URNotAlone

The ultimate cure for the Peruvian flu

January 30th, 2007 8:28 pm MST

Well, I started the Inca Trail feeling very fluish, and found the cure was walking for 40 km. up and down MASSIVE steps, plus the second day (which is the most difficult) rain, rain, rain!  Day one was okay, but the steepness of some of the trail was totally unbearable, I damn near threw in the towel because I was feeling like total crap, and was very worried about day two being mostly up HUGE steps! The meals on the inca trail were as fine as many french resteraunts, believe it or not!  We had 21 porters for 13 hikers, and 2 guides. Our waiter, Walter went as far as to make white roses out of some napkins!  We dined on chicken wrapped with anise, deep fried cheese squares, some beef, oriental style with rice, it was an AWESOME experience to say the least! Day 2...Insert cuss word here ___-_____-____  Rain like a sumumagum! Thankfully my feet stayed dry, and torso too, but those bloddy steps up to "Dead womans Pass"  I made it, barely,a little cold, but def worth the pain...now on down those freakin steps...very large steps, wet, and slippery.   Day three, much of the same up and down, but on the way down, in the distance I saw somebody wipe out really bad, a tour guide flew past me, and I was second on the scene, a Porter from another group, who had not eaten since the day before, came within inches of going over the drop off,  the guide and I moved him away from the edge, and the porter looked up at me like "who in the hell is this white guy"? I peeled him from one side of his enormous pack, and the guide poured cool water on him, I eased his other arm from his pack, I then noticed epeleptic symptoms, and calmed him down by talking very calmly, it seemed to help, I tried to heft his back pack...insane amount of gear, I struggled to get his pack to the mountain side, and we then moved the guy to lean on his pack, giving him small sips of water, I have to admit, it was a very sureal moment, after about 15 minutes, we had his pack split up between a few people, and sent word to send more porters to retrieve the r est, we were on our way again, I gave the dude a Snickrs, and he looked at me like I just gave him a winning lottery ticket...A moment I really do not wish to witness again, I am just happy, and lucky, everything turned out okay.     The last night of tenting...my view from the tent was...immense, beautiful, inspiring, FANFREAKINGTASTIC!  on awaking on the 4th day on the Inca Trail, I dont know what came over me, but I ended up running most of the way to the sun gate, and was one of the first there, I snapped a couple of pics, and within minutes, Machu Pichu was gon in a hail of clouds.  I just tore through the pain from the previous days, my left knee felt like a ratchet strap was tightening with every step on the previous days,  The sun was in and out throughout the days discovery, but I had the time of my life, through the whole trail, we had the 2 best guides ever, Ribad, and Edmundo,  Very thourough from start to end.  It is in my most NON-HUMBLE opinion, that Machu Pichu MUST be walked for the four days, only because when you get there after the pain and the dirt, you get to feel like you EARNED the trip, and didnt just hop a train and pay for it.  I have been known to be arrogant, but it was a more intense feeling of accomplishment, than I saw on the faces of the Turistas who only did the !mini trip! to such a totally wild place!   This email is far too long, so I will say good bye for now, I am off to Nazca tonight, 10 hours on the bus, at night, yipe!CYA Llana Mae Moore.  P.S. I am gonna go to Mancorra beach at the end of my trip, for a few days of relaxation, and maybe see a bikini or two!