The anticipation has now begun!

I am going from living it up on a boat for four days and being spoilt for choice for food, guided mini hike trips on numerous islands and seeing wildlife I won’t see anywhere else in the world to hiking of a different kind, camping and a big step into the unknown of what food we will have cooked up for us by our very own porters! I think I’m ready for the change but I will soon have to find that one out for sure.

After Galápagos we had to fly back into Quito overnight and back to the Mercure Hotel for another early start the day after. No rest for the wicked eh ‘G Adventures’! With a two week itinerary it was always going to be all crammed in rather quickly that way I guess.

Flying in and out of being at sea level and above sea level with all this altitude has a tendency of making the heart flutter especially now being back in Quito. I could of swore any more strain on my heart was going to give me a heart attack and keel over. It’s enough altitude here to make you paranoid. How am I gunna survive the Inca at this rate!? Quito is about 9,500 ft above sea level and the highest official capital in the world so no wonder I was feeling a bit breathless more then usual walking uphill or stairs that appear normal here. Even though my ticker is fine I wouldn’t recommend a visit here if yours is a bit dodgy. Big wake up call!

Once we were all packed we used the last day in Quito that we had to sightsee. We checked out of the Mercure for the last time as it was time to get back on a different bus to the one we had previously the day before, we obviously had to go back to Quito airport for our flight out into Lima Peru and this meant meeting a new representative from G Adventures to give us the lowdown of what to expect upon the short flight that evening.

I forgot to add we also had to wave goodbye to some of our fellow compatriots who had witnessed Galápagos with us including my roomie Tom who was at the end of his two week trip himself. There were a few tears from us all as Goodbyes are never easy. Friends forever! My Canadian parents were still going with me to Peru and Inca though which was a massive plus for me and also Roland and Janice the retired English couple who like myself are seeing the world for what it truly is and lastly the very helpful Norwegian couple Eric and Liv. I can only admire people like this and hope when I reach retirement age I will want to see all those bits of the world that I still so desperately want to see.

The flight didn’t take long to Lima as it was only going to be a short stay there near the sea (nice to be back at sea level temporarily!) where not only are we finally back to a normal altitude but also me and the remaining members of the group are going to be meeting some more newbies to share at the hotel based here. This is going to be another incredible emotional experience of this wonderful adventure amongst ourselves I am sure. Now being as I am one of the only solo travellers I got fixed up with a double bed all to myself but it’s only brief as once the night was over we had another flight to catch from Lima to Cuzco early doors. All these flights is damaging my ear drums with the constant popping here, there and everywhere. Feel like I’m forever up in the sky!

Even though none of us had enough time to see Lima we got the jist that this place and country does not have much money and poverty is quite a big thing here so we were all instructed to be vigilant at all times for pickpockets and suspicious behaviour. The air outside didn’t smell too healthy either so, so far Peru your really not amazing me!

Onto our flight to Cuzco and it was yet another short flight. We were all based near one another and used this an equal opportunity to get to know one another better. More English are added to the group also which was nice as it was here I got to meet Monica and Linda who are two best friends I mistook for being sisters, Rebecca and James who were on their honeymoon and climbing the Inca as part of it, very daring! Another Norwegian couple also, Kristine and Hans. These Norwegians love to travel don’t they! They are the third Norwegian couple I’ve met so far on this trip. All are such lovely people and we all had the same desires to complete this remarkable feat and task some way or another.

After collecting our luggage bags and cases from Cuzco airport we are all introduced to who is going to be our illustrious leader to help lead us to victory and conquer the Inca itself, Elias! The name itself sounded like he were a mythological God of some sort to me. Many of us were all very tired and weary from all the chopping and changing in and out of hotels, packing, buses and of course the flying as well within the past 24-48 hours but there was something about Elias I hadnt come across yet this entire trip. It was like he had this aura and charm about him where he would blow you away with his charisma and had this ability to make everybody stop doing whatever they were doing and spellbind them into his full asserted deserved attention.

One line I recall that stood out for me was that he was adamant no matter how hard the trail is for all of us he will make sure ‘EVERYBODY’ will get to the finishing line and that Ladies and Gents is Machu Picchu! We were then all asked to give a short introduction about ourselves individually to him so that everybody within the group got to find out a bit more about who they are hanging with for the next week. Elias seemed to take a distinct interest in my name which of course on my passport reads William. I got compared to the late William Wallace a.k.a ‘Braveheart’ as Elias was obviously a fan of the film itself. Little did I know that name was going to be mentioned a lot over the next few days!

We got to our hotel around Midday. I was losing track of the days by now as we had been on the move so much. Elias gave us a small briefing of the plans for the rest of the day and informed us all we were going to be tasting for the first time ever, coca tea!!? I ask myself, isn’t that tea with cocaine!? Yes indeed it is! Coca leaves are left in hot water to give the tea it’s natural flavour and it’s not actually that bad if I’m honest! After ten mins it starts to kick in and all of us are not surprisingly a little more perky afterwards! This would also play a big factor throughout the duration of next few days!

So plan was to head out into the town of ‘Plaza De Armas’, have a good walk around as a group, take in Elias excellent education of the city itself and try out some Peruvian food! I decided to go with a alpaca burger which was very tough to chew and incredibly chewy! I didn’t even realise what an alpaca was until after eating the dam thing! It was at that moment my heart sank and I felt a hint of sadness! I have just eaten one of the cutest things here in Peru and it’s immediately put me off my desert! The beers here are nice though as a consolation! Another Cusquena please!

We then had a walk around ‘Plaza Regocijo’ and tried out some of the street market food within the town and obviously a lot of us are still full from dinner but we pass a banana leaf plantain food stand and try it out. It’s delicious and left me feeling not so guilty like I was with the alpaca earlier! Peruvians are also known for having 3000 yes 3000 varieties of potato types which is a heck of a lot of carbs if you ask me. Lots of alpaca’s, llamas and also baby lambs are walked around here in town by some nasty old ladies where they are used for photos. These ladies are very heavy handed with the poor things and slap them across the face when they misbehave which I was fuming about witnessing in person. Obviously I speak no Espanyol but made it clear to one of these ladies with a lets just say hand gesture and she knew exactly what my take on this was! Call it a bit rich from me eating one previously but in fairness I didn’t have a clue what I was eating in first place. Would of preferred eating one of those nasty old hags instead if you want me to be completely honest!

We then passed a well known market area that Elias had warned us about called San Pedro. I have no idea who this San Pedro person is but I have come across a lot of places with the same name during my time in South America throughout. This market in itself is perfect for an alpaca jumper (they don’t kill them for fur before you ask!) as the temperature drops here in Cuzco at night rather quickly due to the high altitude. It can get very hot here during the day through summer season though.

After finishing our walk around Plaza De Armas and getting a feel for our surroundings we then went back to our hotels to unpack and have some more Coca tea ;). The plan later was to go to the G Adventures Office based back in town to discuss more about the next couple of days, what to expect and possibly meet some more new team members to the group! Team U.S.A! This consisted of Jess, Britney (NOT SPEARS) and Colleen. I don’t think the ponytail I was rocking out currently at the time was doing it for them lol. I got some weird ass looks and thought to myself how am I going to break the ice with these three!? It wasn’t going to be happening overnight I don’t think. If I’m honest they were probably feeling slightly nervous being added to our group. It’s never easy doing I should know as I had to do it previously back in Quito before.

Elias then gave us the run down of what to expect throughout the trip and that our most challenging task will be Day Two of the trail which is named ‘Dead Women’s Pass’. I stopped and thought to myself what on earth is the reason it got given that name. The hill was oddly shaped to look like a naked woman!? Still saying to myself.. WTF!? If we are going to be hiking and climbing for three and a bit days we need a good idea of what we are letting ourselves in for! Game face back on.

It was important for us all that we spent a couple of days in Cuzco to adapt to being 3,000 metres above sea level already just by walking around the city itself. It’s important to get a feel of the altitude in general before it be getting a lot worse for us all on the trail itself. So after the group discussion it was time to head back to our hotel. So many dogs here in Cuzco at night! They all seem to know one another and run around the place like it’s their back garden. We are talking all different breeds here too! Very strange! A few of the group went out for dinner that night and I chose not to as I was in need of rest. A wise decision made in the end. I will explain why in a bit shortly…

The next day it was time for yet more coca tea to wake us all up. Then grab some brekkie and head off out to see the White Christ (Cristo Blanco) which was located up a fairly steep hill that our coach we had for the day drove us up near a place called ‘Saqsaywaman’. The statue in itself was actually built by a Palestinian Christian group seeking refuge in Cusco in 1945. It was a symbol of their love and gratitude towards the city and was parting gift when returning back to their home country. Check this out!

Learning that Cuzco is a city with such rich history it was also the capital of the great Incan Empire for two hundred years so it gave me a great sense of satisfaction that I am so fortunate to be put in put in this position. All of the main temples that are associated with the Incas are based in Cuzco itself so there’s always something to do and see in this very spiritual city.

Going back as far as the 1500s Cuzco was already known for its wealth. The Saphi river crossed through the central square and divided the city into two sectors, upper part was ‘Hanan’ and lower was ‘Urin’. Many people believed the city was shaped in the shape of a puma, a sacred animal for a sacred city. Sadly though because of Cuzco’s wealth and power it used to have the Spanish deciding on to invade and change the entire image of the city itself. The Spanish were a wreckless bunch and destroyed Incan buildings temples and palaces. They used whatever remains there were for new foundations for the construction of the new city. Dam these Spanish! Talk about greed!? The Spanish were so powerful back in the day and even had the nerve to build their own churches with the stones from the demolished Incan Buildings. This is something Elias took great pride in telling us all about as they are unlike anything else you will find in the world. Well maybe in Egypt. Legend has it that they might be linked together in some way to stones from the famous pyramids but don’t even ask me how that would work. We were asked not to touch them as they are unlike anything you will ever witness plus very sacred. It’s probably no conspiracy theory as to why Spanish is the most popular language spoken over this side of the world. They invaded everywhere it seemed! Here’s some of those magical stones…

There is lots more history I could go over with you regarding Inca and Cuzco but don’t want to bore you from what I am normally writing about lol! There is lots to digest and if your genuinely interested then I really do suggest have a read up yourself about it all and take it all in. I assure you after discovering it all for yourself you will want to a lot like me become an Incan warrior yourself! Ok History lesson is now over, class dismissed!

The next part of the day consisted of going through the ‘Sacred Valley’ in the Maras Moray and Pisac areas but first it was a trip to the Parwa community to witness not only luckily for us a beautiful ceremony of Peruvian people celebrating and rejoicing a soon to be wedded bride and her future husband. There was a lot of dancing and parading going on and it gave me great pleasure at getting to witness and be a part of something so rare. They were even drinking the local beers to celebrate, Peruvians like to party it would seem! We also got the privilege of trying out some more local village food, coffee, more coca tea of course and lastly if we wanted to purchase some of the amazing hand made knitted knitwear by some very talented older Peruvian ladies. Alpaca and llama fur is a huge trend in Peru and I can’t stress enough to you on the change of weather within the evening come nightfall how valuable that gear always is!

After having a good time partying it was on to the Sacred Valley to explore the Pisac Ruins. There is a huge archaeological site that Elias explains to us about as why the valley is known as the ‘Valley of Yucay’ which was formed by the ‘Urubamba River’! Yet another spiritual place to visit and contains numerous archaeological remains as well as villages where people still live to this very day. Here we did a mini hike and went for a bit of a walk up through some of the ruins to get a better feel for what the future holds for us all and most importantly how our fitness is! I took my time as I was still adapting to hikes of this magnitude in general being as my last was about a month ago or so.

Once finishing up there it was on to a new hotel based in Ollantaytambo where being as I was the only solo in the group I am sorted right out with another big double all to myself for one night only as the next night will be inside my very own private single tent! Scary stuff! No point in unpacking here as we left all of our other bits that weren’t needed back at the original hotel in town as the limit we are allowed to carry is 5kg on our backs for the trail itself.

We then made our way towards the town of ‘Maras’ and got to see some more archaeological ruins and for the first time, Inca Stairs! To Elias these were named Inca Flat but trust me on this one, nothing about these stairs is flat in the slightest!

It’s here where we get a real feel of what lies up ahead for us all with the steep stairs, the thinner the air becomes the higher we climb upwards and obviously the colder it gets at night there. Elias also pointed out a face moulded into some of the cliffs of what looks to be like an Incan Warrior I would presume! Have a look for yourselves below! Creepy stuff! I can see a few faces to be fair!

There is something very spiritual about this country as a whole. It feels as if there is some kind of presence here which is very hard to describe. Suppose you best just visit to experience it for yourself!

As the night drew closer we finished up and went and visited a street market selling yet again all types of woolies and arranged our last restaurant meal before the big day. That night we all prepared ourselves for the long road up ahead. Our time in Ollantaytambo is over and the next step is Wayllabamba Camp.

The Inca Trail trip extravaganza has now begun… TIME TO CLIMB!