Day 5 - Inca Trail - Day 1 - Wayllabamba
The trail was labelled as easy. With a headache and altitude affecting my breathing...it wasn't as easy as I had hoped. hahaha
Overlook
It's really amazing how the mountain just rises abrutply out of the ground
Minutes later the fog rolled in
Statue of Ollantay, an Incan warrior who defied the Incan empire for his love of an Incan princess. There's even a movie/play about him.
The porters start gathering things up and organizing who is taking what down the trail.
[Picture from Margaret] The porters used to carry 40kg (88.1lbs) but recently the government passed regulations that limited it to 20kg (44lbs).
The Urubamba River and Valley
Sign announcing the start of the Inca Trail, KM 82 (Kilometer 82) at Piscacucho.
Much smaller sign
You start off at the checkpoint and a trip across a bridge
Beginning our trek
Pretty standard trail but the altitude did bug me quite a bit that first day
This was all part of the "easy" terrain
Those little dots are people...again...this is the "easy" terrain
At least it was really pretty...my walking stick was the best purchase I made on the trip. 3 soles at Ollantaytambo.
[Picture from Margaret] I'm an old man! hahahahaha
[Picture from Margaret] These were ruins overlooking the valley kinda acting as a lookout post.
The ruins at Llaqtapata. A large settlement of farming terraces...
First meal of the Inca Trail...keep in mind, that everything was being carried by the porters. They carried chairs/tables/sleeping tents/bags/utensils/and the food. The soups were always good even if it had quinoa all the time. Quinoa is a superfood...maybe I should get some here and try cooking with it.
Potatoes, Fried Rice, Cooked Fish...you can't believe that you're on the Inca Trail
Definitely one of those "darn it" moments. There are tons of lilies on the Inca Trail
[Picture from Margaret] The red bag on a stick is a Peruvian signal that chicha or corn beer is sold here. You can see tubs of it on the left. They even have a strawberry flavored one! Didn't try it though...drinks from tubs reminds me of the Kool-Aid massacre/mass-suicide at Jonestown, Guyana. You know the one...the People's Temple Cult. Anyways...
[Picture from Margaret] A funny stand along the way up...
Dinner...Carne something...potato fries
Peru Trip 2005
