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netGallery > Jon and Sarah > World_Tour_2006 > Peru > Inca Trail Day 02 to Machu Picchu

Inca Trail Day 02 to Machu Picchu

Peru

December 2006
1 days

Day 02: Wayllabamba to Pacamayo (12km)

Awoken early to tea in bed, the sun trying to pierce its way through the haze and with fresh air all around, was very pleasant. The tour guides were worried about me and asked if I wanted to go back or see a doctor. The fever had subsided but there was still a mild headache and nausea but i fully intended to carry on as failing would be even worse.

The group was psyching themselves up for a very hard day of hiking ahead whilst they sat and ate breakfast, which like most meals was amazing considering the facilities available and the fact it all had to be carried up the trail and kept fresh. This mornings delights were pancakes and syrup, vegetable omelet and fruit and of course as much coca tea as you could absorb. No two meals were the same so hats off to the chef!

I managed to force down some pancake washed down with coca tea and two more paracetamols. Whilst we ate, the porters stripped down the tents and camp site quicker than piranhas stripping meat off a carcass. To our left we could see the trail winding its way further up the next mammoth hillside and was dotted with colours of the tiny hikers who had already set off for the day.

We'd spoken to the guides and persuaded a porter to carry our bedding and clothes for the rest of the 3 days at a price but it was so worth it. So bellies full, off we went, climbing up from Wayllabamba following the left bank of the Llulluchayoc river which brought us to 'Tres Piedres' (three stones) and a small bridge over the Huayruro river.

It was all up hill and steeper than Gravel Or Shooters Hill (for all you SE Londoners). You were so focused on the struggle of breathing and watching your footing that you forgot to stop and admire the view. We walked for about an hour and stopped for refreshments. Women sitting at strategic points along the trail selling water, chocolate, toilet rolls all for extortionate prices, but you ain't gonna argue. They sell a sports power drinks called Gator Aide that comes in three sickly sweet flavours but we got through a lot of those. It was at this point that my health situation was reassessed as soon we would reach the point of no return!

I advised them that I still had mild headaches but now Diarrhoea was my worst fear. Some thought I must have a bug and one guy offered me some strong antibiotics he'd been prescribed by his doctor. I gladly snatched two off him and flushed them down with water..... Not taking any chances now and desperate to feel better I also chased them with another Imodium and an anti altitude sickness capsule..... One way or another be it sick or overdosing I would continue... Immediately the placebo effect or whatever hit me and I already felt more positive and able to tackle this challenge. Up up and away we go!

A little further on we entered a beautiful cloud forest passing a waterfall. Its so easy to watch the basic circle or life when out hiking and by life I mean water. We see the vast lakes at the bottom of mountains fueling the streams and rivers that run on to other lakes or out to Sea. Climbing the hills and transcending the valleys we pass over and witness the water returning via streams, creeks and waterfalls. We could also see the water in cloud form rising up from the bottom to the top of the Eco system ready to annoy us and return to the start of the cycle again as rain! Magic...

OK the drugs failed me and now was time for me to find some bushes..... With people constantly hiking past I had to find somewhere safe but discreet. I found a little cut back that descended quickly with lots of tree cover. We were told that if we needed to GO we must dig a hole or put it under a rock and take away the paper with you!!! OK no thanks... Toilet roll in hand I skidded down the bank out of site except that people could still see my head which I found disconcerting. I had no choice so on to the next conundrum..... When you have a bad tum how do you go fully clothed without soiling ya troosers or falling over.... its sounds easy but please try this at home its not! You need at least a B grade in high school gymnastics or to have played a lot of Twister! Trousers and pants around ye oldy ankles you have to find a tree or large rock to lean back and stabilise yourself against and then squat with your legs out in front... A few seconds of this and the arms and legs start shaking so you've gotta be quick.. I was.... and within seconds I was off climbing back up the bank.... and like the SAS without leaving a trace except the white toilet paper flapping in the wind that had snagged on a small branch! I surrender! Lol.

The guides were right, this was turning out to be way harder than day one trek wise. There just didn't seem to be any flat downhill sections which we could cope with. It was all uphill, every damn bit of it. We and others were by now finding that we could only really manage to walk 10 to 20 metres at a time, catching our breath in between and wondering who's stupid idea this was in the first place. We had another 5 hours of this to go and we were already ready to lie down and sleep. But we kept getting sent messages of enthusiasm in the forms of others struggling up the trail, being sick, having a false leg or being in their 80's. After seeing any of these amazing people you just say.... well if they can bloody well do it... I can! Lets go! and ten paces later you were bent over double catching your breath again....

Every so often you thought you could see the peak of the first pass, after which we knew it was all downhill all the way for today..... but just as you rounded the next bend expecting to see all your smug team sitting their eating chocolate you were dismayed to see just another gravel path rising up in front of you in to the distance. There are two words for this..... Soul Destroying! But eventually we were sure we could hear laughter and banter so we just knew that this time we were close and with new found energy we limped up the final hundred metres to the first and highest pass of the trail (Abra de Huarmihuañusca or 'Dead Woman's Pass) at 4,200m. Hooray!!!!

We collapsed in a heap next to our team who had been sitting there for ages and some of them had already set off again. Being so high now and totally exposed to the Andean elements we were all of a sudden freezing cold and put on extra layers. We stopped long enough to eat, drink and have our photos taken, well we needed the proof! You just don't know how relieved and happy we felt knowing we'd just finished the hardest stretch and now we would be only faced with downhill for the next two to three hours. No Problem.

Wrong. Going downhill for two hours is actually just a different kind of pain than going up hill. Your legs are using different muscles so instead of using your calfs and thighs to elevate you you are putting strain on your knees and quads as you constantly try to slow your body down. Steps are also tricky as if you're not careful you gather too much speed and your mind can't calculate where to place your feet each time and you start to get mentally tired. But all being said we preferred it to uphill because we could breath.

Guzzling juice and munching chocolate we followed the trail on the left side of the valley to the valley floor and walked to the 2nd night's campsite at Pacamayo (3,600m). We had 30 minutes before dinner to relax and then we were all introduced individually to each and every porter and cook. In Spanish we had to say our names and we we are from etc... and they told us their names and what town they lived in, if they were single/married and how many kids they had.... most had at least two children whether they were married or not. Some also spoke Quechen which is an ancient Inca language so we were taught how to say Hello and Thank you, so we used those phrases for the next two days whenever we past a porter on the trail or they served our dinners.

My appetite really returned this night so for the first time I looked forward to dinner. We ate and talked about one hiker Marc Anthony had beaten us today by five hours and had spent the afternoon siesta-ing! Show off!

In bed and asleep by nine and so tired after my first nights escapades I found the floor very comfortable and slept all the way through.... camping is fun when you're in the mood! We were looking forward to day 3 as we'd been promised that the scenery would be beautiful, so on that note we'll leave you there with another episode winging its way to you shortly.... night night.