Peru: Part 2 of 3 - The Way to Machu Picchu - Lares Trek Reflections

I went through the Lares Trek route. I signed up for Inca Trail but all the permits were sold out. I was initially bummed but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the Lares Trek was so beautiful and off the beaten path. There were hardly any other trekkers.


The good or bad, however you want to look at it is, you only trek for 3 days and on the 4th night, you stay in Aguas Caliente, the city that everybody else who just flew/railed in from Cusco. With Lares Trek, you get to experience both sides but you are still getting the full experience.

First Stop

Our first stop was at a traditional Inca family/village. We farmed with them, participated in their traditional blessing of the crops, they danced for us and cooked cuy for us. I can now say I ate a guinea pig! :P

What happy village people! :)

Here is a short video of the traditional dance the children put for us. It is a dance of driving out the evil spirits by the powerful Inca children! :)

I would've added some other videos but they were so shaky. I didn't want to make you guys nauseous.

Ollantaytambo

Our next stop was the city of Ollantaytambo. I don't remember the historical or cultural importance of it. What I do remember is being scared the CRAP out of my mind because we were casually hiking up a steep cliff/hill to get to the top. I couldn't stop being scared because there wasn't much floor space once we stopped for the view. I have a terrible case of acrophobia!

But it was beautiful.

I remember while I was in relatively new hiking shoes and worrying about slipping, our guide was in worn out Sketcher mule sneakers (the kind that doesn't have a back heel support) and kicking our asses.

We stayed in hotel/hostels to start our trek the next day.

Beginning the trek... off to a rough start

We almost didn't make it. The roads were closed and one person got majorly sick. We left really early in the morning because our guide knew that the main road to drop us off at the starting point closed at 6am or some ridiculously early time like that. Well, we made it on time but they closed the road ANYWAY! The reason they closed the road? they were going to explode parts of the mountain with dynamite!!! I was conflicted.

After waiting maybe 4-5 hours for our guide and driver to negotiate with the government, we were allowed to pass. The roads were crazy to drive through, especially hearing the explosions go off in a distance.

Additionally, one of our funniest guys got very sick. Unfortunately, it could've been prevented by heeding our guide's warning. Don't drink TOO much of the Chicha. It was to the point that he was drunk during the crop blessing ceremony at the village. I was bummed because he was the funnest and funniest guy in our group.

Mineral Spa

Our guides began our trek with a day at the mineral hot springs. We had to pay for our entrance fee to the mineral springs. It was ok. It was already hot outside and the waters were hot. I wouldn't do it again but the group camaraderie was good.

Trail

So we started our journey. The trails were pretty clean (as you can see the picture with our mules carrying our tents and sleeping bags). There were parts of the road that got rockier but the roads are still very clean and manageable.

Tip: Don't bring too much crap

I'm an overpacker. I think of the littlest thing and feel the need to bring it. I purchased a huge 60 liter backpack and paid lots of money because it only weighed 3lbs for the size. Didn't need it.

I could've brought a small jansport backpack from high school because all you need is sunscreen, maybe a light jacket, headlamps, camera, and water.
I was carrying extra batteries, solar charging devices, and so many other things that I did not need. I paid for it because 20 lbs feels like 60 lbs when you're in high altitude and doing something like this for the first time.

Tip: Pay for photos with the locals

Be prepared to pay for photos with kids and ladies dressed up in the traditional dresses. This one cost me $1. It's nothing for me but goes a long way for them. But don't be shocked when they ask for money after you snapped your pic.

Lomo Saltado at 12/13,000 ft above sea level: AMAZING

The porters and cooks are amazing people. They strap massive packs and run past you in$3 sandals. They set up your tents, chop up all the food, cook the food, serve to you food, clean-up and wash all the dishes! SERVICE!

Technically I guess you're paying for it but it's nice not to have to pack your food, cook it yourself in the dark, etc.

Dining in the tents

Here is a picture of what it's like to eat in the tent with our guide and assistant guidette :)

Suggestion/Tip: Bring small toys/gifts/pencils

The kids are going to ask for hands out anyway. Might as well bring something useful like pencils and small toys.
Message relayed: Please don't bring candy. They don't have healthcare/ dental care. If they get cavities, who knows what they have to do.

High Altitude Hiking/Walking
Unless you live in Colorado, next to the 14'ers, walking might be hard. I remember checking my heart beat and it was probably over 200 bpm. I walked super snail's pace slow but it was seriously the fast I could walk. But remember the most important thing: It's not a race. The assistant guide stays with the slowest person in the group. Even if it means you reach the tents hours later than everybody else, they won't leave you or rush you. Enjoy the experience and the scenery!

People recommend Diamox (need a prescription from your doctor). I didn't use it for Peru and I was fine.

We made it to the top. Pachacutec Lake. 4,500m/ 14,763 ft above sea level

Sleeping Arrangements

If you came on your own, you were paired with someone of the same gender. If you were an odd number, you got lucky and a tent all to yourself!


Descending Downhill

If there is any take-away from this blog, it's that you should bring trekking poles (or rent them). You're ascending thousands of feet. You also need to descend back. Going up may be hard on your thighs and butt but going down will kill your knees. I rented one trekking pole. Saved my knees!

 Another amazing dish by they cooks on our third night

On our way back down, we visited a school and gave them pencils and school supplies. There are ample opportunities for charity :)

This dog followed us for miles and miles. I was so unbelievably sad to hear and see so many stray dogs. I asked our guide why and the country can't afford to neuter/spay dogs/cats so they multiply and fend for themselves. The people don't really care for stray animals :(




It was the end for our guide, porters, and cooks. They cooked us an amazing farewell lunch. I can't remember how much we tipped but they were happy. It's customary to tip. I was surely grateful to the porters and cooks who did all the heavy lifting so I could enjoy the trip.

Inca Rail

On the last day, we were provided tickets to the Inca Rail to head to Aguas Caliente. I believe this might be the same train route non-trekkers take.

We got to see beautiful terraces while riding by. I think you might pass by more scenery like this on the actual Inca Trail.

Here's what it looks like inside the train. COMFY!

Aguas Caliente

It's actually a busy little town. There are many shops, places to eat and drink, internet cafes.

All I remember is being in the shower for 2 hours! 3 days was the longest I had gone without showering. It was glorious.

I developed this massive water blister from my boots.
I didn't know what to do at the time. I never had a blister before. Apparently you need to pop it. Sterilize it of course and then make sure you have a bandage to minimize infection. I brought a small hotel sewing kit that had a pin. It worked out well.

I would recommend sock liners. They are supposed to help prevent blisters but I think my shoes were the right size. I'm sure if I didn't have liners, my feet would have been more screwed up.

Well, I went to sleep and woke up the next day for Machu Picchu! In fact, I'm going to sleep now. Good night everybody!

Peru: Part 1 of 3 - Arrival in Lima and Cusco Reflections

Since I didn't think of writing a blog when I was prepping for Machu Picchu, I'll summarize my experience now. Just a caveat, I don't remember the daily details of the events from 2010 so I'll summarize what I can remember.

Part 1: LIMA & CUSCO

Preparation
I went to Peru in Sept. 2010. Machu Picchu had been calling me in my dreams for years. I'd NEVER done a hike more than 6-8 miles. In fact, I didn't even hike that much to prepare. I remember going to the gym and working the stair climber machine pretty vigorously. That's all I did to prepare :\

Outfitter
I went with Intrepid Travel, a reputable company based out of Australia. I booked my flight separately and saved a few bucks :) No visa was required to purchase before I arrived.

Pre-Trip Activity
I stayed with my friend's family in Lima, Peru for a couple of days before the trip to get the full peruvian experience. It was so amazing how hospitable they were.  The country is not the richest but the people are so generous! I was seriously blessed and so thankful to them. My friends sister drove me around and showed me Lima's downtown, Chinatown, and the beach.

I ate amazing home cooked Peruvian meals with the whole family every lunch and dinner. I practiced my very broken Spanish as much as I could. I think the effort was appreciated :)

Then it was time to meet up with the rest of the group in Lima and begin the adventures!


Unfortunately, my memory is a bit foggy of the day by day events and where we went each day so I'm going to highlight some of the photos, especially the food and cultural events!

First Trip Meal

CEVICHE! How could I not? It was first created in Peru! I paired it with some Pisco Sour, a native Peruvian drink. Let's just say the only thing I drank were water, Pisco Sours and Inka Colas. When in Peru, must drink as the Peruvians :)

Airport
Next: Flight from Lima to Cusco. FYI: This flight was included in my Intrepid purchase but the trip back from Cusco to Lima was not.

 As soon as you get off the plane, you can feel the thinness of the air. It's a tiny bit harder to breathe. The airport is already high up at what's considered high altitude at 10,860' (3,310 m). It's a small airport by standards so yes, there was no jetbridge. You're immediately welcomed into fresh thin air :)


COCA TEA
Now isn't this exciting to read about? I drank LOTS of coca tea. i mean LOTS of it. Did I get high? No. Apparently, you need thousands of pounds of coca leaves to make a little bit of cocaine. A few tea leaves won't make you fail the drug test.

If you're wondering about taste, I personally thought it tasted good. I did add raw sugar cane (whereas I don't normally add sugar to my green teas) as recommended by the locals.

Why do people drink it? The local natives say that it helps with the high altitude. Some people from our group even straight chewed the leaves. I don't think that helped that much. To be really frank, it was a cool experience to drink and eat totally legit coca tea leaf candy but I don't think it helped.

 Then we walked around Cusco. This is where I'm terrible at remembering historical details.Our guide was really really nice. She had terrible breathe but she was very informative and helpful. She stayed with us only in Cusco. The cool thing about Intrepid is that they employ local guides so they're utilizing their resources where they are already deployed (can you guess my profession?)

Here's a picture of our group.

Lunch in Cusco!

Before I arrived in Peru, the only dish I knew was Lomo Saltado. How awesome is it to have your steak and fries in one dish?

But then I discovered Aji De Gallina. It's sort of a curry dish (without the curry taste) with chicken and rice. It's so perfect for cold weather when you want comfort-ish food. I always order this now when I go to a Peruvian restaurant.

Perfect Rock Walls
Again, I will do you a service and request you go to history channel or the local library for more historical background on the Incas but what amazing stone artisans they were! There is not a gap between the stones on this wall. I will you a little trivia when we get to Machu Picchu.

Can you see the animal impression on the wall? I could back then, but looking at my own photo, I don't see it now even though there's a photo highlighting it :\

It's now time to say Buenas Noches to Cusco. Of we go to mountains manana!

Camera Info: I am definitely not a photographer, not even an amateur but my camera, the Canon S95 was the best! I was able to take this cool night shot. Well, back in 2010, it was the best.