Wednesday, June 24, 2009
South American Swine Flu - Day 7
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Drivin' That Train....to nowhere - Day 6
As we turn our backs on the "
Before we catch our train, we have a little down time in "Hot Water,” so naturally we grab a bite to eat...and of course indulge in some celebratory beers. We all share our favorite moments on the trail, and some of the more seasoned traveler’s compare it to other trips they have been on. They are all in agreement that this was among their top 2 trips. Steve ranked it as his favorite while Nick and Beck place it in a close second behind the South African safari they went on a few months back. Nick and Beck are coming up on their 11 month away from home. It’s hard to imagine being away from friends and family for that long, but they seem so content, so at home traveling the world living out of a backpack. This is rather inspiring to me and I quickly decided that at least once in my life I am going to experience something like that. Maybe not as long as them because in our society you cant just take off for 10 months and expect to come back to a job. But one day I will do it, and when the time is right I will know.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Lost City of the Incas - Day 5
We finally get on a bus and it takes us up a narrow, windy, steep road. And it takes us up fast. Way too fast for comfort. I spend most of my time looking out the window at the magnificent scenery while wondering how many busses have fallen off these cliffs. I instinctly find myself inching away from the window. We reach the top in no time and get in another line to get into Machu Picchu. Now, we were told we could bring backpacks with us to carry some food, water, and rain gear. My day pack is cutting it close with the size requirements, so I tighten all the straps as tight as they could to make the bag look smaller. My trekking companion, Steve, has the same size bag as me and does the same thing. We decide to walk in together so it doesn’t look like we have larger bags then the rest of the group. Now, I don’t know what it is about me, or my bag, but the bastard checking our tickets wouldn’t let me in! Said I had to go to the "bag check" at the front of the building and leave my pack there. This pisses me off, but I don’t put up a fight because I don’t want to get banned from Machu Picchu. As I turn to Steve to say "alright, lets go put our bags in storage and get back as fast as we can" I see him walking through the gate, backpack in toe. WHAT? Steve must have gave him a wink, or slipped him a sole or something. How the hell did he get in and I didn’t? So off I go to check my bag - which contains all my food and water. 7 hours without food will make me a little cranky. I strap on my rain gear, check my bag, and rush back to the line and give the ticket guy an eat shit look. MF'er.
All my built up anger and emotion blows away in the wind as soon as I step foot on Machu Picchu. Words cant even describe how beautiful and surreal this place is when you see it in person. Pictures do not do it justice at all. I was immediately amazed at how big Machu Picchu was. We come in from the south side where most of the agriculture stacks are. Our first destination is clear across on the north side to Waynapichu so we can get a climbing stamp. They only let 400 people on this mountain and I soon learn why. While in line it begins to rain, which is a daily occurrence at Machu Picchu especially in the morning hours. Im glad i grabbed my rain gear! We get our ticket stamped for the 10am climb. For the next 2 hours Hubert takes us on a mini tour of the ruins, explaining its history in detail to us. You can tell he loves what he does as he passionately talks about the ruins and many theories that surround Machu Picchu and the Inca's who inhabited it. What is so great about this place is the lack of history that has been discovered here. When the Incas left (if that's what they did) they didn't leave any kind of evidence that scientists can really use to learn about this site. It isn't even really know what it was built for! most think it was a city build to hide the "upper class" of the Inca's, which makes sense because it is so remote and so hard to access. Others believe it may have been used as a sacrificial prison. What they do know is that is was only inhabited for around 100 years. Why it was abandoned is another mystery. Some scientists think the Inca's were wiped out by smallpox (smallpox killed thousands of South Americans in the 14th century) while others believe they may have been chased out by the Spanish Conquistadors. Either way, what is so amazing to me is that nothing of significant importance was left behind. Because of this, we may never really know what was going on up there. Hell, we can learn all about Dinosaurs that roamed the earth millions of years ago but we cant learn much about a civilization that lived less then 600 years ago. My theory? I think they abandoned the site as soon as they got wind the Spanish were coming. They Took everything with them and headed to the hills where they all died of some disease. You watch, we will soon find them out there in the Ande's holding on to some fine pieces of Inca treasure. I'm the first to say it right here on this blog. I could go on for hours about the stuff i learned, but i wont give you a history lesson. But i highly recommend reading up on it, it is very interesting stuff.
10:00 comes and We head to Waynapichu for the climb. I have to admit, i am a little nervous about this. When Hubert declines an offer to join us because it is "too dangerous" we know we are in for some trouble. He hikes for a living for Christ's sake. And to make it even more interesting, i am not good with heights. But off we go. This mug is a big, steep mountain. the first 30 minutes is an exhausting giant stair climb up to about 4/5 of the way to the top. This is where about 70% of the 400 people that came to climb turn around. When you reach the last part of the ascent and see what you have to climb to get to the top, it almost makes you sick to your stomach. Or, at least for me it did. But I wasn't going to be one of those 70% pussys. I came 3,400 miles for this and if i die trying then so be it. (The picture to the right doesn't do it justice. this was just one of the easy parts where you were able to release your claw grip and snag a picture. Seriously, if you slipped at all you had about a 50/50 chance of survival at this point). I took my sweet ass time climbing up to the top. Baby steps isn't even a good enough analogy. Now, as I'm climbing I expect there to be some kind of look out platform at the top for everyone to gather at and enjoy a picturesque view of Machu Picchu. Absolutely not. Its literally a pile of about 5 or 6 boulders perfectly balanced at the point of this devil mountain. Throw 15 people on them at once and you have your self a serious life or death game of twister at 7,000 feet. I finally position myself at the top of one of the rocks and just sit holding tight, clinging my jacket tight so i don't do a Marry Poppins into the wind. Its very windy up there and you honestly feel like you can get blown away (see the death grip i have on the rock?). But there is nothing quite like feeling like you are on top of the world. the view is amazing. 360 degree views of the sacred valley. Truly unbelievable.
We hang out at the top for about 45 minutes, moving about the boulders to get different views of the surroundings, just trying to soak it all in. IT soon starts to rain a little and we decide it might be a good time to head down before the rocks get "slippy". Going down is a lot easier then i expected. Usually that is the hardest/scariest part for me. Maybe it was because i was eager to get down? Or maybe it was the ass hole who behind me who was on my heals the entire way. There is a section of the mountain where you have to crab walk down some Inca stairs. these bastards must have been some tiny people, because these stairs are no more then 5 inches wide. not build for a man with a size 14 shoe. But we make it down successfully and congratulate each other on a climb well done. Well worth the risk. If you ever go to Machu Picchu, make a point to climb Waynapichu. As much as i may have discouraged you, trust me it is worth it. I wish i took more pictures from up there.
As the day comes to a close, we decide to wander around the ruins and visit sections we didn’t get to see on the tour. We probably had about an hour and a half to kill before we had to catch our bus back down to Aguas Calinentas. I honestly don’t remember much after the climb. All I could think about was how the trip was coming to an end while trying to take advantage of every last second. While doing that I must have clogged my brain because the last hour on Machu Picchu was mostly a blur. I do remember Greg, Hutto, and myself making it to the top of the west end where we had incredible views of the ruins. This was the section that had the "post card" views. Again, pictures and post cards do not give Machu Picchu justice. We run into Justin and Steve coming back from their short trek to the Inca Bridge. We were glad to see them and to be able to share the last few minutes together. We had a lot of fun goofing off, taking pictures, enjoying each others company. Spirits were high as we knew the journey was coming to an end, and what a perfect setting we had to finish it off with.
Next stop: Aguas Calinentas to catch our train back to Cusco.....the adventure continues
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Oh Yea, Your Going to Die - Day 4
Spirits at the breakfast table seem to be a little low. Hubert’s mood buster last night still lingers around and it is apparent no one is looking forward to today’s hike. I recall a conversation I had with Hubert a few days back that lightens my mood slightly. At the summit of Salkantay I ask him what day of the trek is his favorite, offering the best views, and with out hesitation he says “day 4.” Im set back for a second. How can anyone say something like that while standing at the summit of the Salkantay Pass. I am eager to find out. We quickly eat breakfast, slam down a cup of coca tea, and trek out leaving the town of La Playa behind us.
The next few hours are grueling as we ascend up at a steady pace. No flat parts here, just straight up. But the views get better and better the higher we get. Again we are walking along the mountains edge, so we have wonderful views at all times. We eventually make our way from the bottom of the river valley, up to cloud level, and soon above cloud level. Before long we reach the summit for the day. It was like a jungle up there. Everything is dripping wet, the trail is mud, and the vegetation is as thick as we have seen it. I figured we would see a lot of wild life – birds, maybe some squirrel like creatures, the Spectacle Bear....we see nothing but a bull. A freaking full grown Bull. If someone would have asked me “did you see any Bull’s on the trail?” I would have thought they were a complete idiot and slapped them. But there it was, about 30 yards away eyeing us down. What the hell do you do here? There is a 2,000 lb bull on the trail. This thing is barely big enough to even fit on the trail, how are we supposed to get around it? Some random guy (kind of weird, this guy was just hanging out up there) picked up a big stick and took off after it. I didn’t think this was going to do anything but get someone killed, but sure enough he scared it off. The Bull had to do an Austin Powers style 8 point turn to turn its self around before it could run off in the other direction, but it finally did. And we carried on. now I am worried that this Bull is waiting in the bushes for us to pass so it can bull rush us (no pun intended). You know the part in Jurassic Park when the gang is walking through the jungle when all of a sudden a Velociraptor peers through the bushes and pounces on someone’s head? I was waiting to see bull horns come charging through the brush. But we escaped death once again.
We reach an open spot on the side of the hill and we come across some ancient ruins believed to be built by the Inca’s. There is not much information about this particular site, but they know it is an Inca site by the way the windows were built in the classic Inca
We finally reach the bottom. The sun is out and it is hot. We cross over to the other side of the valley via a suspension bridge that is about 75 yards long and about 50 feet in the air. On the other side we hike our way down to the river banks and take a break. We spread out across a few large boulders, dangle or feet in the glacier river, and soak up some sun rays…..the best way to relax. This is near the end of our Salkantay journey, only about a 20 minute walk to the town of Hydro Electrica, a small town build around the dam that supplies all the electricity for Cusco. Not much of a town really, just a few market stands and eating places for the trekkers to sit and have their chiefs prepare their last meal. After lunch (late lunch – 2:30pm) we take a short train ride to the town of Aguas Calinentas.
Back in civilization for the first time in 4 days. Here we get to do the normal things in life; use the internet, check in with loves ones, use a real bathroom, have a chicken try and steal your last cookie from your bag at an internet cafĂ©…..sleep in a BED with a real pillow under our heads! We check in to our hostel (which is more like a hotel), take a shower, and head to dinner at a local restaurant. Here we enjoy each others company, indulge in a few beers, and recap stories from the last few days. I cant wait to lay my head down and sleep for once. Tomorrow: Macchu Picchu.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Welcome to the Jungle - Day 3
As we continue on, everything gets noticeably greener. The vegetation becomes very thick and lush, and the flowers become larger and more colorful. We saw many different kinds of orchids, Hubert pointing them out to us nearly ever time we came across one. Some small, some large, one named the "dancing lady" because it looked like....well, a dancing lady, and another that made you hallucinate if you ate it. As tempting as it was, we didn't try it. Something about hiking on a mountain ridge while tripping nuts didn't appeal to anyone. And when I say we were walking along a mountain ridge, I mean we were really on a ridge. At times the trail may have only been 2 feet wide. One wrong step and you fall thousands of feet. What makes it really unsettling is the number of avalanches you can see on the side of the mountains due to erosion. We were about half way through the days hike when we come up on a waterfall. We have to almost go under the waterfall to get around it and continue on. After we cross it, Hubert says " there must have been an avalanche here last week because the trail was gone." Oh, well that's good to know! None the less, being on the mountain ridge made for breath taking views.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Salkantay Pass - Day 2 Part 2
Monday, May 11, 2009
Salkantay Pass - Day 2
Today's destination: a 5 mile trek to the summit of the Salkantay Pass and another 7 miles down through the sub-tropic region of the Ande's. First up, about a 3 hour moderately level (some hard elevation changes) trek toward Salkantay. Salkantay is not your ordinary snow capped mountain. This bitch is HUGE! Topping out at a staggering 6,271 meters (20,574 feet), it is only the 12th highest peak in Peru. Salkantay is one of the more historically significant mountains of the Peruvian Ande's. Many believe the Incas associated the mountain's alignment with Machu Picchu's sundial directly with the regions climate. They looked at Salkantay as a deity, controlling the rainy season in the Sacred Valley and Cusco.
We are approaching the mountain from the southwest side where its glaciers runoff cuts right through the middle. It was cloudy most of the morning, so our view of the mountain wasnt so great, but as we got closer the sun began to burn off the clouds. We were coming right up on the beast. As we got closer, we realized just how hard the hike was about to get. We were currently around 12,500 feet above sea level. Or summit point for the day was 16,000 feet. I ask Hubert how long it would be before the summit..... "hehe about 1.5 hours until summit" he mutters. Doesnt sound too bad. Until i do the math. Thats about 39 vertical feet per minute. Doesn't sound like a lot, but when you are that high above sea level, climbing 5 feet in a minute will get you winded. We had an extra horse with us that day in case someone could not make it.
We begin the trek up. Cut back after cut back, it is the most exhausting hike i have ever done, hands down. Its hard to look up and enjoy the scenery for fear you may trip over a rock, tumble all the way down and have to start all over again. We moved at our own pace, no rush to the top. I would stop and rest about every 10 minutes and just soak it all in. Its almost funny to watch the others as the seem to struggle up the mountain, hunched over their trekking poles, one foot after another very slowly, breathing very hard. This picture above is a bad example, but really no picture would capture the real struggles. It doesn't look like it, but thats about at a 45-50 degree angle. The horses had a hard time. But once you make it to the top, it is all worth it. The views are amazing. Something so surreal I literally had to keep reminding myself where I actually was. For an hour we sat at the summit and soaked it all in. I didn't speak much up there, just sat there and kept thinking "this my very well be the most beautiful place i will ever be"