Inca Trail

Given that Geoff was missing work, and Adele and Ceci were missing school, we could only do a quick trip to "the highlands", as the locals called it in the jungle, or the Andes Mountains and Machu Picchu. It wasn't nearly long enough, so we'll have to go back!

We worked with another organizing tour company (not something we have ever done before) called Responsible Travel, which was a relief since there are so many steps to make this visit happen, and after our rushed and difficult goodbyes to our jungle companions in the Lima airport, we took a quick flight to Cusco where we were picked up and taken an hour and a half to a small village in the Sacred Valley called Ollantaytambo. We arrived after dark and left for the train station at 5:30AM (but it was light out) so our overall experience was brief, but this little village won our hearts. And it felt so good to need a jacket and hat!!!

That first night we ate at a farm to table restaurant at the train station called El Albergue, which was so delicious. A few of our jungle friends were also doing Machu Picchu, and that first night we ran into Stav and Amit from Israel right there in the restaurant!

We stayed overnight in an adorable little hostel called Hostel Iskay with its charming gardens, super friendly staff and views of Inca ruins in every direction.

By 6AM we were on the train with our double masks and face shields, a mandatory state of affairs on public transport in Peru (double masks are required in all buildings and streets, but in the jungle and on the trail we took them off since no one was around!)

The train stopped at a random marker and our little family and local guide got off the train, and that is where we began the hike! It was a one-day Inca Trail, which our guide said is the most beautiful and interesting day on the four-day Inca Trail, so for our condensed version we felt very lucky. The trail was pretty much carved out of the mountain, still with many original stone-paved pathways from those industrious Incas. It was about an eight mile hike gaining a lot of elevation, but Geoff's watch clocked ten miles - maybe all the wondering around at the ruins, who knows. We went into it very tired but all of us felt amazing on the hike. It may be one of my top travel days ever. I loved it. Wild orchids, spectacular vistas, fresh clean and cool air, and I was surrounded by my favorite people (minus Tennie who we missed every single day). 

We got a glimpse of some Inca Ruins in the distance that we would visit after lunch.

Responsible Travel worked with a tour company called Alpaca Expeditions. Our guide, Javier, said we could leave anything heavy in our packs with some of the porters who would run our extra stuff up the trail with the cook and sous chef (we had a cook and sous chef?) Since we were planning to wear the same outfit the next day (thinking we would be carrying everything ourselves), we didn't have much...well, Geoff always has extra stuff so he was happy for a personal porter! Around noon we showed up to a tent with a very delicious and elaborate lunch. I wish I would have taken a picture of the set up, the cooks and workers and the VIEW. They even had a camping toilet in a little toilet tent with toilet paper, which at this point in our Peruvian adventures felt pretty luxurious!

After lunch we explored the spectacular Winayhuayna ruins overlooking that beautiful Urubamba river. This was apparently a place where people would stop and be "washed" in preparation to go to Machu Picchu, which was a very holy place with seven temples. The curved terraces were so beautiful.

And then we continued on until we reached the Sun Gate overlooking the mystical Machu Picchu. We had a bit of rain as we ascended to the top and were worried we might not see it, but like the rest of our trip, the weather gods were on our side and we had perfect views on this afternoon and the next day when we toured it.

A view of the town where we would spend the night, Aguas Calientes.

And some final photos of the day, a little closer in, before we boarded the bus down a windy road on the side of the mountain. I should mention that this day was Geoff's and my 23rd wedding anniversary! What a life we have had together!

Our guide arranged for the chef and sous chef to cook for us in Aguas Calientes at a friend's restaurant (they carried all those tents and cooking supplies all the way!) It didn't taste as good the second time around, but we were happy to support these indigenous people who work with tourists, when not farming, to supplement their income. They were delightful.

We slept well, although we were up at 5:15 the next morning to catch the early bus to Machu Picchu.

Amazon - Part 3

Every day we did a little something different. Most days started very early, anywhere from 3:30-5:00, depending on the outing. We had resiliency sessions in the evenings and often didn't get to bed until sometime after 11:00, one night it was much later for a dance party. Here is Geoff wowing with the limbo!

To say we were sleep deprived is an understatement. People caught naps when they could...

The heat and exhaustion got the best of me on two occasions and I missed out a bit. One of those days I was very nauseas until I finally vomited and then felt better. But somehow, when in the jungle (and not the lodge), I didn't feel the tiredness. It was as if the trees included us visitors as part of the beneficiaries of their nurturing.

One morning we woke up at 3:30 and took a 45 minute boat ride to a salt lick, the discoteca for macaws. Macaws mate for life and often flew in pairs, but the salt lick is also the place for them to find mates. We all had binoculars, but the guides had a high quality scope that allowed us to take some pictures with a better view. Some day I want one of those. The macaw colors are so vibrant and glorious. The Incas made clothing out of them for the king and nobles. There were parrots too.  We visited a second clay lick too. 

The guides set out a breakfast for us. Amazing local fruits, unbelievable plantain chips, and always rice and beans for us vegans.

Adele led the group in a meditation on that rocky beach. She did an amazing job! She's a natural!

Every day we took a forest walk, the flood plain one day, to a lookout the next, another the palm swamp or bamboo forest. All different in their own way, and all providing loads of delightful variety and life.

A few days the teens and guides and workers set off to play fútbol (soccer) at a makeshift field. I opted to nap instead of watch, but one of our guides called Ceci a fútboler, so I'm bummed I missed the games!

One evening we boated to a spot where we all went swimming. It felt so refreshing! It was a little unnerving knowing there are caimans in the river (our guides watched for them while we swam). Our guides set out a snack, someone brought a speaker and we danced around, played American football and soaked in sunset on the river with the Andes in the distance.

After four days at the Tambopata Research Center we took a three hour boat ride to Posada Amazonas where we stayed for the remainder of the trip. 

This forest had a different feel. It is closer to local villages and before a partnership was made to build this particular lodge where locals could receive the proceeds and adjust their lifestyles to take care of the forest ecosystem, they cut down the larger trees for wood which reduced certain monkey species, which in turn effected this or that and on and on. It was interesting to observe the differences. One afternoon we hiked to a 200 meter tower where we could look out over the canopy. It rained on the way but stopped as we climbed the tower. This invited birds and animals out. The view was so spectacular and reverent. It was one of Geoff's highlights. The sun was setting, macaws and toucans were out and about. It was expansive and pure. Hard to capture.

As the sun was setting we spotted a group of howler monkeys making their way toward the tower, jumping from branch to branch, tree to tree, sliding down and leaping and swinging their way along. There was another tower maybe eight feet away from our tower, and those monkeys began to climb it until they were eye level with us. Since the locals don't hunt monkeys anymore, they are not afraid of humans. They sat and observed us with curiosity. There were wee babies and mothers and protective males. The guides said that in the 15 years they have been guides they have never been so close. It was magical.

One early morning we went to a lake created by the ever-changing river's path called Oxbow Lake. A local rowed us around on a flotilla, so silent and still. We observed all kinds of birds. We also had some caimans approach the boat (these were small). The local paddling us around had a piranha he had caught for lunch in a bucket. It was dead so our guide took it out for us to look at. Our guides said the piranhas were only in the lake, but wasn't the lake created by the river? Probably best I didn't know that when swimming!

We visited the local village and toured the medicinal garden where local shaman's gather healing plants to treat the community. I was so fascinated by their remedies. Most locals can't afford a doctor and rely 100% on the community shaman and the healing plants he uses. 

After seven days our time in the jungle was over. On the one hand, a warm shower and change of clothes sounded really nice (I was pretty sure a new fungi system was growing in my clothes!) A bug-free bed, cooler temperatures and a little variety of food would be welcome. And at the same time we had made some really good new friends. We were deeply connected to the earth, almost feeling her heartbeat, and energized by her. It was hard to imagine crowds, screens and hustle and bustle. 

I'll miss our guides Jair, Claudia and Fernando.

We took a boat ride to a pick up point where a bus took us an hour to the airport. We took a flight to Lima where the teenagers and Geoff fit in as many poker games as they could (with Geoff and Nico cheating all along) and then quickly said goodbye to our fellow adventurers and ran to our connecting flight to Cusco. In Cusco we were picked up and drove an hour and a half to the village of Ollantaytambo for the last part of our Peruvian adventure.

Stay tuned!