her husband and kids all live 2-3hrs away to make “more money” or attend school. She keeps the farm running as it was when she grew up in that exact farm house, that is a one room built of stone and sod. Inside be sure to watch your head as there was a sheep leg hanging from the ceiling to make jerky. Pots and pans hung from the wall since there was no space for  cabinets. She was boiling water over a small fire in the corner and the tiny tree shrub  branches that she found from up on the hillside. With no outlet for smoke besides the front door being open the smoke filtered outside yet we were still barely able to see the other side of the hut which was only 8ft away. Watch your feet because the floor had 30+ Guinea pigs running around of all shapes and sizes all getting raised for food for her or to eat or sell at the market that she goes to once a month. Earlier in tbe day On our way down the mountain we saw her herding sheep way up on the hill side, she even has alpaca higher up because that’s the type of grass they like. On our way out of the house we ran into a slew of chickens and dogs all under her watch along with the sheep, guineas, alpaca, and raising potato’s, alone in the valley that today didn’t see a temp higher then 35deg. An eye opener for sure. Back at camp we sat down for tea talked more about the home visit and enjoyed fried plantains and popcorn while telling jokes before noodle soup, chicken, rice, veggies were served up for dinner. Out of the mess tent and the sky was finally clear with stars sparkling after the long and rainy day of hiking. Again we were given a baby alpaca to put in our sleeping bags to stay warm, In bed at 745pm the temp again below freezing.

 

Day 4, sleeping along the river kept the tent extremely cold all night, it even rained just because Panchamama (Mother Earth) could. We were up just before tea was delivered to our tent at 6am, again the temp dipped below freezing and we got fully ready in the tent(2 pants,2 shirts, 2 jackets, we packed it, it was on our body) to be out of the wind. At breakfast we warmed up quickly in the mess tent because they had the propane stove going full tilt on the other side, and we were served pineapple soup, pineapple crepe, and omelet, fuel we needed after shivering all night. We hiked downward for 4 hours from 12467ft to 9842ft. Along the way we saw more snow capped peaks, and we followed the river down the valley as it crawled over rocks to camp. Max pointed out many fruit trees, grass the incans used to make ropes and bridges, and some Incan sites from the 1400’s that are still standing today. Through one of the villages we got to try corn beer(chi Cha) that was served out of a dirty 5gallon bucket, hesitant to try it but of course we both caved because “who knows when we will be back”, our tour guide chugged two large glasses that cost 2 soles(50cents). He said we couldn’t have more then a sip because the hospital is too far away. The best part of the day was watching the clouds slither along the mountains tops changing the scenery as fast as my thumb could click the picture button on my phone. Nicolette saw a bear and Max said that they typically aren’t in that valley which made our hike even more memorable. We got to camp around 12 and lunch was not ready yet so we laid down in an old Incan ruin over looking the valley and our campsite and chatted about the hike. Soon after a local boy came close to us so I talked to him as best as I could in Spanish, his house is just over there—> as he points, he goes to school over there <— as he points, and he is 7yo and named chalab. My Spanish is very poor, give me a break. We got summoned down for lunch where we had noodle soup, corn tortillas(that were very thick) chicken fajita and a fruit salad and multiple cups of tea. We said goodbuy to the horseman who had set up our tents and taken care of us the previous 3 nights and gave him a tip in hopes to help his family back home. With nothing planned for the afternoon in preparation for the large hike the next day we lounged. Max stated there was a shower but it cost 10soles($2.50) and I knew instantly Nic wanted to shower cause she has brought it up multiple times in the last couple days. I told her we couldn’t afford it, she took my money and ran anyway. Upon her return she was all smiles as if she was a new person. She said “that was the best $2.50 I have ever spent in my life” I replied “I wish every $2.50 I spent on you made you this happy” she rolled her eyes and I was glad it made her feel that great. We played cribbage (I got destroyed) and then she started bullying me saying I smelt bad, so I got peer pressured to go shower. It did feel good, (don’t tell her I said that) but most of all I was happy to get all the dirt out from between my toes. We went and walked around the village to check it out and it was packed with other tour companies, porters(the people who carry tourists bags) and tourists. We couldn’t believe the size of bags some of these porters were carrying. As stated above the limit is 20kg(44lbs)but these bags looked much bigger then 20kg’s. The ages young and old, and the conditions they were walking in brought tears to our eyes. Multiple were wearing sandals and many others had holes or shoes completely not built for carrying that weight or for those types of trails. It really made us think twice about our decision to come on this trek with lots of questions, are they treating their employees with respect, are they providing adequate gear and pay, The questions flooded our brains and we were happy to see when our porters arrived that they had company provided hiking boots, and none of their bags were even half the size of some of the other tour companies. (Horses and other pack animals are not allowed on the Incan trail, which is why porters are used to carry all of the tourists belongings, as wells as camping equipment, cooking equipment, and food for the entire duration of the trip, as there are no roads in this region.) A bit disgusted still from how the other tour companies were treating their employees we went back to camp to play another game of cribbage(Nic beat me 5 in a row that day) and get ready for dinner. Before dinner we got all the porters, cooks, and us together so we could all introduce ourselves and say our age and where we were from. We had 7 porters and still the same 2 cooks. Our groups average age was probably 35 the oldest being 50 and youngest being 20. Dinner came with lots of tea, and then fried chicken, pumpkin bread, and Pasta with veggies. Again and always delicious I made sure to go back to the kitchen (aka the ground in a field) and say “gracious Dennis, muy bien” (thank you dennis(our cook) very well” again poor Spanish, and off to bed at 8pm to get warmed up for another chilly night at 45deg. 

Day 5, the morning came quick and with it rain and 40deg temps. We were greeted to tea in the tent and then did our best shuffle to get dressed with multiple layers, pack our sleeping bags and clothes, roll our sleeping mats, and and brush our teeth before breakfast at 530am. No mess tent was set up because there was already a shelter but it was separated from the cooking area and open to outside so it was bitter cold sitting during the meal. The meal included scrambled eggs and hot dogs, chocolate pancakes, toasted buns, and oat porridge. I accidentally ate 3 pieces of the chocolate pancakes because it was the first sweets in days. We started the morning hiking from Wayllabamba at 9842ft and quickly had to shed layers because the elevation picked up quickly and the rain subsided. We had to stop about 4 times in the first 30min to acclimate to the changing weather. We were the first team through the security checkpoint and we thought we would have a clear trail ahead. We quickly ran across a few more campsites and the porters were packing bags and starting their trek for the day as well. Massive bags bobbing ahead of us, all we had to do was follow the thick stream of neon indicating the different trekking companies all starting the Machu Picchu trek. The original plan was that we would arrive to Dead Womans Pass (13779ft) in 5 hours from when we left camp at 6.  That’s an elevation gain of nearly 4000ft and each step to the top led to less and less oxygen. Nic and I crest the pass just after 9am, which means it took us 3hrs. Don’t worry we got plenty of pictures, I even bought a Reese’s at a pop up snack stand about half way up. I don’t know if you ever traveled abroad but Reese’s are hard to come by. We passed through a rainforest that had amazing multi colored trees and moss growing everywhere and on everything and once in a while you could catch a glimpse of the snow capped mountains through the tree branches. There were loads of Americans on the trail but we motored right by them and we were blown away at the pace the porters kept the entire way all while carrying 50-100lbs of gear, they deserve an ESPY, Grammy, Oscar, you name it they deserve it(probably just more pay would suffice). The views changed with the wind as the clouds made the snow capped peaks disappear like a magician and always provided when we started running out of energy. Towards the top we even hiked with a couple llamas for a bit and saw our first two lady porters in the colorful local attire carrying bags larger then them, strong women! At the pass we had to wait for our guide and other tour companion Bo for about 30min but we drank our water, soaked up the sun, and ate a few snacks, but again the weather had other plans and the wind and rain picked up again so we began down the million steps to our campsite at Pacaymayu (11700ft). It took about 2 hours to get to the campsite from the pass and the porters were running down the stairs carrying the load listed above. They looked like fairies floating down the Peruvian mountainside, it was a work of art. We finally pulled into camp around 1130am and our porters who had passed us like 20min earlier had already set up our tents, the mess tent, and the toilet, so all we had to do was go in our tent and rest. WE ARE SPOILED, and I felt bad getting catered on and how little money I know they make for how hard they work. We tried to help set some other things up but they didn’t accept and pushed us away, so we ended up playing a few games of cribbage and then playing a few other games with Bo. Tea and juice was served and then the monstrosity they call lunch, massive rice and salad dish, chicken in a creme sauce and finally carne asada fajitas. We hobbled out, as stuffed as we could have been, and crawled in our tent, threw on some fresh clothes and hit the siesta hard. So hard in fact we slept all the way until 430pm just before tea time started at 5pm. The rain we could hear through the afternoon and the clouds were socked into the valley, visibility was less then 100yds. Chilled and a need to stretch the legs I walked around the 20+ other campsites and looked at the different tents, porters, and overall set ups of other companies. It’s hard to describe the operation and money pit this trail has created. Back to the mess tent popcorn, tea, and fried tortilla with chocolate was the snack before dinner. We taught Max and Bo the card game Rummy, it was a bit challenging with the language barrier but we overcame the challenge and Max even won a few hands, he was pumped up! Then dinner, and let me remind you we ate only a few hours prior, included; large plates of rice, omelette, carne asada taquito’s, chicken stuffed with ham(“hot dogs”). None of us ate much because of the large lunch but the porters quickly devoured it once we told them we were finished. Max explained the plan for the following 9hr hiking day, and then to the tent we went at 7pm. We read books journaled and lights out by 8pm. Although we have been in bad weather and cold majority of the time these mountains have provided some of the most calming moments I have ever had in my life. With no cell service, WiFi, or access to the outside world it has been a mind freeing few days. 

Day 6, rain all night and rain nearly all day. Our last full day was the longest yet. We were on the move for nearly 10hrs. Now that we are finally on the famed Incan trail our campsite at Pacaymayu (11700ft) was full of other tourists and tour companies. Our “hola hola” call through the tent door with tea came at 5am. The warm mess tent at breakfast was much appreciated as, what seems to be the norm, the cold weather was locked into the valley throughout the night. Breakfast included chocolate oat milk, toasted buns, quiche, and chicken wontons(my new fave breakfast). We were first out of camp in the morning just about 6am. About a half hour into the first climb we came across a resting spot for the runners delivering messages from Cuzco to Machu Picchu. There was only a few rooms but it was situated with a great lookout that we were not able to enjoy fully due to the rain and cloud cover. We continued to the pass of Runkaracay at 13123ft it was a nice break after the 1.5hr stair stepper exercise but again the clouds limited our visibility of the area. Panchamama (Mother Earth) must be against us. We worked our way down some of the steepest steps yet and watched the porters running down the stairs while carrying bags more then half their weight. On the way down was an Incan site called Sayacmarka (12000ft) that was a living area for priests and standard class incans. We saw the church area as well as a mural still etched in a rock from 600+ years ago. What caught my attention was how they Plumbed water into the facility with bamboo and rocks to provide fresh water throughout the site. Impressive. We arrived at our lunch spot at 945am(sorry we walked to fast) at Chaquicocha we weren’t quite hungry yet but knew we wouldn’t get dinner for many hours so we finished our plates clean that were full of an amazing roast, chicken and rice, chicken and pickled veggies, and deep fried quinoa Pattie’s. The food never disappoints. It was hard to get the legs moving again but the clouds started clearing and we got our hopes up and pushed on. We came across a man tunnel the incans built through the side of the mountain because there was no other trail option. Clouds refilled the valley and nearly gave us vertigo as we walked along the trail that we knew had high cliffs just inches away. We finally came to the last pass of the trek at a mere 12073ft and it was full of other groups catching their lunch. There were lots of llamas around and even some tourists getting some selfies with them (I didn’t risk it, I didn’t want to get spit on) the mountain peaks started popping out of the clouds and not far below us was the most intricate Incan site yet. Phuyu Phata Marca which is where nobles used the site to study astronomy. So many steep Stairs and porters running past us we worked our way into the jungle and enjoyed moss covered trees, bamboo, gorgeous birds, and bugs. Loads of bugs, we had to get out the big spray. They came and went as fast as the rain, not sure where they went but it confused the heck out of me. The clouds stayed clear and we got great views of the river and valley below all the way to another incan site which had 20+ levels of terraces. We finally made it to our campsite where we organized our tent (put out our sleeping mat, pillow, sleeping bag and liner, etc.) before we walked to Winay Wayna which quickly became my favorite due to the many terraces, the waterfall close by, the 12 water fountains (provided for the incans coming to visit Machu Picchu in the 1500’s) and the clouds allowing us to finally see the snow capped peaks surrounding us. There were very few people and it was so peaceful taking in the valley views and enjoying the thought this place had in history. It was not discovered until 1941 and is one of the most recently discovered Incan sites in this valley. Back to the mess tent we sat outside because it was finally warm enough and we watched the sun slip away while the clouds continued to move around the mountain peaks. It being our last night we got an absolute FEAST; pizza, pasta, stuffed beef, chicken kabobs and finally, a cake! Everything was so delicious we had a little fiesta for all the porters and us at the end for making it through all the different weather and elevations, it was a bit sad as we had become a small family over the past 6 days.

Day 7, “Hola Hola” and tea came extremely early at 3am to get packed up and ready to hike to Machu Picchu for opening at 530am. We were loaded and hiking by 315am to the security checkpoint  where we sat from 320am until 530am for the gates to open. We were first in line but waiting outside for 2 hrs was chilly, we were bundled up but never enough, we’ve been cold for the last 6 days. The stars were bright as can be and the crowd started filling in behind us, everyone anxious for the famed views of Machu Picchu. You may be asking “Why get to the gate 2 hours before it opens??” The main reason is so the porters can pack up camp, (which they can’t start until the tourists are gone) and hike down to Aguas Caliente before 5am where they need to catch the train. If they miss the train they have to hike back to the start of the trail, and after carrying all that weight for multiple days, the last thing they want to do is do it again unpaid. It’s also a benefit for us to be early in line so we can be the first into Machu Picchu. The rangers showed up at 5:28am and the anticipation full tilt we were first through the gate, headlights on, walking briskly towards the Sun Gate which was meant to be an hour hike. The sun wasn’t up yet, so below the trees it was dark but the light started peaking behind the mountains and gave us the best views we have had in a few days. We got to the “gringo killer” which caused some heavy breathing and we arrived to the Sun Gate at 612am, and got the first views of Machu Picchu and the surrounding area. Not another person in the area, we got pictures just us and the 7th Wonder of the World, a rarity to say the least. Below us we could see the buses climbing the steep road and unloading droves of passengers and we knew our alone time wouldn’t last long. We made our way towards the Wonder enjoying the clear morning and lack of people. We had to duck a rope, but we were just following Max our guide and he got us to “the Spot” which is where everyone takes a picture and the one you see all over the internet. With no bathrooms or food allowed inside, we exited Machu Picchu so we could use the toilet and eat our sack breakfast. The line to get in was so long you could tell tensions were high for people trying to get in, glad we hiked in and didn’t have to deal with that. We re-entered following Circuit 4 (dedicated path that we had to walk) which brought us through the Urban Sector, that included the Condor temple, Sacred Rock, water fountains, and a few others but the most impressive being the Sun Temple that had 2 windows facing different directions one towards the Sun Gate and one towards another mountain. When the sun rises during the summer and winter Solstice the shadow of the window will be full which will indicate to the incans it is time to plant and/or Harvest. The v in the mountain and at the Sun Gate allow the first full shadow to be seen to indicate those dates. Extremely impressive and way ahead of their time. About half way through our circuit we came to Huayna Picchu trail. We prebooked this which costs extra money and we seperated from Bo and Max and began up the Huayna Picchu Trail. We could see how steep it was but we weren’t quite prepared for the narrow trail with hundreds of stone steps to the top. So narrow at times that we had to wait in certain sections for people coming down to pass us in the “safest” part. They estimate it should take 1-1.5hrs to get to the top, Nic and I pushed our way through the line of people and made it to the top in 30min, out of breath and a view we will never forget. We had the birds eye view of Machu Picchu that only those who had tickets to Huayna Picchu gets, limited to 200 people/day. It was stunning and worth every bead of sweat to the top. A 360deg view that included the Andes Mountain Range snow capped peaks, glaciers glowing in the sun, and of course Machu Picchu. There wasn’t much room at the top and we saw a few people nearly fall 1000’s of feet to their death trying to get a picture so we didn’t stay long. The way down was much slower as there was much more traffic and we got behind a slew of people. Back on track at our circuit the crowds really picked up in Machu Picchu while we were hiking on Huayna Picchu so it was chaotic and slow as ever. We passed through the condor temple which was shoulder to shoulder of tour groups and we squirmed our way through and out the exit. We caught a bus down to Aguas Caliente to catch our guide Max and Bo where we had a few beers and alpaca steaks for lunch to celebrate the completion of an epic trek. We had to catch a train through the valley out to Ollayantambo where we got in another bus that took us to Cuzco. We finally arrived at our hostel at 730pm and knew we had to get to bed soon due to the 3am wake up and lots of hiking. We were both so excited to take hot showers after not showering for multiple days and to sleep in a warm bed, problem, the hot water wasn’t working properly it would come and go as fast as a light switch. Nicolette had a small breakdown but we got through another obstacle, and slept all night snug as a bug in the warm bed we both desperately needed. 

The next morning was extremely slow moving as we had to organize all our dirty clothes, and our bags for our next journey. We finally left the hostel at 1130am to return our bags, that the trekking company provided, back to them. We went to multiple Museums after the drop off including, regional history, Incan art, contemporary art, and a few others. From there we went to the local market to buy some gifts for some of our family, lots of alpaca fur blankets and sweaters everywhere but not enough room in our bags so we had to resort to much smaller items. We found a cute place for lunch on a side street and ate way to much food, then did a little brewery crawl back to the hostel to continue getting organized and go to bed. 

Last full day included going to some of the cathedrals in the main square, getting some last minute trinkets, relaxing and eating at KusyKay, the restaurant we went to on arrival into Cusco. The basilica cathedral is a so ginormous I think it would almost rival the Vatican. It was the first cathedral in the americas that Spain built in 1534. The tapestry’s and Paintings easily could be 50 to 100ft tall and made us feel like rodents. At dinner we enjoyed our last meal in Cuzco that included an Alpaca Burger and roasted guy(Guinea pig). The guy tasted like chicken but obviously had much less meat. Everyone around us watched as we ate it with no knowledge of how to, all the waiter said was “it’s easiest if you use your fingers”so like chicken wings went to town finding as much meat at we could. The total guy had about as much meat as one chicken leg. It was an experience. The waiter said typically people only get it when they are celebrating something, and he asked if we were. Finally after 2 years we WERE celebrating our honeymoon pushed off by a worldwide pandemic. Walking the streets back through the main square with a near full moon, made us realize just how chaotic other countries are and how far behind some of them are compared to the USA or others that are similar. They also are ahead of us in some ways, I would say in happiness and self moral that we as Americans constantly get caught up in being negative. Although they have so little and work so hard, we constantly saw smiles, heard laughter, and seemed like overall joy for their lively hoods. 

As we flew over the mountains leaving Cusco they towered so high as to nearly tickle the under belly of the plane. The sky clear and the glaciers capped mountain tops left a sense of comfort of great memories for many years to come.