Machu Pittchu was a riot for the Inca Princess
Trip Start
Jun 20, 2007
1
6
12
Trip End
Aug 16, 2007
Machu PicchuThe Lares Trek, Peru
Friday, July 13, 2007
Day 1 - Illness Hits Hard
Day one of the Lares Trek involved setting off at 5.30am, stopping for a bit of breakfast about an hour down the road, going on a 3 hour trek before stopping for lunch in the village of Lares and meeting some of the original Inca people. In the afternoon then we were set to hike to about 4,200m and finally set up camp there for the night. Unfortunately for me - the Lares Trek didn`t get off to a good start.
On the Monday night before we left (at 5.30am) I started to feel a little unwell. So by the time we got to breakfast I was really feeling like I was coming down with something nasty. I described the symptoms to Isaac, our guide. His prognosis - we will stop at the market and while the others are buying little presents for the Inca children, we will get you some dehydration salts and antibiotics...."okay", says me! In fairness to Isaac, he was monitoring my symptoms regularly. This was mainly due to the altitude. Apparently altitude sickness is a common occurrence on this trek....the symptoms of which include nausea, dizziness and headaches....I won`t go into some of the more "nasty symptoms"!
Anyway when we stopped at the market I was still feeling terrible and Isaac sorted me out with some water and dehydration salts to take before we got back on the bus. I thought the dehydration salts would sort me out. I was wrong. The closer we got to the place where we were going to start our 3 hour trek - the worse I started to feel. When we finally got off the bus to start the walk, I had to get straight back on the bus and take a ride with the porters and chefs to the place we were going to stop for lunch. Isaac organised that Fabian (one of the porters, who hadn`t a word of English) would set up a tent for me and that I could try to sleep off the illness. So when the bus stopped I tried just that. When I woke up I felt like Harrison Ford in the film "Witness". As I climbed out of the tent all of the porters were looking at me and so were all the little Inca children, as if I had 10 heads!
Anyway I got up and had lunch with the others thinking I was feeling better. Luckily as we set off on the 4 hour afternoon trek Isaac suggested I go by horse and not walk, as I wasn`t looking the best. So Mauro (the other guide) introduced me to Napolean - my horse! So the others set off walking and Mauro & I followed along behind. When we finally caught up with the others at the first resting place I yelled "get me off the horse"! Mauro pulled me off and I ran around a rock and was violently ill...a great way for me to introduce myself to "my new best friends" on the Lares Trek. NOT! From that moment on Isaac referred to me as the Inca Princess, as I was following all the trekkers on my horse! I assure you - it sounds more glamorous than it was considering the Inca Princess was making regular stops along the trek with Mauro to get sick! I think it was the longest 4 hours of my life.....
When we finally got to our resting place for the night the Spanish teacher kindly put me to rest....with a temperature of about 102 degrees, the shivers and the rest.....it is no wonder I slept for 15 hours!
Day 2 - Reaching the Summit
After a long night´s sleep I thought i´d be 100% in the morning....but I was wrong....I was still suffering badly. While the others set off on a four hour uphill trek to the Ipsaychocha Pass about 4200m in the Andean mountains, I got up on Napolean, my horse with Fabian one of the porters leading the way.....Isaac informed me that Fabian would be able to get my way to the Ipsaychocha Pass in as short a time period as possible. He wasn`t wrong....Fabian carried my backpack, his own and dragged Napolean and myself uphill for about 2.5 hours...not once did he stop for water....I, on the other hand, had to get himself and Juan Carlos to help the "Inca Princess" off the horse because a) I wasn`t feeling well or b) I couldn`t sit on the horse anymore because my ass was killing me so much!!!! I am definitely not built for horseriding.... Anyway I did feel a little bit better, so I managed a few photos on the uphill trek to the Pass. When we eventually got to the stopping place for lunch Fabian set me up with another tent to lie down in and brought me over a blanket....I had yet another nap!
At lunchtime I still couldn`t stomach any food...and I was freezing. My patience was wearing thin....I couldn`t bare to face into yet another 3 hour trek....on a horse! But Isaac insisted that I, the Inca Princess, would eventually survive whatever it was I had and get to enjoy Day 4 which was to be the highlight - Machu Pittchu. I struggled to believe him.
In the afternoon we set off on another 4 hour trek - this time downhill. The views were lovely and I did manage to take a photo or two.....by the time we (Fabian, Napolean and I) reached the village where we were stopping for the night I was shattered....I could hardly walk I had been on the horse for so long!!!! I took a rest in the tent and got up when the others arrived....we had dinner and I actually managed some dry bread and rice....was I getting better??!! After dinner I was actually the last to go to bed...this might have been something to do with the fact that I had slept about 15 hours or more in each of the past 2 days!
Day 3 - The Riots
Finally I was feeling a bit better.....I managed to get up, eat some dry toast and a spoonful of porridge. Energy levels were low but at least I was not feeling like I was going to die in the Andean mountains.....AND there was no more horse riding to be done. The plan for the day was a 4 hour downhill walk back to the village of Ollytetambo, to have lunch there and then get a train to Aguas Calientes - the gateway to Machu Pittchu.
So off we set on our 4 hour walk.....we stopped a few times along the way to have water but I managed it quite well, considering the lack of food and nutrients in my body. The only thing was...I was starting to feel the long term affects of being the Inca Princess on horseback for 2 solid days....in the form of some serious muscle pains. Pre-season GAA training has nothing on 2 solid days of horseriding!!!
When we got to Ollytetambo we sat down for lunch in a "restaurant" set up by SAS - a table in the car park. I again, ate something small and we had the bid farewell to our all of our guides, chefs and porters. From here Isaac would bring us to Aguas Calientes. After lunch we were given 2 hours to look around the town. The IT nerd headed off with Paul, Helen and Guy (our "new best friends") while Bren and I headed for the town square with Carol (a tourguide from Peru).
What did we come across? Only a riot in the town square....apparently the farmers were protesting publically about the increase in costs of the fertilisers in the area. So they were publically displaying their anger....when suddenly I look behind us and there are riot police approaching carrying tear gas and guns! Aaaaaaaaaaaghhhhhhhhhh! Did we run....! I got such a fright. Carol brought us over to the police station and we sat there as onlookers for about 20 minutes. Brenda Curran (Sky News) was getting very excited taking photos by the dozen and was trying to get closer to the action. Eventually when we thought nothing was happening we started walking away from the main square (thank god, i thought!).....but just as we left there was an explosion - of tear gas going off. Brenda (Curran - Sky News) was very annoyed she had missed the action and herself and Carol headed back up the hill to action. I, on the other hand, had had enough drama for 2 days....and hung back with some Canadian girls on our trip. Then suddenly I look up and Brenda (Curran - Sky News) is sprinting down the hill followed by riot police and loads of Bogey Peruvian Farmers! Well...did I laugh. Luckily for Brenda she was untouched.....one Irish girl wasn`t so lucky and spent about an hour crying from the tear gas. We did manage to see some of the locals carrying one unlucky protestor on a stretcher....a tear gas bomb had exploded in his face...there was blood everywhere..... All in a days work in Peru though. Never a dull moment!
And the drama wasn´t over. As we eventually dragged Brenda (Curran - Sky News) away from the protests and went to the train station we heard that the teachers strike was still not over and that our train would be delayed (they didn`t know how long) until they cleared the rocks off the train track....eh what? Teachers strikes in Peru involve blocking roads and train tracks with large boulders....we must try that in Ireland. NOT! So we sat outside a pub and the others drank a few beers and had something to eat. 5 hours later....we were still there. We lined up outside the entrance and hurled abuse in all languages (Paul and myself chose Irish) at the train station staff. The lack of communication and a plan was ridiculous. Eventually at 10pm we shoved our way to the front (there was nearly another riot and stampeed) and got on the train trip to Aguas Calientes....we would have 3 hours sleep in our hostel because we would have a 6am start to make sure we got up to Machu Pittchu in time to see it`s true beauty. What did I care? I was starting to feel a lot better....and get my appetite back.... yay!
Day 4 - The Highlight
At the ungodly hour of 5am we got up in the morning and were on the bus by 5.30am heading to Machu Pittchu. I have to say all the illness and dramas I had been through in the previous 3 days were all worthwhile when I sat on the bus going up the mountain to Machu Pittchu. The views were amazing.....huge mountains and rivers towering over the town of Aguas Calientes.....it was really something else. When we finally paid in and saw Machu Pittchu for the first time it was a real "wow" moment.....I couldn´t believe I had made it. There were nearly tears in my eyes....I said nearly! Isaac brought us on a 2 hour tour showing us all the sights - the Temples of the Sun, Wind, etc, The Sundials, the sleeping quarters...everything. It was all very interesting except that on 3 hours sleep, we could hardly listen to all the information he was giving us....I was snap happy. I figured if I remembered it photographically...that would be enough. The IT nerd was taking it all in....so if you have any questions you can ask him!! Hee hee....
After our tour Isaac advised that we take the steep uphill climb to the 700m mountain peek overlooking Machu Pittchu (they only let 400 people up a day). I was reluctant because energy levels were low but many of the others were suffering bad hangovers....so we decided to all go up to the peak. Myself and Paul were stragglers but the challenge was there and we accepted it..... When we finally reached the peak my muscles were shaking....not only because we were standing on a very skinny rock thousands of metres in the air but because my muscles were about to snap due to the horseriding from the previous few days! BUT I made it....and it was worth it. Absolutely amazing. Check out some of the photos....
After the much anticipated highlight of Machu Pittchu we were made. Unfortunately for the IT nerd, the Spanish teacher and myself SAS had made a big boo boo where are train ticket home were concerned and they had put us on a train 6 hours after our group. Thankfully Brenda and I had a bit of fight in us and got back on a train shortly after the rest of our group. The trip home in the bus was a right off....I felt like I had been run over by a bus...I was in physical, mental and God knows what else pain with not an ounce of energy. Getting into bed in the hostel in Cuzco that night was......such an effort but it had all been worthwhile...just to see the lovely Machu Pittchu.
The Lares Trek - hard work but....
Machu Pittchu - well worth while.....I highly recommend it!
