Just Breathe

“If we truly love people, we will desire for them far more than it is within our power to give them, and this will lead us to prayer.” Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home

Last Day

Up at 5:30 for a cold shower and a taxi to the airport.

I’m covered in bug bites that look more like welts covering my legs. Not ideal.

But, a day later, it still feels so good to look back at what we just did. It’s crazy that it’s actually over. I can’t imagine not traveling. I can’t imagine not having a desire to see the world, meet new people, experience new cultures, and encounter different ways of thinking. I love being stretched and challenged – of facing and overcoming situations as well as testing my perspectives on things.

I never want to stop seeing, seeking, noticing, finding, and reacting to the reality of the world around me. The whole world around me – not just my minuscule part of it.

Advertisement

Inca Trail Day 4 – Machu Picchu!

We got up at 4am and had breakfast. We wanted to be on the trail by 5 because there is a final checkpoint to go through before hiking to the sun gate that overlooks Machu Picchu and it opens at 5:30 – if you don’t get there early, though, you end up waiting in line behind other groups.

But, it was raining so all of the groups were just hanging out at camp. We left just before 5:30 and made it through without a problem. It took just over an hour to reach the sun gate and I was pretty exhausted. Simba was going fast, and we were single file so you couldn’t really stop and rest.

When we got to the top we couldn’t see the city because of the clouds and fog, but it was a cool experience to walk in with all the mist.

After taking the typical photo in front of the city (even though you couldn’t see it well because of the fog) we got rid of our bags and got read for our tour. Even though Herbert had been going all the explanations in English, Simba is the one who gave us our guided tour of the city. Their technology was so advanced it’s crazy. It was sweet to learn about their farming and time-telling techniques. When we got up to the sundial there were a few quirky people meditating/chanting while hovering over it. Apparently people try to draw energy from it.

After our tour, Margo and I were so spent that we went up to the top of the city and just sat. It was so nice to just sit back and take it all in. The clouds had lifted and the sun was in full force. It was such a cool experience to take in.

We eventually found other people from our group and headed into Aguas Calientes. We had lunch, and a much deserved beer, before catching the train/bus back to Cusco. I was exhausted, but it felt really good to have accomplished something that was so mentally and physically challenging.

When we got to our hostel at about 10pm the guy said we didn’t have a reservation – they had booked us on the wrong day. Luckily they had space. Then he didn’t want to give us our bags. Charming. I was able to convince him to give them to us and we repacked as much as possible before trying to get a few hours of sleep. Unfortunately my stomach was acting up again so sleep wasn’t really on my radar that night (thanks, Grandma).

The morning view from the sun gate. It was amazing.

Fnally made it! We walked in the rain all morning, but the clouds were starting to lift

Wahoo!

Enjoying the view

Spent. Waiting for the train back to Cusco.

Inca Trail Day 3

We hiked to the second pass today. After lunch I was feeling even better, which made the hike so much more fun. The scenery continues to astound me. When we got to the top we could see Machu Picchu in the distance (the mountain, not the city).

Unfortunately, the last two hours today were straight downhill and seemed like they would never end. My knees kill. The camp we stayed at, however, had showers and dinner tonight was amazing.

At dinner, I was sitting next to Simba. He is hilarious. But he started telling me about some of the remedies they use in Peru for various things. Like skinning a cat and placing the hide on your back if it hurts…or drinking urine for a stomach ache. I totally didn’t think I was being judgmental at all, but he went on to make some comment about how I wouldn’t understand because I’m from the United States and things are different in Peru. Which is obviously true, I just thought it was a little crazy the way he was stereotyping me.

After dinner he asked us to organize a tip for our porters and one of the Spanish ladies got really upset. Apparently you don’t have to tip in Europe unless you absolutely loved your service. She thought it was ridiculous that he asked us. Everyone ended up throwing in the equivalent of about $3 for our eight porters to share. Margo and I felt horrible about it, but there wasn’t much we could do.

We’re off to bed rather early to prepare for our 4am wake-up call.

Here we come, day 3!

Just a glimpse of the beauty that surrounded us

Looking back at Dead Woman's Pass

Chatting with Simba at the top of the second pass

Gansta style

Heading down before heading back up to the final pass

That is Machu Picchu in the distance

Inca Trail Day 2

Hiking today was crazy hard. Margo and I hired a porter to carry my bag so we could just have one to take turns with between the two of us. I still felt like crap, though, so Margo definitely stepped up and did the majority of the carrying. Today gave me a whole new respect for the porters who are easily carrying 50 pounds on their backs. They stay behind and pack up camp and then run ahead of us and have the next meal waiting by the time we arrive. It’s loco.

The trail was straight up all morning. It was brutal but gorgeous. Every time we stopped and turned around the view got better and better. Parts of the train were very jungle-esq today and we hiked past rivers and waterfalls.

We went for about three hours before we stopped for lunch and I honestly wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get back up after I sat down. Luckily, Margo and I were in one of the earlier waves of our group to arrive which meant we got more down time. And, Simba and Herbert let us take a siesta after lunch which was heavenly. The view from our resting spot was, once again, breathtaking.

After lunch we had two more hours of hiking before reaching Dead Woman’s Pass – the first (and highest) of the three passes we are going to take. I literally had to constantly tell myself to keep going. The stairs are so uneven and long, and I’m pretty sure I had to stop and rest every nine or ten feet. Passing over the top, though, was totally worth it. So amazing. And so great to look back down the path and see how freaking far we had just hiked.

The final two hours to our campsite were all downhill, which is a different kind of challenging, but the change felt really good. We keep running into the same people during the day which is fun – you kind of get to know their stories bit by bit as you take turns passing each other on the trail.

When we finally got to our tent I curled up for about an hour and a half while we waited for the rest of our group. Again, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it back up. I was actually able to eat at dinner, too, which was nice. We stayed in the dining tent for a long time tonight talking etc. Mostly just listening on my end since I can’t catch half of what everyone else says. I did chat with one of the guys from Argentina for a little bit before they broke out the rum they bought. He was patient with my Spanish – but it’s easy since he also speaks English very well.

The view from our tent the second morning

I might look happy, but I was really thinking that I never thought I would stand again

We finally made it to the top!

Inca Trail Day 1

I didn’t get much sleep last night and I felt like crap this morning. Not the best way to start the hike.  The bus ride literally was hell. I thought I was going to puke the whole time.

We started out by going through a checkpoint where they verified our passports and then crossing the river on a suspension bridge. I could already tell that this was going to be so insanely gorgeous.

The first day on the trail was hard – mentally as much as physically. I think it would have been fine had I not been exhausted and sick, but those were the cards I had in my hand to play today. We took it pretty slow, and our guides stopped and explained things to us about various flowers, plants, etc.

When we reached our lunch spot I laid down on the ground which felt great. Then it started to rain so we all headed into the dining tent. Lunch looked good, although I was only able to partake in the soup. The Spanish ladies were all really nice and kept inquiring about my stomach all day.

It stopped raining before we headed out again, but right before we made it to our final campsite it started to rain pretty hard. Margo and I were in front so we stopped and waited under a little pavilion for Herbert – our other guide whom I think is equally awesome – and then continued on to camp. We ate dinner and pretty much cashed out after that.

Our group at the start of the trail

The first bridge we crossed after the checkpoint

Still feeling pretty good 🙂

The Sacred Valley

We toured the Sacred Valley today. Even though it was cloudy, it was gorgeous. Margo and I didn’t feel like seeing any more ruins, so we mostly just had the opportunity to take in the scenery. The mountains are majestic, and driving down into the valleys was sweet.

It hit me today that my view of nature here has been impacted by the local culture. Incan culture still so permeates the lifestyles of people here that it is influencing my experience as well. It’s hard to look at a mountain or hear a river in the same way when you know the people around you don’t see it as a product of the Creator; rather, as a god in and of itself that deserves to be worshipped.  It took me awhile to put my finger on it, but once I acknowledged it my view slowly started to shift back to where it needed to be.

We ended up being late to our orientation for our hike because our bus was not on time. We walked in at the tail end and our guide, Simba, was talking so fast in Spanish my heart sank a little. The other members of our group – 4 ladies from Spain, 3 couples from Argentina, and 2 people from France, were asking questions and engaging with him.

Luckily, they all left and he repeated everything in English. I’m really excited about our hike (also insanely nervous about my ability to complete it). Simba is hilarious and it will be a lot of fun to spend the next four days with him.

 Unfortunately, the day ended on a sour note when I got back to the hostel and checked my email. There are certain things I would rather not deal with while in Peru (or ever, for that matter), but it appears as though some people are always going to choose to be insensitive and selfish. I’m just hoping I don’t let this taint the rest of my trip.

In Pisca, the first stop in the Sacred Valley

Another view of the valley with ruins in the background

I love Latin culture

At breakfast, we talked to two guys from England. One of them had been traveling around for the past year and had spent the past three months in South America. The other was just hanging out until he felt inclined to go back.

Independently of each other, they asked us what we did, and when I told them they both nodded and said, “Ah, yes, something meaningful, that’s good.” It’s interesting to get other people’s perspectives on things like that.

After receiving less-than-ideal directions for catching the bus, we realized that our plans for going to Chinchero had been foiled.  Margo, being ever-more patient than I, helped me keep things in perspective.  We chatted with our friend at the tour agency across from our hostel (he is helping me with my Spanish) and decided to take a tour of the Sacred Valley tomorrow. That settled, we took it easy in Cusco all day.

 We grabbed lunch at Moni’s Café (the pumpkin soup was delicious) and then just hung out. We did some shopping etc., but mostly just relaxed. It was nice. We hung out in the Plaza again in the afternoon and played Name that Nationality. Eventually a 17 year-old came up and tried to sell us art and ended up staying and talking for awhile. He called himself Pablo Picasso. He kept asking how to say words in English, and helped me learn new things in Spanish.

 Chez Meggy was an interesting experience for dinner. Our waiter walked a very fine line between creepy and funny. Despite his several inappropriate comments, he was also patient and willing to help me with my Spanish.

 Today it hit me again why I love traveling so much. Not only is it an opportunity to immerse myself in a different culture, but I love getting different perspectives on life and learning from others – mainly people who think so much differently than me. It doesn’t hurt that I am obsessed with Latin culture, of course.

Hanging out in the Plaza

Relaxing at a cafe

First full day

Still exhausted, we treated ourselves to a cold shower and some breakfast this morning. We went and bought water and stopped in a couple tour agencies. Contemplating our options, we eventually decided to do some hiking today. We ended up doing a tour of four ruins around Cusco.

The first one – Saqsayhuaman – was a steep climb from our hostel. We weren’t sure we wanted to pay to see it, but we ran into a guy from TN on our way up and he insisted that it was a deeply spiritual experience and that we simply had to go. Neither of us were expecting that kind of experience, of course, but his description of the ruins was convincing.

The Incas laid Cusco out in the shape of a Puma, and part of Saqsayhuaman formed the head. There are even zig-zagging walls that formed the teeth. There was a sweet view of Cusco from the top.

After getting turned around briefly, we asked a taxi-driver for directions and made our way to Quenqo. There was a cave with an altar inside where they believe animal sacrifices were made. There were insanely deep trenches all the way around that the blood would flow through.

Next we planned on hiking the 4km to Pukapukara, but about half way there it started to rain and the hail followed shortly thereafter. So we turned around and found a mini-bus to take us the rest of the way. I was freezing at this point, and the ruins weren’t that great, but the view of the Andes was incredible.

Finally, we made the short walk to Tanbomachay – and intricate aqueduct system that many believe served as a ceremonial bath for priests and nobility.

Margo and I sat and just looked at the mountains for awhile before running into a Malaysian family from our hostel. We got on a minibus with them (eventually there were at least 18 of us crammed in there) and then shared a taxi back to the Plaza.

We ate dinner at Pucara and then grabbed a pisco sour at Lek.

The teeth of the puma

Hanging out on the altar

At our last stop overlooking the mountains

We made it

I think exhaustion would be the most fitting word to describe both Margo and me when we finally arrived in Cusco.  After leaving Detroit we had a brief stop in Houston before making our way to Lima. We had an 8 hour layover so, after the cleaning crew kicked us off the row of chairs we had confiscated, we spent the rest of the night on the freezing cold airport floor.

When we arrived in Cusco, Rudy, the taxi-driver, was waiting for us. Breathing hard, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it up the small hill from the Plaza de Armas to Hostel Suecia, but eventually we settled in with some coca tea – the locals sworn cure for just about everything including adjusting to the altitude. 

Our first day, we explored the city before taking a nap. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get out of bed again, but we managed to pry ourselves away and do some more exploring. We spent the better part of the afternoon camped in the Plaza de Armas enjoying the sunshine, people-watching, and chatting with/avoiding street vendors. 

Later, we ate dinner at Jack’s and met some girls from California. The Plaza is very vibrant and alive at night so we walked around some more – taking in different aspects of the city.

 We sat in front of the main cathedral for awhile and I was stuck by one of the little girls who was walking around selling things. All day a simple “No, gracias” was sufficient for curbing the advances of street vendors. But, this little girl plopped down right next to me on the steps and wouldn’t leave.

 She countered every possible decline I could think of. Finally I laughed and started saying “No, no, no, no, no” really fast. She erupted into giggles as she tried to keep up with the number of “Si”s she shot back. When I told her I didn’t need whatever the knickknack was she was selling, she insisted I did. When I said “Maybe later,” she shoved it onto my lap and coolly insisted, “Now,” before exploding into more giggles. “Para ti, amiga, muy barrato.”

 I felt really bad. I didn’t want or need what she was selling, but it was hard to watch. At seven or eight, this little girl was forced to be a savvy business woman – all too aware of the impact her sales would have. Yet, it was so obvious that she was just a child – eager for attention and fun. It was heartbreaking to see the collision of two worlds that should never intersect.

Our home away from home

Hanging with my new friend on the steps