The Road To Machu Picchu: Part Seven - End Of The Road

This is what I had going for me coming in to Day Four:

- I hadn't shaved in four days. I hadn't even looked at myself in the mirror for four days, so I couldn't bask in my rugged bearded awesomeness.

- I hadn't showered in four days. This was the least of my concerns because...

- I hadn't done a number two in four days. I couldn't go. I tried once on Day Three. False alarm. I couldn't use the public toilets. I have squatting issues. The longer I'd go without doing my business, the more it weighed on my mind.

On Day Four, you start early. Really early. We're talking 4:30 in the morning. You have to line up at a checkpoint at the campsite until it opens at 5 am. You then hike three miles to the Sun Gate, where you gaze upon Machu Picchu for the first time, with the ruins bathed in the rays of the morning sun.

The night before, Juve asked us when we should wake up. We could have woken up at 4:30, but we'd be stuck in the back of the line at the checkpoint. So we said 3:40. Our group was third in line. There were no complaints.

The hike starts out flat. I blaze through it like one of the porters. It helped that I didn't have to carry my sleeping bag anymore, thus demoting my backpack from "nemesis" to "respected acquaintance". I sprint the first mile and a half. I was possessed. Mind you, this is at the buttcrack of dawn, so the path isn't well lit. I had a flashlight. That I remembered to bring.

I'm burning down the trail, feeling good about myself, when the trail climbs uphill. I slow down. Yet again. I slow down some more. The adrenaline is going away. Meanwhile, frenzied trekkers with better lung capacities pass me.

I'm alone on the trail. Yet again. Going uphill more and more, heart beating faster and faster, breathing getting shorter and shorter with anticipation. Looking up and seeing Juve yelling, "Let's go, Eman!" The group applauding in encouragement, this band of brothers and sisters that I've shared the past four days with. Each step toward the Sun Gate feeling like I'm walking on air. Slowly, surely, reaching the summit.

And this view waiting for me:



As you can see, no sun. The skies are overcast today. The end of our labor is before us. We've just completed our journey, taking the trail that Incas took hundreds of years ago. 27 miles over four days. Four days of back-breaking, knee-killing, quad-burning hell. Four days through heat, rain and snow. Four days of sidestepping the droppings of random farm animals. Four days of muscle ache, thin air and slight nausea. We earn this vista. We deserve it.

There are no tears from me today. Just joy, relief and lots and lots of sweat.


* Photo by: Christine Lau*

I'm not pleased with this picture either. This is just to give you an idea how strenuous the hike is. You will sweat. You will hurt. You will make sounds you've never made before. You might get queasy. You'll step in poo. The Inca Trail: Good times!!



Describing the ruins of Machu Picchu does not do them justice. Even as the skies are dull, we are amazed. How majestic is this place! With Wayna Picchu Mountain in the background, stone buildings lay in immaculate condition. As we walk through the ruins, Juve explains how the Incas fared centuries ago. He leads us through temples, royal palaces, observatories. He gives us so much information that I'm ashamed to admit I recall none of his stories.

To be immersed in the ruins of Machu Picchu, in the places where the Incas ate, slept and worshipped; It blows your mind. While we were on the hike, the Lost City of Machu Picchu was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. I wouldn't disagree with that at all.

We wander the ruins for a little longer, snapping our cameras, taking in the pristine buildings. We hear a rumble in the distance. It's not thunder. It's the horde of tourists coming off the train to visit the ruins for the day. Here's a tip: Get to the ruins early. At daybreak. You'll be very grateful.

Our trek is over. Our bodies ache. We crave sleep. We board the bus to Aguas Calientes for lunch, where we down bottle after bottle of Cusquenian Beer. It is like nectar from the Incan Gods.



We board a train back to Cusco. To our hotel. To a warm shower, a clean shave, and that other thing.

And what a beautiful thing it is!

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So ends The Road To Machu Picchu; Without a doubt once of the greatest experiences of my life. I say that now. I certainly wouldn't have said that as I was doing the hike. But looking back, I'm definitely glad I did it. I truly believe that everybody that is of sound mind and body should walk the Sacred Inca Trail. And really, if I can do it, most anyone can.

Here are my pics from Day Four. There were plenty of adventures in our remaining days. We did have two days back in Lima. But those adventures will have their own posts further down the line.

Thanks for reading, friends. And I hope you stick around for more travels. More adventures. More stories.