The Inca Trail - Day 1

Yes, we did it! 4 long days of hiking in stunning mountains, along the same path that the royalty and spiritual leaders of the Incas walked, followed by a full day of touring Machu Picchu, which is quite a hike in and of itself. We can't express how amazing it was - the views, the history, and the accomplishment of doing something we didn't think our bodies would let us do.

On the first day, the tour company was smart: the trail is a gradual climb, they fed us a fabulous lunch and dinner, set up our tent and our Thermarest sleeping pads for us, and convinced us that we could survive Day 2. Our guide, Juan, picked us up in the plaza in Coya and we drove to Ollyantaytambo to meet our 4 porters and our cook. Then it was off to Kilometer 82 to start our trek.

There are believed to be 8 Inca Trails to Machu Picchu, but only 5 have been discovered so far. From Kilometer 82, there are two. One runs along next to the river, and is now the train tracks. This was used by everyday people, and it is much more direct! The trail we took was used by royalty and religious leaders, and it is definitely a pilgrimage, not a road for people in a hurry.

Highlights of Day 1 were:
- smearing mushed insects on our faces to ward off spirits of the dead
- eating tuna (which is cactus fruit, not a fish)
- eating cuy (guinea pig)
- the snow capped mountains that peeked out at us and kept me inspired as we walked
- having someone else carry everything, cook everything, and set up our tent
- camping out under a clear, starlit sky