Monday, September 1, 2008

A new level of soreness

Sitting in a hotel lobby, my legs are still sore from the 5-day trek through the Andes to Machu Pichu. The most traditional route to Machu Pichu is the Inka trail, however that requires booking months ahead, sharing the trail with 400 other people (hikers, guides, and porters combined). I instead took the Salkantay trail, which at 5 day´s compared to 4-day Inka hike, and with a mountain pass at 4600 meters, may be a little more grueling and, with only a few groups along the way, is a lot more peaceful.

Each day had its own adventure, from the freezing temperatures on the first night but with the most amazing view of the stars, to the 5th days boring trek along railroad tracks interrupted with a dip in the river.

My group consisted of 3 girls (Liala, Zaida, and my friend Soraya), the token German, Phil, and the guide, horsemen, and cook (respectively, Socrates, Faustino and Wilfredo, and the amazing Severino). The group and guide turned out to be the second best thing of the adventure (the first being the views of, well, everything!).

The next couple of updates will tell some stories of the hike. Stay tuned.

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