The 16 of us unknowingly got on the bus at 6 am, with sheer excitement and bold aspirations of hiking the Inka Trail. Little did we know the details of what it would actually entail; which is probably for the better. So I have 8 kg’s stuffed into a duffle bag for the porters to carry, and my day pack. No phone, no internet, no real communication with the rest of the world, other than among the 16 of us and our guides and porters. Oh and did I mention..no showers for 4 days. This should be an interesting change of lifestyle from the reckless overindulgence of my life in Dubai. Hopefully these 4 days will bring me back to reality, though in an abrupt fashion.
The first day’s hike was supposed to be the easiest. It is a mix of flatlands and hills, with more hills as we progress through the day. We learn some of the key rules while hiking, yell Porter when you see the porters walking by, and always move to the mountainside to let them pass. There is a nice combination of hiking and stopping to learn more about the Incan civilization. It originated in Cusco and the Incans expanded it in a series of circles, with many walking trails, the way they got around. I just watch the porters in sheer amazement as they rip through the trails, carrying 10kgs or more, some of them in slippers. Our guides tell us that they have an annual race to see who can hike the trail the fastest, with some porters making it to Machu Picchu in under 6 hours…just amazing.
Physically I feel ok the first day, but just a little challenged with hiking in the dark as we didn’t make it to the camp site before sunset. You don’t realize how hard it is to walk to a through the grass, down some stairs, across a field, down another set of mud stairs, around some cows and carefully trying not to step in cow shit, to get to the bathroom. Oh yea, and in the DARK. There is no running water, and it’s a hole in the ground, similar to bathrooms in rural India. I just hope I don’t slip and fall in, it requires extraordinary multitasking..holding the flashlight, toilet paper, hand sanitizer all while trying to use the bathroom. I must say, the food is incredible, nothing I’d expect on a 4 day camping trip. We are in the middle of the mountains, yet the chefs make some insane meals on their little burners and portable stoves. They even baked a cake for our tour guide’s birthday. I wish I hiked fast enough to go watch them cook. After star gazing for a bit, we turn into bed as the porters will be waking us up at 5am sharp the next morning.
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