Before I start, I am painfully aware of how long it has been since I’ve done a blog post, but you know, I’ve been really busy sitting by the pool and drinking beer and things. Needless to say, there is a humongous amount of places, people and stories I could tell you about and I hope once I’m back in my Blog Jive I’ll tell you all about them. For now though, I want to talk about my recent escapade to Machu Picchu and give an honest (as always) account of my time doing the Inca trail and share some hints/tips/experiences.
I will start by saying IT IS REALLY FUCKING HARD. Having spoken to people who had done it before I went, they did not prepare me for how hard it would be. “Oh it’s quite tough, but worth it, such an amazing experience”. Like a new mother whose just squeezed out a baby the size of a melon, who was told for 9 months that “child birth is amazing”, the pain is worth the outcome, but it wasn’t exactly the walk in the park everyone made it out to be. Not that I have a child, but I feel like this is the most comparable metaphor I can think of. Either way, I won’t be rushing to climb even a steep hill any time soon, but it’s something that I’m so happy I did and the experience will stay with me for life.
Before the Trail
Admittedly, I didn’t really give myself the best head start and my training in the months prior to the hike consisted of getting crazy drunk in South East Asia. It also wasn’t helped by the fact my flight to Cusco was cancelled and I only arrived the evening before we started and my bag must’ve been homesick because it decided to stay in London and have a little holiday there. ALSO, it maybe wasn’t helped by the fact I injured my foot in Vietnam and had only been off crutches for a week before I arrived.
Nevertheless, I made it to Cusco in time for the trail and was met my one of my best friends in the world, Kirsty. Thankfully Kirsty had bought my walking boots over from the UK so I had those at least and we spent the evening before the hike rushing around shops in Cusco trying to pull together the essentials as I had one pair of knickers, the clothes I was in and my walking boots. Never a dull moment.
Day 1
I want to start day one by saying how thankful I am to the Porters and also how bewildered I am at their level of fitness. For anyone who doesn’t know, the porters are a team of Peruvian men who carry all the kit and RUN ahead to put up the tents and cook the food. I repeat, run. We were also warned on the first day that as they have massive loads on their backs and they’re running you have to be careful they don’t run past you and accidentally knock you off the mountain, as apparently this has happened before, reassuring. I also want to say that altitude sickness is a real thing. Having felt fine when I got there, I was confident it was ‘just a myth’ until I was throwing up in a local ceramics shop, classy. To combat this, as I quickly found and religiously practised, you should either chew cocoa leaves or suck on cocoa sweets or drink cocoa tea. Fun fact, these are the leaves that are used to make cocaine so they also give you a nice boost of energy. Anyway, the first day lulls you into a false sense of security as it is actually a relatively, dare I say it, easy walk. The surroundings are beautiful and you’re clean and you don’t have blisters.
Day 1 Tip: Make the most of your functioning body and take pictures before you don’t shower for four days, hilarious to look back on comparatively.
Day 2
This was the day on which we reached the highest point of the walk (4215 metres) and was easily the most difficult day both physically and mentally. After a fully days hiking the day before, a restless nights sleep in a tent and a 4:30 am wake up, we started our morning with a 2 hour uphill climb before the first pit stop followed by a full day of up, down, up, down (mainly up). Now, I don’t know anyone who likes to admit feeling weak or like they can’t complete a task, but I particularly struggle with admitting defeat, ‘stubborn’, some ex boyfriends might say. Nevertheless, an hour and a half into the first uphill climb and on a set of steep steps, the path no wider than a metre with cliff side to the left and an 100m drop to the right, altitude sickness decided this was a perfect place to hit. Wobbling about by a cliff edge with a bad foot on ‘Dead Woman’s Pass’, how apt, is not how I imagined spending my last moments, so I sat down and had a sulk. Fortunately, it didn’t last too long as our tour guide told me the only way to get back was to walk back. Fuck that. So on we went, Kirsty and Myself took the executive decision to drop back from the group and take the rest of the day at an easier pace.
Day 2 Tip: Take altitude sickness tablets and a good friend.
Day 3
By this time most people’s bodies had adapted the the altitude in time for the most beautiful day (when this picture was taken) and although the actual walk is longer, the path is a lot more ‘user-friendly’. Also, there are llamas along the trail going about their business, which obviously makes everything even better.
Day 3 Tip: Don’t rush it.
Day 4
Day four, the last day, the day you walk to Machu Picchu. By this time, you’re smelly, sore and absolutely exhausted. Ironically this is the day I found it easiest to get out of bed (a sleeping bag in a tent), knowing the end was in sight. The walk isn’t too long on the last day and you also pass the sungate. From the sungate to Machu Pichu you start to bump into people rocking up the mountain who have caught the train there. These people are clean, happy, block the extremely thin path taking selfies and after four days not showering and sleeping in a tent, I couldn’t help but want to push these people off the side of the mountain. You’ll be pleased to know, I didn’t and I made it to Machu Pichu without committing a felony. Machu Pichu is exactly as you’d expect, it’s beautiful and interesting but also quite a bit more walking and by this point my foot was so swollen I couldn’t get my walking boot off. Once we had finished, I celebrated with a massive pizza and a night in a hotel.
Day 4 Tip: Don’t push people off the mountain, as much as you feel like you want to.
To summarise, one of the best things I have ever done in my life, but I’m definitely hanging up the walking boots for the foreseeable future.
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