The South America Chronicles - Cinco

What a day! Had to get up early to take a crappy bus to a crappy Peruvian town. We are in Puno at the moment, a Peruvian city on Lake Titicaca near the Bolivian border. We were hoping to make it all the way through to Copacabana on the Bolivian side, but couldn´t do it, so now we are stuck here for the night. And that was after our "1st class" bus ride from Cusco - which was dirty and stunk of the toilet. Though thankfully the South African couple we met on the bus - who have been travelling for 7 months - told us this was the worst tourist class bus they had been on, so things can only get better.

But how about the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu I am sure you are asking? And if you´re not, you´re gong to hear about it anyway....

Well, we are still in one piece. In fact, it wasn´t nearly the toil that it is made out to be. Instead, it was an awesome four days. It started off getting picked up very early in the morning to get bused off to the start of the trail. We all know that Anna isn´t great in the morning at the best of times, and this early start had her freaking out for the whole bus trip about how she wasn´t going to be able to do it. A thankful distraction was checking out the other 12 trekkers that would be joining us, and in particular, how much gear they were bringing with them. We decided to take the minimalist approach, fitting everything into just a couple of day packs (Jabs - you´d be proud). This was in sharp contrast to some others that nearly required forklifts to get their massive packs onto the bus. The rest of the group might get tired of seeing us in the same clothes day after day, but at least we wouldn´t need to carry a small city up and down the mountains. In the end, we thought we got it about right - OK, we stank at the end of the four days, but we never did work out what some others brought with them, as they stank too.

The trek started fine and clear, something we hoped would continue for the next 4 days. After buying the obligatory walking stick, we were off hiking along the trail. We had two guides, a main guide who leads and an assitance guide who walks with the slow-pokes at the back (which, despite Anna´s fears, was not one of). The first day was in fact fairly simple - only a few hours walking along a fairly flat route, making heaps of stops along the way. This did a lot for Anna´s confidence, especially as she was easily at the front of the group. We also got to see the amazing porters (or ´Cheskys´as our guide liked to call them - it means ´running people´, and with good reason), who carry all the camping and cooking gear along the trail. They are laden up with packs two times their size and who knows how much weight, and tear up the path ahead of us like they aren´t carrying anything at all, some of them in sandals (apparently they don´t like boots as they get blisters). And when we arrive at camp, they already have all the tents up and the meal on the way. The food was also incredible considering we are in the middle of nowhere - all served in a large communal tent with full dining sets and cutlery.

Day 2 is the infamous day where you climb around 1500m to the highest pass on the trek - Dead Womens Pass at 4200m (and no, that isn´t a reference to trekkers that don´t make it, but the silhouette of the pass). But again, this day didn´t quite live up to its reputation. It isn´t easy by any means, but you have lots of stops and once you are in the groove of going up the steps you seem to really chew up the metres.

In fact, it is the third day which is probably the toughest (though, the toughest part of the trek is really the toilets - they are minging, it is difficult to know how people can miss so much - Kel, you would most definitely struggle). Firstly, you spend the night before at 3700m and it is bloody cold - there is no getting up for a midnight widdle that´s for sure. Secondly, it is nearly all downhill, which sounds good, but the guides don´t call it the Gringo killer for nothing. It is made up of lots of little and not-so-little steps, over 2000 in all, and they require a lot of concentration and precise footwork. It is also the longest day - we headed off around 6.30am and didn´t get into the camp at the end of the day until around 4ish. And it was certainly the day that some of our group found the toughest - there were plenty of sore knees at the end, Anna´s included. (I picked up the Chesky technique, which is the run down the steps as quickly as you can - seemed to work as my knees were fine.) But to make up for it, it is also the best day. You visit four different Incan sites on the way, and you go up and down through so many different climates and environments. One minute you are going over a 4000m pass, the next through a jungle valley with lots of bird life, creepers and bamboo. It was constantly changing and I hardly even realised how much we were walking.

The last day obviously has a lot of expectation as it is when you finally make it to Machu Picchu. We had an even earlier start, as you go through the gate to walk the final 3kms to Machu Picchu at 5.30am. But there was much consternation when just as we got up it started to bucket down (it had only rained one other time over the previous 3 days, and that was for about half an hour while we were in the tents). There were some downcast faces as we all put on our wet weather gear and faced the possibility that we wouldn´t even be able to ´see´Machu Picchu when we made it. But, the Incan gods must have been looking favourable on us as just as we were about to set off the rain cleared up completely and we had a spectacular sunrise over Machu Picchu and hot and fine weather all day. Running (yep, running) down to Machu Picchu, we made it to the site just after 6am and spent the next hour or so just taking it in from the classic view you would have all seen. Even though we had already seen some great Incan ruins, Machu Picchu definitely topped them all. Our guide took us on a tour through the ruins and then we spent a couple of hours just relaxing and taking it all in. Those Incans were certainly a clever lot - especially when it comes to architecture, building and stonework. You just couldn´t help but be impressed with some these structures they built and that are still standing.

It was such a good 4 days it was with some regret that it ended. Though the thought of a hot shower and a fresh set of clothes were more than enough compensation - OK, I admit it, I absolutely stank! We also weren´t looking forward to the end of the tour as we met some really cool people. There were five of us - the ´trailblazers´I have christened us - who got on really well. We were always at the front of the group, often by ourselves, and had plenty of time to chat, spin some yarns, and have a few laughs. Daz and Jess are Aussies, but they were so cool I could forgive them for that; and Lee is a Manchurian who had the most comical inability to remember names I have ever met. We had an awesome time just the five of us at Machu Picchu that morning and have made promises to keep in touch. They have also given us plenty of tips and advice for the rest of our travels and have really got us looking forward to Bolivia. Our guides were also very good. Our head guide David was very passionate about Incan history and taught us all a lot. And our assistant guide Puma - who we dubbed ´Snoop´, as he looked just like the rapper - was lots of laughs.

So after such great times at Galapagos and the Incan trail, I´m not sure what can top it - certainly not anything here in Puno! But we are about to start the Bolivian leg of our travels and there is a lot to look forward to - biking down the world´s most dangerous road, a trip to the Amazon, and the Uyuni salt flats. So hopefully the good times continue (as well as the good health).

And of course, yesterday I finally caught up with Pepito. Pepito you ask? Pepito was the guinea pig that finally became my lunch yesterday. And how was Pepito? Well, I hate to say it, but he tasted a bit like chicken. There wasn´t much of him - you´d think there would be more meat on the little fellas - but he was tasty enough. So I don´t think Pepito´s cousins will become a regular feature on my table, but it was an experience and a bit of a laugh.