Wednesday August 27th, 2014.
Cusco, Peru and Inca Trail, Peru
It’s 4:45am and my alarm is going off. I wearily take note that is it 2:45am back home in Los Angeles. For the second night in a row, I could not sleep.
I feel groggy, which is soon overtaken by a mild sense of fear. I am about to embark on a 4-day hike in the middle of Peru. I wonder about access to medical attention in the middle of the Andes and whether or not I’ll be able to understand the guides. I worry about my ability to keep up with the group, after all, I have not practiced as much as Laura.
To complicate matters, I still feel as if I am gasping for air, my throat and nose continue to burn and now my head has starting pounding.
I heavily consider staying in the hotel. It’s the cowardly thing to do, but going onto this trail could literally kill me. I want to be brave but I keep imagining scenarios where I get hurt or become sick and no one is there to help. We are in a remote part of the world that lacks the emergency services of the US. As I brush my teeth, I feel difficulty breathing.
As I finish getting ready for the day, my anxiety is mounting. I can not move forward but I also can not quit. After all, I’ve paid for this trek, I’ve promised my friend and I’ve promised myself. Eventually, the fear of being a quitter overtakes the fear of hardship. I rationalize that death is very unlikely and anything short of death makes this trip worth it.
I am still not sure about my decision when the bus arrives at exactly 5:30am. In a daze, I give my bag to a porter and are directed onto the bus. The doors close and we are officially on our way.
The bus is filled with a mix of guides, porters, and very sleepy hikers. The ride is quiet all the way to Ollytaytambo. This is the last taste of civilization before the Inca Trailhead. The bus stops here for breakfast. We are directed into the only open store in the town square. It is 2 stories tall and the bottom floor looks like a mix of a 711 and REI. We follow the group up a narrow stairwell and into a small cafe. The group takes up the entire dining room. We sit at a large table with 4 other hikers. 2 are from California and 2 are from Australia.
After breakfast, Laura and I go on a hunt for the infamous coca leaves. These are dried leaves from the coca plant and are only legal in Peru. They are supposed to give you energy and help to combat altitude sickness. I buy 2 bags and Laura buys some coca toffee for good measure. We do a quick lap of the town square and then get back on the bus.
The drive from Ollytaytambo to the trailhead is one of the top 5 most terrifying bus experiences in my life. It takes place on a dirt road about one inch from an enormous rushing river. I have to focus my eyes on the back of the seat in front of me.
By 9am, we are officially at the Inca Trail. The group unloads from the bus and stands in the parking lot while last-minute preparations are made. I make one last trip to what the guide refers to as a “civilized toilet”. I notice that the air is a lot less dry and am feeling more comfortable than in Cusco… maybe this will go smoothly after all.
Soon the group is gathered at the famous trailhead. I think that we are officially hiking the trail, but only 5 minutes later we stop at a passport checkpoint. I dutifully stand in line and eventually receive the coveted Inca Trail passport stamp.
Now it’s time to start hiking. Roughly, 40 minutes later, the group stops at a scenic overlook for photos, pack adjustments, and introductions. I take a look around and find a cluster of shacks where hikers can buy water, Gatorade, and bandanas. Somewhere in between pack adjustments and photos Laura’s shoe literally falls apart. We were sitting on a bench, Laura was crossing one leg over the other when plop. The sole falls off of her shoe. Everyone is dumbfounded; even the guides.
It takes an uncomfortable amount of time for anyone to come up with a plan. I take a crack at it first - Duct Tape. This proves to be a stupid plan because A – there is no way that anyone could hike this trail with duct-taped shoes (in my defense, I don’t know this yet) and B – no one has duct tape. The guide has a plan too – take the shoes of the 10-year-old boy who is working the Gatorade stand. Needless to say, this plan does not work either. On to Plan C.
Now that it’s officially time for introductions, the lead guide speaks to the group for the first time. “Hello friends, our friend Laura needs some shoes. Does anyone have shoes?” Strangely, this turns out to be a good plan because someone actually does have an extra pair of shoes, well they are really more like a pair of slippers. Nonetheless, Laura figures out how to get them to stay on her feet and the group is finally onto introductions.
There are 12 hikers in our group. The guides introduce themselves. There is Raul, who says that you can call him Dad and there is Darwin, who says that you can call him Mom. This is kind of weird, but we go with it.
After introductions, Mom approaches with a new plan for Laura’s shoes. He will send one of the porters back to town to buy her a new pair of shoes and return them by this evening. She has to pay around 50 soles for this service. I’m sure that she would have paid much more.
Now that everyone has been introduced and everyone has shoes, we can really start the hike.
After lunch, we hike for a few more hours until we arrive at the campsite for the night. Our tent is already set up and our duffle bags are laid out neatly on a tarp. We have time for a brief rest in the tent and then are called into the dining tent for tea and cookies. Tea is followed by another 3-course meal and a briefing for the next day.
This is going to work out well. My nose and throat have stopped burning and I no longer feel a cold coming on. I am feeling happily exhausted and assured that tonight will be the night that I can finally get some sleep.
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