PERU - March 2019

Wednesday March 27, 2019

We booked this REI adventure without paying attention to the dates of the Multiunit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas. But in typical S&J fashion, we figured out a way to do them both! That had us flying back to Madison from Vegas late Tuesday night. We landed about 11:45p, home to unpack Vegas and recall where we left off with our Peru packing. By 1:30a, we were crawling into our bed.

I was so excited that I was up at 5:30a anyway - going over my packing list, etc. Went downstairs to have a workout, good way to start a day of travel. Ryan came by at 9am to shuttle us back to the airport … Just 9 hours since arriving there last night! We were standing around waiting to board, when Gary walked up. He’s flying a different airline, different route, but we’ll meet up with him in Lima tomorrow morning for our flight to Cusco.

We landed in Lima at 11pm, and figured out how to navigate customs and baggage claim. It was a little on the chaotic side, but no issues. I’d booked a room at the Wyndam Costa Del Sol, which was just across the street when we exited baggage claim. We checked in and they offered us free Pisco Sour “welcome drinks,” which we declined … going to avoid alcohol until we acclimatize to the elevation.

Besides the elevation and threat of altitude sickness, we’ve been heavily warned to avoid the water. Even brushing our teeth, they say don’t rinse your toothbrush under the faucet. That’s a hard habit to break, but we slung a towel over the faucet and drank the water we brought in our water bottles from Atlanta. This will be hard for me as I hate buying water in plastic disposable bottles.

Thursday and Friday March 28-29, 2019

Quick night, but it was good to stretch out in a bed for a few hours. We showered and crossed the street, back to the chaos of the Lima airport. In search of coffee, breakfast and Gary. As we were standing in the “bag drop” line I heard a woman calling my name - quite odd, but looked up to see Lynn and Kent two lines over!

We stopped at the money exchange to trade some $$ for Sols as our guide book said not to plan on places accepting dollars. We met Gary (and Lynn and Kent) at our gate. After a quick flight to Cusco, we claimed our bags and walked a crazy gauntlet of taxi drivers out to find our REI greeter and driver. Our trip directions described the scene perfectly. We’d been sent REI tags to put on our bags, and of course that made us targets for the porters, “REI Susan, come with me.” Instead, we followed our directions and went outside until we found our guy in an REI t-shirt holding a REI sign (and having our full names on his list). We piled into 2 vans and had a wild ride through the streets of Cusco. The neighborhoods got better as we traveled from the airport and the Hotel Mercado is beyond my expectations; it’ll be a great place to chill for two nights before the trek starts.

Our grand-niece Dahlia happens to be studying in Cusco this semester and her family (Jeff’s nephew Kyle, wife Leah and other daughters Bella and Amaya) happen to be visiting her this week. They came to our little courtyard, which was a great place to catch up. Dahlia brought along her schoolmate, Lauren from Michigan. Although we’ve been following her blog, it was really fun to see her confidence and independence as she led us on a walk through the city, showing us beautiful sites, an awesome late lunch stop, and then we all walked uphill just to see how it felt, and down to a coffee shop for more coca tea. It was also fun to have Gary, Kent and Lynn blend in so nicely with our family.

Back to our courtyard, two individuals that looked like our prospective tour mates came out to the fire pit. I pointed our “shy guys” Jeff and Gary in that direction and we were right - except they were two halves of the other two couples - soon enough the other halves came out and we met them all. Our new friends are Jerry and Debby from North Chicago, and Jeff & Dawn from Lansing MI. We said goodnight after a bit as were dead on our feet, but soon word rang out that Tam and Dan had arrived from their delayed bus tour … so we went back out to greet them.

Cusco is 11,250 ft elevation, and we’ve arrived early to try to acclimatize. Most of us have also been taking Acetazolamide (Diamox) for a few days - not sure if that will help or not! When we arrived at the Mercado, they also introduced us to caco tea and caco leaves – I’m giving that a shot too!

We had a pretty good night’s sleep, but in the middle of the night I had a killer altitude headache, so I took 800 mg of Advil. Sometime in the night I felt a lack of oxygen, but after a few yoga breaths I’d feel better.

Today was designed to be a mellow day so we could continue acclimatizing. We met about 8a for an amazing breakfast at the hotel - lingered there until they practically kicked us out about 9:30a. Then our group of 7 headed to the market. What a sight - besides the touristy gifts, there was food to buy, and food being served - almost like at the state fair Jeff noted, but all I could see was the questionable sanitation!

Back to the Mercado to relax, and at 1p we met our guide, Dalmiro Portillo. According to our material from REI, “Dalmiro hails from Quillabama, a city located in the northern jungle area of the Cusco region and is considered to be one of the foremost trekking guides in Cusco. He’s fluent in English, and is a native Quechua speaker, and was a 2011 REI Top Guide. It has been said that he exudes a kind of mysticism that only a life in the mountains could produce.”

Introductions didn’t take a long time since we already knew everyone but David. We loaded into a van to see some of the sites, and get in a little bit of a walk. Dalmiro proved to be very knowledgeable in history, culture, and the latest theories about some of the Incan structures we toured today.

First stop was Santo Domingo Church, built on top of the stone ruins of the once magnificent Inca temple Koricancha (Temple of the Sun). Dalmiro talked a lot about how the Spanish traditions and Catholicism have shaped the region, and the conundrum that even though the blood lines have been mixed for thousands of years now, it’s amazing that some resentment still lingers from the conquest.

We took a little walk through a busy section of town, and mixed with the crowd just as a school was getting out. Parents were gathered there to great their kids. The girls in pristine uniforms looked so adorable.

We met up with our minibus and headed up high above Cusco, with a bird’s eye view of the red-roofed city far below. What contrast we’ve seen from really nice homes, to people living in tin shacks. Dalmiro pointed across the town and told us about many people who lived in the area near our hotel, were forced out as buildings were renovated into nice places, the Mercado being one of those. He said 12 families had probably lived there, and were given a year’s notice to be out. Land was cheap on the hills outside town, so many settled there.

Next, we went to the “architecturlogocal parques” of Qecqu and Sacsayhuaman fortress. Amazing structures, with new pieces still being unearthed. What engineers those Andeans were; they now believe much of this building was done even before the Incan’s time!

After taking the time to walk and explore, we were back on the bus for one more stop at the main cathedral not far from our hotel. It was huge with sanctuary after sanctuary, and the oddest thing is it’s not even in use. You can rent out a small chapel portion for a wedding. All the glitz, only on show for tourists. Dalmiro told us one of the good things the Spaniards brought was art - music, painting, theater, etc. There were several large paintings inside the cathedral that had been done by Peruvians under Spanish instruction. The most hysterical was a rendition of “The Last Supper,” with a Guinea Pig on the table for the meal (supposedly a real treat here), and a “painting” of the crucifixion hanging on the wall behind Jesus.

We walked back to the Mercado, had a briefing about tomorrow and a great diner at the hotel where we spent time getting to know each other better. It’s a great group and I can’t wait to get started!

Saturday March 30, 2019

Everyone was motivated to get going today. Breakfast at 7a and we were on the road by 8a. In the van once again, we climbed out of Cusco, this time heading north. The city was bustling, but traffic not too bad. The vendors we saw on the street at this hour were peddling to locals, not tourists. Selling cakes, breads and juices out of open vats - normal breakfast fare for Peruvians. As we got closer to the edge of town, the dog population, which was high in Central Cusco, grew exponentially - some sleeping, and some “on the job.” Very much like what we experienced in Puerto Natales, Chile.

We headed north on a fairly good two-lane road. Dalmiro told us this was the main road to Lima, but it takes twenty hours to drive there because of the mountain passes. It took us less than an hour to fly! We passed through little villages, where farming is the main industry. Cows (milk for cheese and butter), pigs, sheep and chickens. Some crops too, but small, hand tended plots. After about an hour, we stopped to visit the Inca ruins of Quillarumiyoc. With this one being about 90 minutes from Cusco, we had the place to ourselves and few ropes restricting access to the sites.

We drove about another hour and stopped in the small village of Mollepata at a joint project sponsored by Peru Mountain Lodges and REI. According to Dalmiro, in this area many Spaniards settled due to the proximity to the mines. With a bit of disgust in his voice, he told us the population is “light skinned, they ride horses and grow little mustaches” … and that they’d forgotten all their Andean ways and traditions. This project is a way to bring that back to the community, while empowering the women to run a business. It is a co-op of women who knit, weave, garden and raise Guinea pigs. What an amazing place. We had an awesome lunch with everything grown in their garden, except the broccoli. Steamed veggies, chicken, salad - it was the best meal we’ve had so far! Their knowledge of uses for plants and herbs was really mind blowing to me. They asked if we had any ailments, and mixed a potion of tea for David who was feeling congested, and another for someone for inflammation.

After lunch, we had an opportunity to purchase jams or textiles from their shop, and we had a demonstration about how the dyes are created. The most impressive was a white fungus from inside a cactus. The woman rolled some of it in the palm of her hand and when she crushed it was crimson red. She added some lime juice and it made it darker, and added an alkaline salt and it made it brighter. I always love to buy a scarf or wrap when we travel, and to buy from those ladies was an extra special blessing.

We left there and the drive became a steep climb on a steep one-lane unpaved road. The ride was bumpy and lurchy = no napping. Many times, we encountered vehicles coming down - several full-size tour buses. Our driver, Umberto, would not yield. I’m not sure what kind of look he was giving them, but they’d always back up, even uphill! Did I mention the lack of guard rails and blind turns, where Umberto would sound his “meep meep” horn? The terrain was a beautiful mixture of arid jungle - dense overgrowth, but cacti, lupine, and all kinds of flowering bushes. All around us were mountains, some snowcapped with glaciers. An unbelievable scene, but I was so happy when we reached the point where we started our trek.

Today’s hike was three miles to the lodge. We stopped at a place called Challacancha and strapped on our day packs. Umberto went on to the lodge to drop our overnight bags. We met Felipe and his horse and they came along with us, carrying extra water and our first aid kit.

While our hike was <800 feet elevation gain, most of that we did right away. We were all short of breath with hearts pumping, but I was happy I’d been without the altitude headache that I often get. The trail started out very narrow, the kind that’s eroded and sunken in so you’re walking in a foot-deep trough. Not a fan of that - too hard to use hiking sticks! Soon it was wider, and wet and muddy in spots, with lots of horse and cow poop to step around. The last third of the trail walked along, as in right on the edge, of this amazing aqueduct. It’s pre-Incan, and has been renovated at least twice. Quite an engineering marvel. We also crossed many streams rushing down the mountain, using various log bridges that got my heart beating a little faster!

Throughout most of our hike we could see the area where our lodge was located, and as we got closer, we also saw several rustic cabin / yurt / igloo options. We crossed a large stream bed with very little water running right now, and arrived at the Salkantay Lodge. Just in time as twilight was upon us and it was getting colder. We were delighted to be greeted by staff to took our muddy boots, and gave us each a warm washcloth and a hot cup of tea.

Not only was the greeting warm and friendly, the lodge was beautiful. It is set in the spectacular valley of Soraypampa, crowned by the majestic Salkantay and Humantay peaks. At 20,500 ft, Salkantay is the highest peak in this region of the Andes, and a sacred peak according to Inca mythology.

We went to our rooms and got settled, nice to have two nights here. We showered, others went to the sauna and hot tub and we gathered for our briefing and really good dinner. I also had a yummy glass of wine. I know I said I wasn’t going to, but Jeff got swept up with the crowd going to the cute little bar and before I knew it, there was a glass of red wine in my hand!

Hiking 4.2 miles, 3 hours, 800 ft elevation gain

Elevation at the lodge is 12,690’

Sunday March 31, 2019

Last night we returned to our room after dinner to find that turn down service in these mountain lodges means they stuff a hot water bottle under the down comforter where your feet will be - talk about heaven! Due to the remoteness of the lodge, the heat is electric, and to conserve power, they shut everything down from 11pm until 6am.

I was awake before 6a getting and started getting ready using my headlamp until I discovered the power was back on. They’d promised coffee would be ready after 15 minutes of power, so I went down to the common area where I found my fellow coffee addicts.

We opened the curtains to another amazing day, and a gorgeous view of Salkantay. I decided to wear shorts, but added my gaiters to keep the mud off my legs. I repacked my day pack with minimal stuff - extra layers, snacks and water.

We had the option today to rest at the lodge and continue acclimatizing, or hike to a nearby glacial lake. We all opted for the lake. Dalmiro told us that up to one year ago, we would have been on our own on this out and back hike. Now tour operators offer it as a day trip from Cusco (which explained all the vans and buses we encountered on the road yesterday). To avoid the crowds, he has an arrangement to hike across the river on private lands. We started out and soon we were met by Felipe and his horse Jose, carrying our extra water and first aid supplies. They were accompanied by two fluffy white dogs. Dalmiro said they’re “working dogs” and their job is to round up the Guinea Pigs in the evening and protect them from predators at night. He said they’d be tired and they’d follow us for just a bit, but then lay down and sleep.

We started climbing right away and it felt good to really push the heart and lungs. The views of the snowcapped peaks were ever changing and always breathtaking. Soon we grew closer to a rushing river - Rio Blanco and a beautiful canyon. We walked through a makeshift gate (a piece of corrugated tin and logs). I asked if that meant we were crossing onto private property and Dalmiro said it is all private property, but the fence and gate are to keep the cows out of the potato field. About that time, we saw a man in native dress: a poncho with a sack over his back, wearing sandals made of old tires. When we got up to the potato field, he was sitting there, so we took a break and Dalmiro introduced us to him. His name was Sebastian and he was going to lead us though a spiritual ritual when we reach the top of our climb today. He told us (through Dalmiro) about his outfit, and said his sandals are the only pair of shoes he has, and traditionally they’d be made out of parts of alpaca, but now they make them from old tires. Dalmiro also told us about Sebastian’s training to be kind of a shaman. Sebastian left while we had a snack and a break. Despite his lack of great footwear and short legs, he was amazingly fast up the mountain!

We continued our climb, out a similar gate and into a pasture where there were horses and two bulls having a standoff - we gave them a wide berth. As we looked up at the surrounding hillsides, there were cows all over - some quite high! I can’t recall that I’d seen that behavior in cows before. We learned that they’re not for milk or meat really, but they’re raised and used as “currency” by the local farmer who doesn’t typically need or deal with money, but if he needs to go to town to buy something, he’ll bring a cow to trade.

We walked up river on the flat plateau, and where it was quite narrow, we jumped across and started climbing again on the other side. We watched as Felipe and Jose the horse and the two dogs came through the gate and cut the corner, crossing the river just above the first falls. One dog hung back barking at them, and then just plunged in. We thought he’d get washed over the falls, but he quickly bounded out the other side of the river. He’d done that before - this is his turf.

As we were watching that scene and waiting for a few others to catch up, Dalmiro spotted an Andean condor. Soon there were two - awesome huge birds that seemed to be having a blast on the thermals.

The climb got quite steep and we approached 14,000 ft; higher than many of us had ever hiked. With every switchback, I’d think, next one we’ll see the lake! And soon we did, and it was amazing to see from above. From there, Sebastian had set up in a circle of rocks and led us through a classical Peruvian offering to Mother Earth. I was really honored to have him there to share his culture with us. After we made wishes on 3 caco leaves, he gathered the leaves from us one at a time, blessed them by blowing on them and chanting, and wrapped them in paper, along with many other symbolic offerings: candy, spices, etc. He tied the bundle with string, and wrapped it in some woven cloths, and later in the evening we’ll gather again to burn it to send our offering away.

After that, we walked a steep path down to the lake. The color wasn’t as beautiful from that viewpoint and the crowds that had already gathered made us not want to linger. We crossed around the mountain back to the same plateau and recrossed the river and retraced our steps back down to the lodge. Lots of activity down below with tourists still starting their trek to the lake.

We arrived back at the lodge and had a late three course lunch. During lunch, it began to pour outside. The sauna and hot tub were open so we took advantage of that - felt great, and what a view from the hot tub!

At 6:30p we gathered for our briefing about tomorrow’s big day, then we headed outside to the fire-pit to meet Sebastian. It was a glorious night - the stars were amazing and bright. At the fire pit, Sebastian blessed us each individually again, and then laid the package on the fire. Through Bruno, he told us that the offering burned well, which meant it was accepted by the gods. Neat feeling.

Hike 5.36 miles, 5 hours, Elevation gain 1443 feet

Monday April 1, 2019

How appropriate to have our toughest day fall on “April Fool’s Day!”

Having spent the last 4 days at altitude, taking our Diamox twice a day AND laying off alcohol, we were ready to have the most challenging day of the multi-day trek!

We set out early (7a) and hiked through the Rio Blanco valley, circling Humantay Peak across from Salkantay. We didn’t see a lot of other trekkers today. Dalmiro said the folks camping in the igloos and a-frame huts would have already been out earlier. Plus, it’s generally a one-way trek. This trail was also an Incan trail, but nearly all of that has been destroyed, generally by horse / mule traffic (starting with mining, and for the last 30 years for tourism). As we were leaving our lodge, Anna was there to meet us with two horses and her dog. One horse carried our water and first aid supplies - the other had a saddle, perhaps for if one of us crapped out? Her husband, Jesus, arrived with 5 pack animals that look like a horse / mule blend … after we left, they loaded our duffle bags and we saw them pass by later in the day.

It was another gorgeous morning - we’ve been seriously blessed with the weather as forecast had called for 40% chance of rain every day. But since we were going from 12000 ft to over 15000 ft, it was a lot of "jacket on, hat on, hat off, gloves on, gloves off" kind of day. We were warm as we climbed, and cool when we stopped.

For the first two miles or so, there was a path across the valley where the pack horses in their “trains” would travel. It was so fun to see them go by - often running! After a bit though, that trail ended and we were all together. That made the surface of the trail pretty torn up and of course, covered in poop! When a “train” would approach, we’d have to hug the mountain side of the trail and stay single file.

We climbed a series of switchbacks, probably not as steep as yesterday, but 1000 ft more. Towards the end of the climb, I’d walk about 20 paces, then stop and take 5 good breaths - and repeated that until I reached the summit. We are a varied group, but all did really well, I think! The summit - 15,213 ft - was higher than any of us have ever hiked before. Our guide plan said “From the top, snowcapped peaks of the Vilcabamba Range in every direction.” We were in swirling clouds, so we didn’t see the range, but it didn’t make the moment any less awesome.

While we were immersed in the clouds, we heard an avalanche somewhere over on the face of Salkantay. No immediate danger to us, but a reminder of the force of nature and the ruggedness of the mountains. As we descended, the cloud became a little misty and those of us that didn’t already have their rain jackets on stopped to put them on. Soon it changed from mist to rain and pack covers came out. We looked like a group of colorful jelly beans, but I didn’t want to bother taking my gloves off to take a photo.

By the time we got to Wayra Lodge, our home for the night, it was really raining and I was DONE. Wayra translates to “The Place Where the Wind Lives.” Not sure about the wind, but the lodge is amazing. We have the place to ourselves with very attentive staff. Same greeting with hot towels and hot tea, and a warm room to dry our wet stuff, and someone to wash the mud (poop) off our boots.

We dumped our wet stuff and quickly changed into dry clothes to regroup in the common area for tea / beer / Pisco Sours. Then we had a 3 course “lunch,” even though we’d eaten a lot on the trail, and it was already 3pm.

These lodges are part of the “Mountain Lodges of Peru” operation so there are many similarities. The women in charge of this one works 10 days on and 10 days off. Tomorrow starts her off time, so after we leave, she’ll trek back over the pass we climbed today, then catch a bus to her town. Mind blowing. I also considered for the first time what they go through to bring the provisions to these lodges for our great meals. After Anna and Jesus get us safely to Aqua Calientas with their mule train, they’ll pick up provisions and deliver them along their way back home. What a different world!

Hike: 9.46 miles, 7 hours, elevation gain = 2441 ft, elevation at lodge = 12,812’

Wayra Lodge to Colpa Lodge

The sound of rain overnight on our thatch roof was a little perplexing, but in the morning, we remembered we had a little skylight. The intimacy of this smaller lodge was really neat. I brushed my teeth and pulled on a sweatshirt and stumbled out to the common area for coffee. After a bit, we went back for breakfast: eggs to order, meats and cheeses, bread for toasting, fresh fruit and yogurts.

We set out as scheduled at 8am. As we were all getting ready, the mist turned to rain - better to know that starting out! Gary had outfitted himself in plastic bags, dubbed the “EZOP Rain Kilt.”

We began the day hiking downhill above the Salkantay River, with the scenery becoming increasingly verdant as we descended. We passed a little settlement, where hikers can have a picnic. There was a hut with chickens and pigs in the yard. An old man was standing there watching us, and Dalmiro stopped to chat with him. Later he told us more about these families. The old man is probably 85, and is getting on towards the end of his life. One day he’ll take to his bed and about a week later he’ll be dead. It’s not sad in this culture, it’s just the circle of life. The children walk 3 hours each way, each day, to attend school. After about 30 minutes, we met a woman walking back up the hill with a large pack. Probably a 2 hour walk to town for supplies, but generally they live self-contained.

The day grew warmer with light rain on and off. For me, the almost all downhill was monotonous and I craved a little more variety. The trail was rocky, and muddy in spots. By the end of the trek, my feet just hurt! The plants and flowers were so beautiful - possibly more so because of the overcast day. We saw many varieties of bromeliads and orchids, such intricate little beauties!

Tonight, we’re at the Colpa Lodge, located on a 1000-foot promontory above the confluence of three fast-flowing rivers. We arrived about 12:30p, and they greeted us with hot towels again, and a black corn drink that was very sweet. They had us gather by an outside fire pit where they’d had a fire all morning, hot enough to heat a dome of rocks. They shoveled out the ashes, then added foil wrapped meat (lamb, chicken, and pork), several varieties of potatoes and beans. Then they covered the whole thing with thick cloth, dirt, and wet cardboard. We checked into our rooms and cleaned up, and 90 minutes later we had a wonderful feast for lunch.

Once again, it was delightful to have the place to ourselves, with very attentive staff. This lodge was decorated with Peruvian consumes, masks and musical instruments. There was a great common room with big windows where we could relax as we were snug and cozy - just watching the rain outside. There is another awesome hot tub here, but no one wanted to venture back out into the rain. A woman from a different craft collective came to display her wares, a limited selection but she probably carried it up here on her back! We had great Wi-Fi, so I was able to respond to some work emails and get yesterdays’ epic day posted on the blog.

Dalmiro is a guide of many talents. Before guiding, he was a bartender, so he gave us a short course on this history of “Pisco” and led Gary through making a round of “Pisco Sours” via the “shaker” and another worker made a round using a blender. It’s kind of an alternative to a margarita, but I think I’ll stick to red wine as my drink of choice!

We talked about the plan for tomorrow, and had another three-course dinner. This time it was set up buffet style so we could do our own portion control.

Hike: 6.5 miles, 4 hours, elevation gain = 394 ft, elevation at lodge = 9414’

Wednesday April 3, 2019

Today was the kind of day where Dalmiro had to improvise the plan, which to me always adds to the adventure. The mountains of Peru are just at the end of their rainy season, and with that comes landslides. The plan was for us to cross the Santa Teresa River and hike along the river valley for most of the day. However, due to landslides, much of the trail is washed out and Dalmiro thought it would be too dangerous. His plan B was to walk along the road for several miles, cross the river via hand operated tram, and then walk a part of the trail that should be safe.

We left the lodge at 8am, another glorious morning. It was good to see blue sky after yesterday’s rain. I decided to wear shorts, and my gaiters were clean so I didn’t put them on … not my best move. We started by walking across the lawn, and even that was mushy with mud and horse poop! As it was, the day grew hot, so I was ultimately happy I didn’t have them on, but I was pretty mud speckled by the end of the day. We quickly entered the high jungle again, and the trail was pretty narrow as it is used exclusively by lodge guests and employees (we met the masseuse on her way up as we were going down). The trail was also in good shape as it isn’t used routinely by horses, although Anna was with us with just her grey horse.

As we trekked down toward the river, Dalmiro entertained us by grabbing leaves and passing around for us to smell - sweet mint, spearmint, etc. As we were waiting for the group to catch up, I asked about a tall spindly plant. He said it was a “horse hair,” and he broke the top off and broke that into small segments which he played like an Andean flute!

Soon we were on the road, and walked backwards to the bridge just to have a look at the magnificent raging river. The “road” is a one lane dirt road, like the one we drove on the first day. This one is primarily to serve the mine. Out of place after several days in the remote Andes were the power lines. Ironically, the lines cut right through the property of the lodge, but they only bring power to the mines! The lodge is fueled by propane; Dalmiro estimated we used 16 tanks for our overnight stay.

We walked down the road, walking along the powerful river. The banks on both sides were quite steep, so it’s no wonder that we saw multiple landslides. We could clearly see the trail across the river, and then the trail would just be gone. But we could also see where some Trekkers had made their way across the slide.

It was nice to walk along the road - there were only two cars, so we could walk side by side and chat. After about 3 miles, we got to a concession stand (we saw about a dozen of those today), and that’s where we said goodbye to Anna. She’ll head back to the lodge to collect Jesus and their dog and they’ll ride all the way back to our first lodge today. We also had another local guy with us. He told us his specialty was “landslide rescue,” but we think he meant “body recovery.” He had a backpack full of rope and a helmet with him. He stayed with us until we’d safely crossed the river two at a time in this kind of sled / bucket, operated with ropes and pulleys. Normally way out of my comfort zone, but I thought it was fun.

Across the river, we started seeing more hikers and also campground / concessions. Most were surrounded by large gardens - the families that operate the sites are pretty self-sustaining. Many had cute little children out playing and smiling at us.

The trail had lots of ups and downs, pretty flowers, and on occasion, we’d walk along a freshly eroded section just to keep things interesting! Sometimes we’d get close to river level, then we’d climb higher. All day we had the sound of the powerful gushing river and I love that!

We hiked about an hour before crossing the river again, this time on a swinging bridge that wasn’t too high. From there, a steep climb and we arrived at another camp / concession. We had a snack there and waited for a van that had been arranged to pick us up there and boost us closer to tonight’s lodge. We felt bad about climbing into a vehicle being as muddy and sweaty as we were, but they said no worries. I had a window seat on the left (river) side. The ride was completely terrifying. I’d have preferred to walk (we did pass by dozens of 20-something trekkers). I tried to focus on across the river - large washed-out sections of trail, amazing fields of coffee beans, passion fruit, sugar cane, on super steep plots of land … and not focus on the eroded road and the sheer drop to the river!

We came to the village of Lucmabamba, and what a strange site after being so remote the last 5 days! Dalmiro asked if we wanted to continue to ride all the way to the lodge, or gave us the option to hike another 1.5 miles. We all said HIKE. We hadn’t hiked long when we came to a section of road that had washed out yesterday. There was a bulldozer working to smooth things out, so with about 20 locals, we stood there and watched as he tossed 6 ft boulders into the open space and knocked down a tree like it was a piece of grass! After about 10 minutes, he backed away and they waved us through. The power of water and Mother Nature. Makes me feel small and yet awestruck.

After 40 minutes, we reach the official Llactapata Inca Trail. A short climb and we arrived at Lucma Lodge, our fourth and last in this series of awesome Mountain Lodges of Peru.

We had a friendly greeting, cool towels and passion fruit juice … we’ve passed into the tropical zone. We dumped our stuff in our rooms, had lunch, and then headed back out to a nearby coffee plantation. We saw how the beans are grown, shucked and roasted. It used to be that the local growers would sell the beans unroasted, but their business is better if they roast too. We had the opportunity to roast and sample amazing coffee grown right here, and also their kind of “grappa,” and a sort of Kahlua drink they made.

By the time we returned to the lodge it was 5pm, time for hot tub … the rain had subsided and it was beautiful to be among the banana and coffee trees, on the edge of the Inca Trail, with chickens running all over.

It’s sad that this mountain time is over, and tomorrow we’ll see many hikers and tourists as we make our way to Agua Calientas at the foot of Machu Pichu. It’s odd, but the purpose of coming to Peru was to visit Machu Pichu. Yet, we found this awesome Andean culture and it’s been such a privilege to trek to these awesome places where few people go … it’s going to feel yucky on some levels to be surrounded by tourists now that we’ve experienced the real Peru.

Hike: 8 miles, 6 hours, lodge elevation = 7,003’

Thursday April 4, 2019

Hearty breakfast to get us ready for another climb, 2 hours up to Llactapata Pass, at over 9000 ft (over 2000 ft climb). We were hiking on an “Incan trail” not the classic one that goes to Machu Picchu, but similar composition, with extremely solid foundation that resists erosion. The day was clear, but the trail was under cover of trees. It felt odd starting the day in just a T-shirt; 3 days ago, I wore a down jacket.

Today we had a porter, Domingo to carry our water. This was the first day we encountered a lot of other trekkers, previous days we’d only seen two others heading our way. Most of the trekkers we saw today I recognized as the “kids” that were walking down the road during our harrowing van ride yesterday. Most seemed to be American.

After the pass, we walked down a bit and came to a clearing with more ruins. Dalmiro told us we should get our first distant glimpse of Machu Picchu - a view that few get to see, but we were skeptical because of the swirling clouds. We had climbed faster than expected, so we had time to hang around and wait - and the sky cleared and the view was spectacular!

From there, we descended a bit further and had a sit-down lunch: avocado salad appetizer, trout, and banana flambé for dessert. All while looking over the valley and Machu Picchu. After lunch, we descended for two hours to the Urubama River, passing through more orchards and lush bamboo forests. We had a rest stop at the house of the father of the owner of our lunch stop. He was really cute and gave us a demonstration of how he harvests avocados!

We walked along the river, past a “hydro plant” that didn’t make sense to me because I was expecting a dam. Apparently, they tunneled through the mountain and the water falls enough to generate power without a dam. Soon we came to a train station which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Our porters were there with our luggage. We tipped them and said goodbye to Bruno and Domingo. We boarded the train for a 30-minute ride to Aguas Calientes, where we checked into the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel for the next two nights.

We ate at the hotel restaurant where it felt odd to order off the menu and make decisions for ourselves. We’re all exhausted this evening, feeling that the heat made this day nearly as tough as our 15,200 ft pass day!

Hike: 9 miles, 6.5 hours, 2261 ft elevation gain

Friday April 5, 2019 Machu Picchu

Early breakfast, then we met in the lobby at 6:30am to walk to the shuttle bus to take us up to Machu Picchu. What a madhouse it was already in the city center with people jockeying to get onto a bus. It really messed with the serenity mojo I’ve had going all week.

The bus ride itself was what we’ve already become accustomed to - one lane dirt road with drop offs! Twenty minutes to the top and then we were unloading. It was nice to be there before the real hordes came, but was still too many people, which causes you to shuffle. Tam described it best - feels like “shopping” and it hurts your back! It was fun to see the jubilation of those that hiked the Inca Trail up and know their feeling of accomplishment.

We booked this trip specifically to experience Machu Picchu, but we got so much more in the days leading up to today. The scenery, the people we met, the food, the culture - it’s been such an amazing experience. I watched Dalmiro before we entered the gates this morning. It was like he was mentally preparing himself for something unpleasant. Yet, he managed to lead us through the complex, showing us the highlights and telling us the history. He’s probably been there hundreds of times, but still put the energy into giving us a great tour - living in the moment as he’s been saying all week. It really is impossible to try to imagine what life would have been like in 1300-1700 when the Inca and his people were living here. But that’s what we tried to do today.

It was another beautiful and warm day today. We toured the complex from about 8a until 11:30a and then had lunch at the hotel that’s right outside the gates. After lunch we had the option to go back in and hike to the dramatic viewpoint of Intipunka (the Sun’s Gateway), where the official Inca Trail enters. The heat and the shuffling through the crowds discouraged us enough that we all opted for shuffling over to the bus line and heading back down to town. I regret not doing the hike, probably my only regret of the trip, but my feet were happy with my decision.

Back to the room to change and drop our packs, then Jeff and I headed back out to the little market near the train station. My goal was finding a new bag for my yoga mat, and I was successful, even in bargaining down from 200 Sols to 130 (trade is about 3 Sols to 1 Dollar). Honestly, I haven’t bargained all that hard - it’s apparent the people selling stuff to tourists aren’t making that great of a living, so it’s more satisfying to me to contribute to the economy than to secure a bargain. After that we went to a pharmacy looking for something for my cough that I developed the day we hiked to the lake, which has been getting progressively worse. It’s always an adventure to go into a foreign pharmacy with our limited language skills. We ended up buying the one that had a picture of stuff expectorating from the lungs! So far so good.

We met for cocktail hour at 6:30p. We had our “wrap up” meeting with people sharing observations - all positive, and no corrective suggestions for Dalmiro/REI other than “less food!” Then another fabulous three course dinner at the hotel restaurant, with another bottle of red wine from Peru.

Another early day scheduled for tomorrow - logistical packing challenge, return to Machu Picchu in the am, lunch at the hotel, then a 90-minute train ride and then a 90-minute van transfer back to Cusco.

Saturday April 6, 2019. Machu Picchu to Cusco

We were up at 5a to finish packing, have breakfast and meet the gang at 6:30am. We walked to the buses again, and headed back up to Machu Picchu, arriving just after 7a. It was overcast in town, and Machu Picchu was completely encased in clouds. It gave it a different, more mystical appearance. We explored a few segments that we didn’t see yesterday, including a cave. It was great to have Dalmiro as our guide as he knew the various theories that historians have come up with as to functions of the various spaces.

The real purpose of our visit today was to climb Waynapicchu. They only sell 400 tickets per day - I was #136 through the gate. We started the climb, optimistic that the sky would clear by the time we got to the top and we’d be rewarded with the legendary view. Didn’t happen for us today, but it was still great to make the climb. We had a friend that made this climb several weeks ago and saw her photos, so we knew there were steel cables to assist with balance, both up and down. Because of that, we remembered to bring gloves along, which made it a lot more manageable.

Just as we got to the top, the clouds turned to actual rain. I was in shorts and a tank top and was very warm, so I didn’t want to put my rain jacket on so I just put the hood on and slung it over my pack and shoulders like a poncho. While we had the time to linger and hope that it cleared, yesterday Dalmiro told us of two occurrences of lightning strikes that had occurred over the past few years and that was enough motivation to keep me moving.

The top half of the mountain was one-way traffic which was very helpful! At one point on the way down, we crawled through a cave where you had to be very low (like spots in the Grand Canyon, but dark!). There was a Spanish speaking woman in there that was really freaking out - she had her cellphone flashlight on and was wailing or praying, maybe both. We passed her by, but she came out just after we did.

We’d lost track of most of the group, only seeing Tam & Dan and Dalmiro at the top. They caught up to us on the way down, and we met the others at the gate. The rain continued, but the clouds were higher, giving us views of Machu Picchu on the way down. We just enjoyed to view for a second and kept descending (and clinging to the cables when they were there). One of the funniest views was the brightly colored crowd in their rain gear lined up along the terraces.

We headed towards the exit without our leader as he was waiting for a few stragglers. We may have taken a few wrong turns trying to get out of the maze-like complex, but eventually made our way to a surprisingly short bus line. Grateful that it was our last trip down the side of the mountain with no guard rails! Back at our hotel, we found our luggage piled by the side of the lobby. We grabbed dry clothes, and some of us talked our way into showers at the spa. Then we gathered in the bar for a cervesa and another three-course lunch.

It was a short walk to the train station and the porters had magically transferred our luggage and packs there for us - feels pretty lazy on our part! We boarded what appeared to be the same kind of Peru Rail train, but once we got inside, we saw the tables were “set” with woven table runners and silverware. We left town in the opposite direction from two days ago, and as soon as we were underway, the staff came by with complimentary brownies, coffee and water. We didn’t get this service on the hiker train the other day!

I didn’t pay attention to what the announcement was, but soon there was some kind of costumed creature dancing in the aisles and encouraging us to clap along with the Peruvian music. After that, the staff did a “fashion show” with alpaca wraps and scarves, which they tried to sell to us afterward.

The train ended in Ollantaytambo, which was a bustling town. It is the most common launching point for the Inca Trail, but also has a significant history in Incan history including development of their civilization and resistance to the Spanish conquest of Peru.

We boarded a bus and drove back towards Cusco through the Sacred Valley, which includes everything along the Urubamba River from Machu Picchu to Pisac. The scenery was spectacular. There are >19,000 ft mountains on either side so the scenery is spectacular. Terraces and ruins were predominant all along the trip. Many of the terraces are still in use today, planted with corn, flowers and squash. Without the terraces, it’d be impossible to farm as the terrain is so steep. I saw many people in the fields cutting flowers and I had the thought that some of those could be for sale at our Whole Foods later this week.

I enjoyed looking at the farms and villages as we drove the 90 minutes to Cusco. At first glance, you could think what we were seeing was poverty, but I think it’s just a very different standard of living in the rural communities. Lots of people in ethnic costumes, not for tourists, but I think it’s just the way they dress in the region. Really cool hats, and most of the ladies have two long black braids that extend down their back, often tied together. Many carrying things (crops, babies and toddlers) in a sling tied over their shoulders. We didn’t see any farming equipment. Planting and harvesting are largely done by hand. Most of the buildings looked partially completed, with rebar sticking out of the top (for future expansion) and very little stucco finish - many buildings just rough brick.

We arrived back at The Mercado and had to say goodbye to Dalmiro. He was a great leader and we’re so thankful for what he shared with us. On our own now, we showered / changed and all went out to dinner. Along the way, some poked their heads into a “sports bar,” and discovered the NCAA Final Four basketball games were on! We watched the exciting finish of the Virginia/Auburn game, had our great dinner and went back to the bar to watch the Michigan State / Texas Tech game. It was a surreal experience. There was a band setting up to plan “classic rock,” mostly Rolling Stones, and we were standing in a bar with multiple screen TVs - could have been ANYWHERE!

Sad loss for Dawn and Jeff, Lansing residents and Michigan State alums, but it was a fun experience overall. We tried to dance to the band a bit, but several drinks and being back over 12,000 feet in Cusco made that difficult!