A Soundtrack to Life

I woke up early this morning feeling feverish and I couldnt go back to sleep, so to pass the wee hours I reached for the trusty MP3 player, my constant companion on my travels. It was still on the same music that I had been listening to on the Inka Trail. I managed to download more than 2000 songs before I left Ireland, but for the entire four days of the trail I listened continually to the music of Rolfe Kent, who wrote the score for the movie "About Schmidt".

Something must have inspired me to choose this music, which I had never listened to before this week. There are times when a piece of music just fits perfectly some place or moment in time, and, for me, the broad dramatic sweeps and sweetness of this music seemed to be a perfect match for the immense cinematic backdrop of the mountains all around us. There were a lot of periods on the trail where you had a chance to walk alone, time to reflect and think, times when it was physically impossible to spend your breath on chat, and it was during these times that I turned to the player for company.

This morning, when I played this music again, I was brought straight back to the beauty and the remoteness of these places, and for some reason a huge wave of emotion came over me, and I had an incredible yearning to be back there. I felt ridiculous but I actually had to fight the tears.

Okay, so you can argue it was the fever, or the altitude, or an ole bout of homesickness, but I know it was none of those things. I´m starting to realise what a very special experience walking the INka Trail has been for me, and it has taken a few hours for its magic to really take hold.

For me, music enhances every experience, and is better than any journal entry or photographic record. Those things can describe very well the places and experiences, but returning to a piece of music you can associate with a particular time or place transports you right back to the feeling, the essence of it.

For me, Rolfe Kent´s score will always evoke memories of walking the Inka Trail.

Photo Update

I have finally managed to upload a few photos out of the hundreds I now have. They are mainly of the Inka Trail, but I just thought you´d like to see some of what Ive been up to.

For the technophobes, go to the photos section to the right of the screen. Click on slideshow and away you go! There´s only a few there. It takes FOREVER to upload them so I probably wont add any again for ages.

Update: Back in Cuzco and I have a temperature of 103! Weyhey! Thought I was dying last night. My whole body was freezing and my head was on fire. That´s what I get now for my pilgrimage up the mountains! Planning on leaving Cuzco tomorrow if I´m up to it. Really need to get my ass in gear - i dont even have TWO WEEKS to get to Santiago for the 15th! I´ll be hard pushed to fit in all the Bolivian stuff....

The train journey down from Aguas Calientes yesterday was AWFUL! What was supposed to be a one and a half hour jounrey ended up taking 5 hours because of a landslide on the tracks. Lovely! Everyone emerged from the train in a stupor, and then one poor man slipped as he was getting down the steps, fell right down between the platform and the train, but smashed the front of his face really hard on the platform. BLOOD EVERYWHERE! My solution was to shove my precious roll of loo-paper at him. I reckon the poor man has lost some front teeth.

I hobbled the three blocks from the train station back to my hostal and I really had to psyche myself up to have a shower and get ready to head out. In the end, I only lasted one hour in the pub and had to go back to bed. Really hope I dont have a flu coming on...last thing I need. Even chronic diarrhoea is preferable....

well, maybe not....

The Pain of Pilgrimage

So, I've been off the radar for the last 4 or 5 days. I´m in a serious amount of pain - PAIN!! My legs wont work and my body is in a general state of shock. What the hell just happened? I survived the Inka Trail!! HURRAYY!!! God, there were some pretty hairy moments where I thought I was dying but I made it.

Pain aside, I will never forget the last four days - I think they have been the most amazing of my life so far. I have never had to push myself so hard before, and I have never had so much fun. It was worth every agonising step and every Peruvian sole. We arrived back to Aguas Calientes yesterday (which is also known as Machu PIccu Pueblo), and after saying goodbye to my group I booked into a hostal which promised hot water 24 hrs a day and my own bathroom. All I could think about was the relief that hot water would provide to my aching body and the comfort of an actual mattress! Things didnt go quite as planned...

First of all, my lack of Spanish let me down as I tried to tell the "nice lady" that I didnt want the 3rd floor room she was giving me because I couldnt actually make it up there. I was met with a blank face. I took the room, only to realise 10 mins later that there was no glass in the window and the room was bloody FRIO!! SO I dragged myself back down three flights to try and explain my predicament to her. More blank stares. So I had to wayleigh a passing stranger who was able to speak Spanish. I was then told to wait 30 mins while "Christian", the local Jim´ll Fix It, went up to put in a window!! After sitting freezing for an hour with my muscles completely seizing up, I lost my cool and tried to cancel the booking. More blank stares. In my state of exhaustion, I couldnt argue any further and collapsed into a chair in reception with my poor head in my hands. Another hour later, I was roused from a deep sleep and was ushered into a different bedroom complete with real glass panes! I´m still baffled as to why they couldnt have just done that to begin with.

Dreaming of a shower, I peeled off my mudsoaked clothes and ran the water. Ten minutes later it was still ice cold. Tears were beginning to well at this stage. I couldnt face going back out to the plank at reception so I crawled into bed at 7 oclock and slept until 11 this morning.

I´m heading back to Cuzco on the train today so I have a few hours to spend here in Aguas Calientes now. There doesnt seem to be much here - it is really just a base for people visiting Machu Piccu.

Anyway, back to the Inka Trail. Every morning was a really early start. The first day I was picked up by the tour company at 4 in the morning. We had a longish drive through the Sacred Valley to Ollyantaytambo where we had breakfast and a chance to buy any remaining provisions for the trail. After another hours´drive we reached the foot of the trail. It was a beautiful sunny morning and everyone was in great spirits setting off! But it wasnt long before people started to really feel the difficulty of the climb. One girl from AUstralia got particularly bad altitude sickness, her nose started bleeding and her heart rate was very high. When the giude realised that he didnt have enough oxygen for her, she had to turn back. (We actually met her in Machu Piccu yesterday, as she got the train up to meet her boyfriend who had continued on, and she told us that she had been lying in bed sick for the three days.) Other people started throwing up and had very bad headaches but managed to keep going.

The first day was a huge shock to everybody! Even the fittest people found it really really difficult. We climbed 1100m, sometimes almost vertical climbs, and you just had to set your own pace and take it easy. The scenery really helped to distract you from the pain in your limbs and the tightness in your chest. We passed the most beautiful mountain scenery I have ever seen. So, that night we camped at 1100m - the tour company gave us a fantastic dinner and, despite everyone´s exhaustion, we had a great laugh just sitting around chatting.

Day 2 - up at 5 a.m. The guides woke us with coca tea in bed. After breakfast we had to climb another 400m which was really difficult. It was constant steep steps all the way to the top. What really takes your breath away is the speed at which the porters move. They carry huge weight on their backs (which is probably illegal in most countries!) Once we reached the top, Hamilton (our leader) gave us all a shot of rum, which is tradition when you reach the highest point on the Inka Trail. Before we could drikn it, we also had to give some to the Pachamama by pouring a drop on the earth. The next few hours involved a steep descent to the floor of the valley, which was very hard on the knees. Torrential rain started to come down which made things even more difficult but it was infinitely preferable to climbing up! After lunch we climbed up again, and then down, down, down. At this stage, your body is in complete exhaustion but I was finding breathing much easier.

Day 3 - this was more like a half day. 5a.m start again and it was a constant descent. Despite the fact that we werent on the go for as long on Day 3, this was the day that really took an effect on people´s bodies. By that evening we were all in severe pain, and any movement was absolutely excruciting. But we were able to forget about our troubles because Camp 3 had proper facilities, such as showers and a bar, and once everyone had a beer and washed the dirt off spirits were high again. The dinner on the last night was a great laugh and we were introduced to all 22 of our porters and had to show our appreciation.

On the final morning we had to get up at a quarter to four, everyone was DYING. We walked (or limped, in my case) for one hour to the Sungate. From here, you can catch the first view of Machu PIccu, but because it is the rainy season the valley was covered in a thick fog and we had to move on. After anohter half an hour the sun started to come out and the mist slowly started to clear. The first glimpse of Machu Piccu takes your breath away. There is something totally surreal about it. Once you have seen it, you just want to get there as quickyl as you can! We were very lucky with the weather - the mist was gone by about 7 oclock and the whole valley was bathed in sunlight. The next few hours were spent with Hamilton giving us a tour of the fortress, although it really was difficult to take it all in - everyone was shattered! What was really funny were the looks we were getting from the lazy tourists who had trained it up from Aguas Calientes. We had been walking for four days, some wihtout any showers, and all our clothes were COVERED in mud! Two Americans, who saw how much effort it was for me to walk, beamed at me and said "Oh we were just like that yesterday!" I had to hold my tongue!

In total, over the four days, we climbed to 4,200m above sea level, 35km of walking, got soaking wet and sunburnt. When we finished the trail we all went to the local thermal baths for an hour which was bliss! but overall hasnt provided long-term relief! I think it´s going to be a few weeks befoire I can walk properly again!!! I had planned to move on to Bolivia tomorrow but I dont see that happening for a few days. My shoulders are destroyed as well, so hauling 75litres around is probably physically impossible at this point.

It has been a very rewarding experience, something I think Im really proud of! You dont realise what you are capable of achieving until yuo really push yourself. Yes, it was the most difficult thing i have ever done physically but we had a great time. I ended up with a brilliant group and great guides and we spent most of the four days in tears laughing. Ive eevn met a few ppl that I might travel with for a while.

We´re all meeting in Cuzco tonight for a meal and a few drinks afterwards.

Cusco - Part Dos

So, I´m back in Cuzco for the last two days and have been having a great time! Left the Sacred Valley and had waht could only be described a a spiritual bus journey back through the mountains to Cuzco. Now, I know some of you may feel you´d had some your own epiphanic moments in the back seat of one of the Dublin bus fleet, but this bus trip will remain forever burnt into my memory. The beauty of the valley is unimaginable, and as we wound through the hills it disappeared and then came back into view several times. At this time of year, the light is constantly changing as the rain-clouds shift and the sun breaks through. Before I arrived here, I was disappinted that I was visiting during the rainy season, but having seen how the scenery is transformed during a rain-storm and how the mists swirl around the mountains I have changed my mind completely.

Anyway, arrived back to Cuzco to an email from Bridget and Julie who had survived the Inca Trail and were anxious to pass on their experiences! I collected my backpack from LOKI and moved my kit and kaboodle to the hostal where they were staying. We were just about to head out the door for some food when this Spanish guy´s head appeared at the bedroom window!! He has a friend in tow who was looking slightly more embarrassed and was hanging back. We went out to talk to them and discovered that they had just booked in and were looking for some people to hang out with for a while. We all ageed to meet up in one of Cuzco´s Irish pubs later that night. Christian, the Spanish guy, is a real character and none of us knew what to make out of him to begin with (he´s from Barcelona and is a very interesting guy). His friend, Niall, is from Tallaght and had just met up with him on the road.

Last night, the girls left for Arequipa so I went out with the guys for a few drinks. Because it was Australia Day the town was full of Ozzies all covered with paint and creating general havoc! I got daubed by a KIWI who was attacking random tourists and covering their faces with green and yellow stripes. Everyone looked ridiculous!

Cuzco is a great spot because you just meet so many different types of people here from ALL walks of life. Everyone talks to everyone. Last night I spent hours chatting to a Canadian who just travels around the world selling stocks and shares, I met a lot of Australians and Kiwis, some Dutch people, a German who is studying in Brazil, the list goes on. People just walk up to you and say "hi, how´s it going, I´m "whoever" - everyone´s a traveller with stories to swop and every night is just so interesting!

Yesterday, Bridget and I went for a walk in the artists area of the city (San Blas). She took me to see an artist that she had met a few days previously. His paintings are amazing, and I´m having a serious tug of war trying to decide if i¨m prepared to fork out $250US for one called "El Matramonie des Pumas" (I think..). It would be a great souvenir to have and a really nice addition to my future home....but its so much money!!

Today, I´m on a shopping trip to get all my essentials for the Inca Trail. I start tomorrow morning at 4a.m. GROANS! It´s not going to be a pretty sight. In fact, it could be awful! Me huffing and puffing up the first leg of the trail with a face that would make milk go sour. Not a morning person, me. Although, in Arequipa I met a 65 year old couple who had just done it. Harry had a hip replacement and Genna had Asthma, so if they managed it, there might be hope for me! Hehe. Ive no idea who I´m doing the trail with. As long as it´s not an assload of rich Americans I dont mind. I cant really be responsible for what I might end up doing to one or two of them who happen to be on the wrong ledge at the wrong time saying the wrong thing. I mean, at this altidtude Im not really thinking straight! But, we have a quick orientation meeting tonight at 7 so hopefully I will find that there are some Argentinians or Dutch coming along.

Out of range now for the next few days - the trail is going to take 3 nights and then im spending a night in Aguas Calientes on the way back down. I fear that I might have a pretty bad hum coming off me at that stage and I could, in fact, be turned away from any hostals, but we´ll see how it goes!

After that, I´m meeting Bridget and Julie in Puno and we´re going to travel through Bolivia together, which I´m really looking forward to!

Exploring the Sacred Valley

Since my last entry I decided that I´d like to get out of Cuzco for a couple of days, into the Sacred Valley of the Inkas. Over a week is too long in one place, and I might as well see as much of this area as I can while I´m here. So, yesterday morning I got on a bus headed to Pisac, which is about 30km from Cuzco. It was one of those crazy collectivos, which cram as many people into them as possible and the drivers all look like they´re smoking the funny stuff! The journey down into the valley was awesome, in the real sense of the word. Pisac itself is tiny and was pretty quiet when I arrived. I sussed out Ulrike´s Cafe (on Pablo´s recommendation - remember Pablo, the tour guide in Nazca? So far, all his suggestions have been spot on!) So, I just spent about an hour in Ulrike´s finishing "A Beautiful Mind" and had some Apfel Strudel (Ulrike, of course, is German ).

Seeing as there wasnt anything much happening in Pisac and it would have cost be a $10 taxi ride to see the ruins up in the mountains, I decided to hop on the next bus and move on to Urumbamba. I checked into a hostal there which was a KIP! The water stopped working in the taps, toilets and showers after 8! Not only that, the guy charged me 30 soles which is robbery, and THEN the gansgter gave me fake coins in change!!! Just spent the evening wandering around the town and had some pizza in a little restaurant on the Plaza dÁrmas. Was hoping I´d bump into some other backpackers, but there were none in sight, so it was an early night.

This morning I got the bus to Ollyantambo - this is my favourite of the three towns. It´s actually at the foot of the Inca Trail, so as it happens I´ll be coming back here again on Saturday with my tour group, but we´ll just be passing through. Found a great hostel here! Much nicer room and it´s only 15 soles! Walked to the top of the Incan terraces here today - outstanding views of the valley! The sun stayed with me for the morning and mid-afternoon, but it´s pouring here now! Went back to the hostel for some sustenance, and was really looking forward to the Creme de Tomate soup and chicken sandwich I ordered. Was SLIGHTLY more disappointed with the gelatinous gloop ( that had pretensions to tomato soup) which was placed in front of me, not to mention the weary looking chichen sandwich which looked like the chef had sat on it before it came out! The girl who runs the hostel is very nice though, and we had quite a long chat.

So, tomorrow it´s back to Cuzco. Might try to do some horseback riding here in the valley before I leave. Have two more nights in Cuzco befoire the trail. The night before last was great fun - I ended up in an irish bar with a guy from Belfast and another lad who is Irish but grew up in England. (He ended up wrecking everyone´s head!!) A Dublin girl joined us aftrer a while, and even though she was from Dalkey and had a bit of an OCCENT, she was good fun. Later, we met a guy called Joe and his Peruvian girlfriend who were really lovely! It was a late night and to top it off I had three little guys about 9 or 10 trying to rob me as I was leaving the bar!! Had to hop into the nearest taxi! Unbelievable!!

Cuzco

Had a pretty good last night in Arequipa.After discovering that the travel agents messed up my bus ticket, decided to blow $84 and fly to Cuzco. As it turns out, it was pretty lucky that I did because the tour companies up here are taking their final bookings for the Inca Trail. I just got in by the skin of my teeth - booked the trail with a company called United. Mice who are quite expensive, although I managed to charm the guy into throwing in my sleeping bag for free! So, I now have 7 days or so to while away in Cuzco before I can do the trek. That´s actually a good thing because I will have acclimatized well at that point.

Went out with my new Peruvian friend, Mayda, in Areuipa the night before I left. SHe had just split up with her boyfriend and was feeling really low, so we went out for some Pisco Sours to drown her sorrows. Spent a good bit of time with her while I was in Arequipa, she´s a lovely person and I will definitely keep in touch with her. While we were in the bar, I heard "Ebaleen, is that you?", and I turned around to find one of the women from my tour group to Chivay who was out with her husband. What a coincidence!

The flight up to Cusco was very comfortable and very quick- just a half an hour. It´s raining here and very cloudy, which is a pity, and I´m really hoping we get some suhnshine for the Inka Trail! Booked into my hostel which is on possibly the steepest street in the world! No fun climbing up there!!! The place itself isnt as nice as the other hostels Ive stayed in so far, although there are WAY more backpackers there and they organise things every night. last night was BBQ night, for example. I´m sharing a room with a girl from Dublin and a guy fromLondon. Rowana had her passport and all her money stolen in Northern Peru and she cant get out of the country now until she´s issued a new passport, which takes 7 weeks!

The two Irish girls I met in Nazca called up to the hostel last night to see me, which was a nice surprise! They stayed around for the BBQ and we had a few drinks. They are heading off on the Inka Trail this morning but I´m meeting up with them again on Wednesday before they head to ArequiPA. Now it seems that our plans are more or less coinciding, so we´re thinking of travelling through Bolivia together, which wwould be great. They are really sound girls.

Cuszo is VERY touristy and there are hundreds of people all calling you to buy something or come into their restaurant. It can start to wreck your head a bit after a while. Engaged in my first big of haggling this morning! Was buying an alpaca jumper because its pretty cold here at night, and I managed to get 8 soles off the price.

So, I´m not really sure of my plan for the next few days. I think Ill stay put in Loki Hostel anyway, because it´s so cheap. Need to start budgeting now because Ive been lettig ppl charge me waaay too much for things, plus Ive had to pay for a lot of tours, etc which hit the pocket quite hard, so after Cuzco I´m going to take it easy for a while. Thinking of taking a bus out to the Sacrd Valley for a couple of nights, maybe staying in Pisac. It´s meant to be quite nice out there. Have to be back in Cusco for next Friday as we leave to start the Inka Trail at 4a.m.!! UGH!!

Mice and Condors

What an amazing two days I have just had! I will hardly be able to put into words the things I have seen, but I´ll try.

Well, I'm back in Arequipa today and am staying for one more night before heading to Cusco tomorrow. I loved Arequipa and will be sorry to leave here - it's a much more authentic Peruvian city (if you know what I mean) than Lima. It's not without its tourism, of course, but the people here make you feel like less of a tourist - they are very helpful and friendly, and are just going about their business. It's the kind of place, you can just get up and wander around at your own pace, you aren't constantly watching your back here, and the flavour of Southern Peru is much more tangible here.

Anyway, for the last 2 days I was able to sample rural Andean life at its best. Was collected at 7am on Tuesday morning by Raoul, our tour guide. Our little minibus began its steep climb into the Andes on asphalt for the first 100km or so. After that, we had a bone-rattling 2hour journey on dirt track full of potholes all the way to Chivay!! It was easy to forget about the pain in your ass though once you began to focus on the scenery passing by outside the window! We passed shanty towns with no running water, mountain dwellings made entirely out of stones that looked like they were about to collapse at any minute, groups of vicunas and llamas, cherubic Andean children (I have somegreat photos of them!), and towering cliffs. I tried NOT to think about how close Miguel was driving to the edge of the cliffs!!

Along the way, we stopped for a serious sugar hit and some coca tea. Apparently, the ways to beat "soroche" (altitude sickness) is to keep your blood sugar high, your breathing even, and drink lots of cocoa tea! Thankfully, I didnt feel any of the effects of it, apart from some breathlessness. Everything small becomes an effort at this altitude! At our highest point on Tueday, we reached 4,900m about sea level!!

Chivay is a little jewel of a town nestled in the mountains. It's barely a town, more like a little village, but amazingly it has an Irish pub! If you saw Chivay, you would find it funny. They barely have a bank and a pharmacy, and right in the thick of it sits an Irish pub. I didnt actually make it there myself, but I heard from some backpackers that I met yeserday that it is a good spot, although the Irish man who originally opened it has sold up and moved to Arequipa to work as a tour guide.

After we checked into our little hotel, a group of us went for a 7km hike into the mountains - it was breathtaking. We passed ancient Pre-Incan terraces and Raoul told us about the history of the place. The traces of the past are everywhere - there is a sort of heavenly or mysterious air to the place. Thunder rolled loudly as we climbed and you felt like you were walking along the roof of the world or something.

A couple of hours later, we arrived at some thermal baths. The heavens had opened and it was POURING rain, but it didnt matter. The water was gloriously hot and gushed into the baths from the mountains above - apparently,due to its volcanic source, it{s full of minerals so its great therapy for the skin. We spent over an hour there witht the rain pounding into the baths!

I felt completely envigorated afterwards, and I was STARVING! We went for dinner almost immediately and I spent the night dancing, which was very memorable. Turns out I{m not a bad salsa dancer! Really enoyed myself!

Had a very fitful sleep however, and was very tired the next day. NOt only was my roof leaking and water trickling into my room, there were also a band of mice engaging in their own festivities on the roof above. The fact that it was galvanise amplified the sound of their little scratchy feet and I didnt get a wink of sleep cowering under the covers!

5a.m. start on Day 2. Was NOT in the mood for trying to make conversation with my tour group (I was the only English speaker which, although good for my Spanish, was difficult at times.) After breakfast we began the journey to Mirador del Condor (this is a very high viewpoint into the Colca Canyon where the condors live)

ALng the way, we stopped in these tiny little Andean farming villages to say hello to the locals and take photos. Raoul showed us some ancient Pre- Incan burial chambers constructed high up in the crevices of the mountains which were daubed with a red colour which had amazingly retained its hue throughout the millenia! The colour was believed to ward off evil spirits. All arund huge mountains towered above us, and it was easy to see why the people believed that the mountains were gods. The mysticism of the place couldnt but impress you - it was like being in another place, another world.

The Colca Canyon is stunning. The photos I have cannot begin to capture what it is really like. We trekked alng the edge for about 45 mins, straining to see the bottom. It{s the second biggest canyon in the world, but I heard a lot of people on the tour agreeing that it is more beautiful than the Grand Canyon. We had to wait patiently for about 2 hours for the air to heat sufficiently for the condors to tke flight. They fly using the thermal air currents, and if the canyon is cloudly they may not appear at all. Luckily, the sun was out and we eventually got to see the majestic birds as they rose, wheeling and surfing the air. Sheer beauty!

So, I leave Arequipa tomorrow. I'm expecting Cuzco to be much more touristy, but Im looking fwd hugely to it, and hope to do the Inca Trail. Also, I might be meeting up with the Irish girls I met in Nazca. I got an email from them yesterday - they are on the trek at the moment, but will be spending a few days around Cuzco afterwards, so hopefully our paths will cross again.