Walk Like the Incas

A confession: I nearly deleted this entire post. It has frustrated me to write it. I had such anticipation for the Inca Trail, and I loved all of it. I was excited to be doing something so iconic, satisfied to capably accomplish something that I feared I might struggle with, and invigorated by spending four days walking in fresh Fall air among some of the most beautiful terrain I have seen.  I was antsy at the start, waiting to take the first step at Km 82, and giddy at 4:30am on day 4, waiting in the rain to enter the last stretch. And I was dead tired at the end of it all. Beyond that, there is of course more story, but I feel the details don’t do justice to my experience, which competes for top spot on this trip, and near the top of all my traveling. That said, I spent a lot of time writing this, so please read on…

On the evening April 6, after our sojourn on Easter Island, we landed in Lima, Peru. On the morning of the 7^th, we were back at the airport for our quick flight to Cusco, a town at 3,360m (11,000 ft). Due to the altitude, a few days stay in Cusco is pretty much the prerequisite to any Inca Trail hike – here you learn whether or not your body can function with slightly less oxygen than it may normally be accustomed to. Fortunately, we suffered only minorly with headaches and light-headedness, so we were good to go!

We were also lucky that our hotel was inviting enough to spend many hours doing a lot of nothing, as we planned on doing a whole lot of nothing during our couple days in Cusco. That said, we were pleasantly surprised by Cusco – it was definitely a tourist-centered town but it didn’t feel overbearing in that way.  We weren’t hounded by hawkers, and we managed to find good, cheap, local food with relative ease.

Courtyard at Hotel Niños

Plaza de Armas, Cusco

OK on to the good stuff. Hiking the Inca Trail was one of our most-anticipated parts of this trip, and I was SO anxious to get it started!  After much research we signed up with a company called Wayki Trek, which we chose for a few reasons: they keep their groups small (maximum 8 people); they have a reputation treating their porters well; and, of course, we found them to be “price reasonable”. One bonus of trekking with Wayki is you can sign up for an optional free night’s homestay in the porters’ village, and see what life is like for the Quechuan people in the mountains of Peru.  Of course we signed up for this, and so we started our expedition a day in advance, traveling with our excellent guide Edwin up to the village of Huayllacocha, from which the company hires its porters. It also happened to be Edwin’s home village, although like many of his generation (he’s 29), he has permanently swapped village life for city life.

Quechua village nestled in the Andes

An unfortunate mishap

During our homestay we didn’t stay in the family house as in Laos (rather we slept in a tent, and had use of a drop toilet outhouse next to which the family’s donkeys were tethered for the night), but we did have our supper with them and spend the evening in the company of the family and some of the porters. This included dining on dried corn porridge (corn is ubiquitous in Peruvian cuisine, as it grows abundantly – not to mention freakishly large!), as well as dancing with a porter and the head porter's wife to some folk music… all while guinea pigs scurried underfoot.  The kitchen was crawling with them – the family keeps them for food, and there were so many that when Edwin told us the fresh cheese with breakfast was guinea pig cheese, we believed him (for a second).

Thankfully the steps were quite simple

Corn so big you picked off the individual kernels to eat it
(photo courtesy of Phi, one of our fellow hikers)

Getting fattened up!
(This photo also courtesy of Phi, as somehow we didn't get any pix of the corn or the pigs!)

In the morning, we were met by our hiking partners Matt & Phi, and started our trek in a non-traditional way – with Peruvian presidential elections! There were 12 candidates, with 5 in serious contention. A simple majority is needed to win, so this election wouldn’t even be the deciding one; there would be a run-off in June between the top 2 vote-getters. But in Peru, voting is mandatory, and so before we could start our hike our porters & guide needed to vote.  If they didn’t, the government would fine them (debit their bank accounts) by $160, which is of course more substantial than it looks on paper when you put it in Peru terms. We finally hit the trail around 2pm, rather than the typical 10 or 11am start.

Villagers walk several miles to the nearest large town (Huarocondo) to cast their ballots

Quechuans Queueing

And... we're off!  As soon as we finish taking these pictures...

We were on the classic Inca Trail hike of 4 days / 3 nights, which took us up, over, and down 45km (28mi) of dirt and stone. Each day except the last started with a steep uphill climb – and on the first day we both though, uh oh, this is going to be more challenging than we thought. But we found our rhythm and while the walk was challenging, we are proud that we can say we didn’t really struggle with it. Even the infamous day 2 - the morning of which ascends about 1200m (over 3,900 ft), crosses “Dead Woman’s Pass” at the highest point on the trail at 4125m (13,829 ft), and descends to camp for another couple hours – we found not easy, but not too bad either. Actually, I found all the steps down on Day 3 the biggest challenge, and was glad to have rented hiking poles (which are now on my Christmas list). [Note “Dead Woman’s Pass” is not named for an unfortunate hiker; rather someone decided the hills that flank the pass rather looked like a woman on her back…]

Short break!

Jason looks back on our progress

At the peak of Warmiwañusca, aka Dead Woman's Pass

Each evening we had ‘happy hour’ of popcorn, crackers & jam, and hot chocolate, and then dinner which was surprisingly good given the conditions. Our porter team carried all the supplies (including food, stove, tents, etc.) along the trail, each guy carrying about 20kg (44 lbs). Somehow they do this with speed that allows them to have everything set up by the time we arrive – you should see these guys move, especially on the downhill, uneven stony paths.

Our most scenic campsite, night 2 at Pacamayo

Dig in! 

Our porter team

Look at the load these guys carry!

Of course one of the reasons for hiking the trail – other than the incredible scenery – is to see the Incan ruins. Edwin (our guide) was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the Incan history, and gave us a good briefing of each of the many sites we came upon. Phi was badly affected by the altitude and needed to move slowly, so often Jason & I would go ahead while Edwin stayed with the other pair.  This meant much of the time we were hiking on our own – in the sense we were not with our group, and miraculously not around many other people, either. This actually made for a very unique Trail experience, as most people are shepherded along in a group of 12-16 or so.  At any rate, we were able to make a detour to see Winaywayna, one of the most remarkable of all the ruins. Unfortunately we didn’t have Edwin’s insights, but we did have the place to ourselves.

Edwin & Jason, chatting about the Incas

Incredible location of Winaywayna

The impressive remains of Winaywayna

Looking a little matted at the end of Day 3

On the whole, we were lucky with the weather, with only a few drizzles here and there. On the last morning – a 3:30am wake-up to head to the Sun Gate, followed by arrival at our ultimate destination, Machu Picchu, we were greeted with a steady rain. We stood in this for an hour as we waited for the trail to open, and it slowly cleared up as we hiked. When we arrived at the Sun Gate, this was our view:

Not so sunny

We waited for it to clear a little, then headed to the trail’s end, where we were treated to this view:

What?! This is not what it looked like in the guidebooks!

All the same, it was incredible to have come this far.  Edwin gave us a thorough and spirited tour of the ruins, but to be honest we were pretty beat and just wanted to sit down.  Eventually we had our chance, and we marveled at the beauty of the location, how any ancient people could have found this spot, chosen it to build on, have done so with such skill (yet somehow they left no art behind?).  The weather cleared and we walked back up to ensure we got the most ‘important’ picture of the trip:

See? We're really there!

OK, this one may be more 'traditional'

We left Machu Picchu completely exhausted yet wholly satisfied. 

The rest of our stay in Peru was marred by a delayed train back to Cusco, a jam explosion in my backpack, a city water restriction after said jam explosion, and a lukewarm drip of a shower (after not having had one for 5 days) after a restless 4 hours of sleep.  We also spent a transit day in Lima, which from what I can remember was enjoyable, although I was quite sleepy.  I do remember a couple locals kindly advising us not to go further down a particular street, for our own safety – the rest I pretty much remember because we have some pictures. And eventually, we left it all behind on a 1:30am flight to Uruguay. 

An Enchanting Isle

When we were planning our round-the-world ticket, we had a lot of fun playing with OneWorld’s interactive RTW trip-planning map. With it, you can map out a route and as you select each destination, it shows you where you can fly next, either directly or with one stop.  When we saw we could fly to Easter Island direct from Santiago and then onto Lima, there was no doubt this strange island would be one of our stops.

In case you’re not certain where Easter Island is (we weren’t before this trip), here is a map to help you out.

It’s not near Scotland, or anywhere else for that matter.  (Thanks to somecontrast.com from whom I lifted this excellent image.) It’s the most remote inhabited place in the world.  Easter Island is part of Chile, but a world away and more Polynesian than anything.

We spent 3 days (April 3-6) on this naturally beautiful island, whose primary attraction is, of course, the enigmatic moai stone statues that dot the coast of the island. There doesn’t seem to be one definitive history on the statues (especially on how they came to be), but between the 17^th & 19^th centuries, many were toppled or destroyed from tribal fighting, and several others have fallen victim to tsunamis, earthquakes, and other natural disasters over the years.  There are several standing today, but that is mainly due to restoration efforts over the past century. 

Ahu (platform) Tahai with Ahu Vai Uri in the background

Ahu Tongariki at the east end of the south coast

The uniquely inland, seaward-facing moai of Ahu Akivi

If it was oddly thrilling to see these guys guarding the island from the sea (or so it seemed), then it was even more strangely sad to see those who had been left in their toppled state.  Several sites have been left untouched, with statues face-down in the dirt and their “hats” scattered about nearby.

Large 'hat' of one of the moai at Ahu Vaihu

A sad scene at Ahu Vaihu

Jason inspects a fallen moai near the Rano Raraku quarry

In our typical style, we did our sight-seeing under our own power, either on rented bicycles or on our increasingly weary feet.  We covered two of the three coasts of the triangular island, completely wearing ourselves out each day. Thankfully, we had the perfect location to return to: a little self-catering hostel where we sat on the west-facing patio, sipped our beer and watched the sun set every night. After the sun went down, we would make spaghetti and share a bottle of wine and listen to the vigorous crashing of the waves.

Our rented mountain bikes

Resting and enjoying the late afternoon on our patio

View from the patio

One of three spectacular sunsets

It was enthralling, bizarre, and unexpectedly picturesque. We kept saying to each other ‘Take it in, this is one place we won’t be back to.’ But I’m not too sure about that.

Dipping our toes into South America

As we were in the process of planning the whole trip, South America was the biggest uncertainty for me. While places like Vietnam and Cambodia sound a world away, and in some aspects are, the tourist trail has been well beaten in these parts recently making them seem much less intimidating. In my mind South America seemed likely to present more challenges with simple communication and safety, particularly in Peru and Argentina. Despite a bit of a rough start in Chile, almost entirely due to our complete unpreparedness regarding maps or travel guide, traveling in South America proved much simpler than I ever imagined. 

We arrived in Chile on March 22, and began our time there with three nights / two days in Santa Cruz, at the heart of wine country. We stayed at a ‘hostel’ that amounted to a woman’s house; she rented out her three rooms and slept at her parents’ place around the corner if the rooms were all booked. Despite speaking as much English as we do Spanish – that is, not much – she couldn’t have been more friendly or helpful in getting us settled in. She recommended a great dinner in town for our first night and helped us set up several winery visits for our first full day. The visits to three different wineries included spectacular scenery, a fantastic lunch and some excellent red wines.

Gondola ride on Vina Santa Cruz estate

Enjoying a 'light lunch' of bistek al pobre

Our second day was spent visiting the coastal town of Pichilemu (which fast became one of our favorite words to say) about 80km from Santa Cruz. The area is essentially a medium sized surf town with a lot of seasonal tourists but otherwise not much else going on. We were a bit out of season but the weather was still nice for a stroll along what was essentially an empty beach and for a casual lunch overlooking the ocean. 

On the beach in Pichilemu

Lunch with a view

After our time in Santa Cruz we backtracked a bit heading to Buin, just south of Santiago, to the vineyards of one of Chile’s largest wineries, Santa Rita. The visit, which included a night at the amazing onsite hotel, was arranged by our friend Hal who works for a wine importer in NYC. We enjoyed a brief tour and tasting, the highlight of which was seeing the modern production facilities, followed by an absolutely amazing and filling lunch at the winery’s restaurant. Our complementary dinner at the hotel ended up being a private dining experience as we were one of two couples staying at the hotel, and even included a pre-dinner pisco sour and cheese plate in the pool room. After almost three months of basic accommodation and simple dining to say we appreciated the experience is a drastic understatement. Thanks Hal!!! 

The vines are almost ready for harvest

Jess approves of the grapes

The gardens of the Casa Real hotel

Pre-dinner pool at Santa Rita's hotel

We had originally planned to go a good distance south in Chile before returning to the Santiago area for our last few days, but a in rare moment of clarity we changed our plans to limit the time spent on the road. We decided to only go as far south as Talca, a medium-sized town a few hundred kilometers south of Santiago. We settled into the quaint Austro/German run Casa Chueca, about 10km out of the downtown area, for four nights - our longest stay in one spot since Zanzibar in mid-January. Our time around Talca was a contrast of relaxation and physical strain as we undertook a fairly strenuous 25km hike in the Vilches national park area, which started around 11am and didn’t end till about 6:30pm, an hour after the park gates officially closed. Jess, always looking for the most challenging approach, decided to do the hike in her sandals (in fairness the sandals were due to an ongoing Achilles heel problem and she couldn’t wear her boots). Needless to say by the end of the hike there was a fair amount of ‘sharing of discomforts’…but thankfully no complaining. 

The next day Jess took a much needed rest day while I joined up with Wayne, a guidebook writer who was staying at the guesthouse, and a German girl for a private guided tour/short trek to a private park on the other side of the mountain from where we had hiked the previous day. The walking was far less cumbersome, thankfully, with highlight of the day being a stop for a lunch break by the river and not encountering another person the whole time. 

On the grounds of Casa Chueca

Jess is a trooper in her sandals in the Vilches

Mystery hike

Our final day in the region took us on the road that ultimately would lead through the Andes to Argentina for a visit to several well-hidden waterfalls. While the drive took a good two hours it was well worth it for the amazing scenery along the way and the unique and secluded setting at the falls. Completely unnoticeable from the road expect for spray when the wind picks up, we parked on the side of the highway and hiked out about 200m for an over-the-cliff look. For the 90 minutes we spent exploring the area we were the only people walking around and hardly a car passed by on the road. In constant amazement of the scenery, the little side trip ended up being one of our most enjoyable experiences in Chile. 

Leaning over the edge to check out a waterfall

We saw waterfalls AND we figured out how to use the auto-timer! 

From Talca we drove back to Santiago, dropped of the rental car at the airport and headed into the center where we caught a bus to Valparaiso. The bus and logistical process was as simple as we could have hoped for, further countering our concerns about travel in South America. Valparaiso is a coastal town about two hours from Santiago, largely set in steep hills leading down to the ocean - felt a bit like San Francisco crossed with Lisbon. Our time was largely spent wandering the streets and hills, taking in the views and the abundance of street art/graffiti. As usual we found some time to sample the local cuisine including an absolute heart attack on a plate called chorrillana. 

In the hills of Valparaiso

Pablo Neruda's view of the city

And if you like chorrillanas wait til you see chivitos!

The other highlight was a visit to two of the city’s three cemeteries, which have been officially closed since the earthquake in February 2010 but still admit visitors in small numbers if you can find a guard or caretaker. Aside from the grandeur of the tombs and the amazing views, the damage to a number of the tombs was striking. 

We ended our time in Chile with two nights in Santiago, a large sprawling city with a number of distinct neighborhoods but a limited number of must-see sites beyond the large main square and two hills (Santa Lucia and San Cristobal) that dot the city. Aside from some leisurely exploring and shoe shopping for Jess we enjoyed two excellent dinners, the second at a restaurant named Las Vacas Gordas (The Fat Cows) - how could you possibly go wrong with that? 

On Santa Lucia hill with San Cristobal in the background

Santiago's Plaza de Armas

Our 12 days in Chile were a nice mix of experiences and a good introduction to South America. We ate far better, and more, than we had expected, and enjoyed our time the beautiful Santa Cruz wine region and hiking in Talca without much around us but nature.