Elevation

We’re 3 hrs from Machu Picchu, full bottle of water, half a pack of clothes, its dark and I’m wearing sunglasses… Hit it!

And as we tear off down the trail.  As weary as everyone seemed the days before they walked with a purpose this morning. Norma headed up our group and is tearing down the trail in the pouring rain, im hot on her heels trying to step where she steps and avoid the slick rocks. Somewhere not too far behind me I hear Steve mumble something about a mole digging in a hole… U2’s elevation chosen at an appropriate moment by his iPod. No iPod for my ears I am powered by lingering thoughts of upbeat U2 songs, although the rain and 10 kilo pack prevented any cartwheels. Finally we come to these steep steps 10+ inches high, and maybe 4 or 5 inches wide… They require me to use my hands to keep my wait forward and balance the pack. As I crawl up the steps, Norma turns briefly to explain that unbelievably, pack mules used to make their way up these same steps. Stories aside, we are now walking the original Inca trail, and the steps reek of the home stretch… this must be it… the sun gate is at the top of this climb.. Yes… I think I can even make out the neon sign flashing to cue the applause and oohs and ahhs…

Huh, nope just more trees and another 20 minutes of hiking before we reached the anticlimactic gathering of people at the sun gate. That morning it seemed the name of this check point seemed rather inappropriate because the sun was nowhere to be found. Instead of reveling the sun drenched ruins of Machu Picchu we saw a stone city packed in cotton ready to be boxed up and shipped to Japan. We did press on, shuffling our feet along the wet, stone trail. Every now and again the clouds would even part and let us have a glimpse of the city. We reached the city just after 9:30 I reckon, with the guys having taken turns piggy backing an Austrian kid whose bum knee had finally given up just after the sun gate.

The next few hours we toured the city climbing its stone steps, and enjoying our piece of history through intermittent rain and llama sightings. Finally just after noon, we gave in to the rain and caught a steamed window bus to town where we would eat lunch, dry our clothes on the stone oven and wait for our evening train and bus back into Cusco and hostel Loki.

Side note: At about 3:30pm the sun came out in full force parting the clouds and ending the rain for the day… yes I’m still bitter.