...our group from left five Australians,Matthew,Michael,James,Heath and Andrew(I shared tent with Andrew)-from right 3 Americans Dr Amit,Dr Nitin and Amy...beginning of THE INCA TRAIL fromPISCACUCHO-3 nights and 4 days... the Aussis knew something I didn't because within 30 minutes of walking uphill all my layers came off!... am the oldest at 47 others are between 22 and 36... the whole trek is in what is known as SACRED VALLEY...we would trek through all kinds of terrain including jungle,Alpine lakes,grass-lands,snow-line,rivers,streams,bridges,lichen and moss forest...
...train to Machu Picchu-wish we were on there? you bet!..Urubamba river flows by...
...Amit struggling along as the porter carries 24kg and literally runs pass him-we had immense admiration for them... our chief guide Orlando and Andrew are taking a breather at the back as the air gets thinner and we begin to look for Oxygen...
...Orlando climbs up behind us to make sure the tail is all OK-and the tail was always made up of Amy,Andrew and your's trully...it was so tiring for me that I can not describe it...my legs were like Lead and lungs were gasping for non-existent Oxygen...I was stopping every 5 minutes to catch my breath...and this all within first two hours...I thought how the hell am I going to last for 4 days...well read on...
...exhausted the group gather for photo...note how all the layers have come off...
...see the snaking path where we walked up from ...felt great I have made it this far up but am very anxious...others are giving loads of morale support....
...made it to our campsite for the night at WAYLLABAMBA I took 71/2 hours...awesome place...six double tents in the middle-mine 2nd from right-two red tents,one is kitchen other is dining room... spent most night massaging my thigh and calf and groin muscels as I was so tired I was unable to sleep...infact no one could sleep...
...our staff-1 chef-14 porters and 2 guides -dedication of these 17 guys towards us 9 trekkers was total and professional-without them it can not be done-they would be up at 5 am to prepare our superb breakfast,then take everything and set up and prepare amazing lunch ahead and finally when we arrived for the night our tents would be ready and perfect dinner served at 7pm ...thank you guys...
...apart from Andrew the other four Aussis were motoring away all the time carrying their own backpacks-some fitness- but even they were stopping to catch breath as much as I was... Amit,Nitin and myself had hired extra porter to carry our backpacks while others were carrying their own but wished they had also hired extra porters...
...Amy breathless-not in awe at the magnificent scenery,but from lack of Oxygen...I was so tired here I didn't know what to do -can't go back as it's impossible....
...knackered troops looks for some divine intervention...my head was spinning here and I was breathing real heavy...
...the legs were dis-connected from my brain at times as either legs refused to take steps forard-it was that bad-but the scenery was just so inspiring and the support from others specially from Rambo and Orlando was very touching indeed...
...having trouble breathing-Rambo breaks open a vial of some Inca medicines to open up my lungs and it did help-for a while..legs were beginning to tremble and hard bit is yet to come as our target is to reach DEAD WOMEN'S PASS(DWP) at 4200m on top of the mountain before we descend to our camp site...
...the booby shape mountain is DWP...we were up at 5:30 today left 7am ...
...am oldest in the group and felt like a senior citizen just before DWP...EVERYTHING FROM STOMACH BELOW IS IN REAL CRISIS... river Urubamba takes another route from here- but it will be with us again as we near Machu Picchu...
...made DWP after 5 hours of relentless punishing upwards climb at 4200m -very close to snow-line and very cold harsh wind ...I was real happy here inside for making this far...DWP-believe me,no place I have been to seem so appropriatley named...it started to rain and so much mist and hanging clouds that I could hardly see pass my nose and from here it was downhill for 3 hours to make the campsite...
...when will it end...
...downhill very punishing on the knees and it makes both legs tremble...the trek goes on...vistas are majestic...The Inca Trail was only travelled by high priests and kings alone all others took different trails...
...Orlando gives a helping hand...
...something from within drives you to take the next step -can't be explained...trek valley after valley and then you see an INCA ruins shrouded in fog and mist and suddenly you get a second wind and you begin to feel like Indiana Jones and you quicken up your pace even...but lack of Oxygen is never far away... the trail is hard but it now felt more like an epic pilgrimage and I know I can do it...
...we reached RUNKURAQAY our campsite at 5pm ,we were camping on a old buerial ground and supposed to be haunted -12km and 8 hours-and it was an inspirational place to camp-we were above the cloud and surrounded by snow-capped Andes and even a Glacier-magnificient place-group had stomach problems,calf musceles torn,heavy legs and it was like a nursing home but we were all very happy...---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAY THREE
...beautiful morning-chef gave us the breakfast in the open and one of the most memorable breakfast ever with a view fit for Inca Gods...you can not imagine...brilliant and boy I was in a great mood and raring to go despite all the pain...
...one of two Inca tunnels on the trail-this portion of the trail goes throgh magnificient forest and white granite stones like marbles...
...today's trek involves lots of ascends and descends...but most of all it involves going down 2000 steps which are not really steps but mini mountains and very steep and right damn dangerous-some trekkers lose their lives every year on this trek...I am totally shattered in this pix...
...Dr Nitin making light work of going down-he is a manic bird watcher and gets really excited even when he spots a sparrow...imagine his delight then when he spotted a green hummingbird... he brought two cameras,one lense was so huge it would put paparazzi to shame-he also had calf muscele problem to deal with... Dr Amit carried a Palm-recorder...the Aussis had them cheap Chinese cameras and I couldn't believe all five Aussis were well educated and there I thought they were all......................sorry mate!...
...troops gather at another Inca ruin ,gather thoughts and catch breath...this ruin was a lodge and resting place for relay runners-this would mean for example fresh seafood from sea-side 400km away can be reached Machu Picchu in 24 hours for Inca's to feast on... at 4000m we also pass two Alpine lakes...
...beginning of 2000 steps descend-damn right dangerous I thought at the time-one wrong move and you are a gonner at least 300m down in the valley ...some steps had 24 inches gap between them and they were all built by someone high on coca leaves...
...another Inca ruin at WINYAWAYNA near our final campsite-this was a nursery for different plants-in Peru there are over 2000 kinds of patatoes and 300 types of corns of all colours...we also catch up with River Urubamba in the distant again...
...final campsite at WINAYWAYNA at 2700m-16km and 7 hours-again our porters have chosen the most gorgeous spot that gives magnificient views of the Andes...we had Pisco and beers to celebrate with our dinner and some of us said few words to thank our staff and our fellow trekkers and Dr Amit being a magician as well perform some tricks again to delight our staff...magical evening...
...here the Medics in the group dish out remedies to walking wounded and there was no exception...we were all suffering from one thing or the other...but oh boy we were nearing our goal-it was within each-but what will the morning bring!!!!!!
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...still raining arrived at THE SUN GATE(this is the entry to the city of Machu Picchu) high above Machu Picchu-soaked to bones and cold...this place is called INTI PUNKU...well here I saw nothing but heavy clouds and no sunrise and I began to feel like cheated after all the pain I have been through in the last 4 days and all this trekking for nothing?-all of the promised grand views of the Machu Picchu were obscured-we all felt numb but it wasn't all over yet because Machu Picchu is some where below all them clouds so we thought and we started climbing down more steps and after half an hour we reached sacred site of Machu Picchu-but it was raining so hard and we were wet and cold thought nothing but to get out of the wet clothes but my clothes were with my porter and he was some 4 miles away....it was now 9am and we all thought the clouds are not going to go away and we may never see Machu Picchu...but around 10am clouds lifted and it stopped raining and there it was in all it's glory-we saw MACHU PICCHU...
...I enter Machu Picchu City as rain stopps and clouds starts to clear away...
...glorious as I had always imagined......IT WAS EVERYTHING I'D DARED TO DREAM IT WOULD BE...
...in the end,there are some wonders of the world that you have to EARN the right to appreciate.For me ,all the trials and tribulations on THE INCA TRAIL made the journey's end more unforgettable......I also had my friend in spirit all the way with me...
DAY FOUR
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