Peru 2005: Day 3 — Starting the Inca Trail
DAY 3p2: Starting the Inca Trail in Chilca
With my fever slightly in check and bags packed for the next 4+ days, we hopped back on the bus for the dirt-road ride to Chilca. Never knew that short buses could cross full streams, but this one did, three times up to the tops of the wheels. In Chilca, me and Steph got our packs as the group of 30 nervous trekkers assembled. I can only imagine that the point of this day’s short 6km hike was to be a sort of shake-down and warm up.
Not long into the trail, it started raining again. Lightly at first, and our our warm bodies quickly dried. A few minutes later it became not so light and we had to get our rainjackets on (quickly). Here’s a view of the trail’s “Inca Flats” alongside the Urubamba River Valley. Further up on the trail, we had a great view across the Urubamba River and into a valley darkened by the clouds above. At this point, Steph was still feeling pretty happy, and my fever wasn’t all that bad either. Somewhere around km80 on the Inca Trail we took this picture of us with the Urubamba River.
With a little bit of wind picking up, we finally approached the permanent “tented” camp site (km81-ish). As far we we could tell, somebody owned this piece of flat land and rented it out to groups the night before their start on the trail. There was a cement walled (dirt floored) group mess hall and even 2 flushable toilets and (rumor has it) warm showers! We were afraid it was going to be totally skanky with lots of groups, but our fears were not answered at this site (our fears would be answered on the trail instead).
The coolest thing….as we approached the site, we saw THATCHED ROOF COTTAGES! (for an explanation to the thatched roof cottage fetish, click here) Seriously, most of the tents fit perfectly inside these little huts and protected them from the wind and rain (and horses and dogs). We also had a great view of the 16,000ft peaks behind us (we were at 8900). At the site of our tents, we got assigned our numbered tent for the rest of the trip (it changed nightly). We got a chance to set up our sleeping bags, change into warmer clothes, go to the bathroom and then go into the cold cement “mess hall” for warm tea.
The Quechuan porters treated us to a “traditional Andean BBQ”, which reminded me of a “traditional Hawaiian BBQ” with food and coals being buried under a layer of dirt. Unfortunately, I was too sick to enjoy the tasty chicken and numerous types of potatoes that were dug up by flashlight in a big ceremony. We all got to experience our first hand washing “ceremony” prior to dinner. One porter holds a pitcher of hot water in his right hand and a tray with soap in his left hand. Around his left arm is a towel and at his feet is a bowl. You stand in front of this porter and get warm water poured over your hands, then you get some soap, then you get rinsed, then he lifts his left arm and towel. (Not done yet)…Then you go to porter #2 who has a bottle of rubbing alchohol that he pours in your hands. Every member of our 30+ person entourage conducted this “ceremony” prior to every meal (and when sickness was high on the 2nd day the bleach concentration of the hot water increased).
Feeling mighty feverish and cold, I added some layers prior to the night’s lecture by Professor Rick (yes, they had brought in the laptop and video projector and there was even a power outlet in the mess hall). Professor Rick (and his bum knee) wouldn’t be able to join us for the hike, so the equipment was heading with him to Aguas Calientes by train.
I made it through the lecture (shivering the entire time) and enjoyed the discussion regarding the shapes of the cities and the method of Sapa Inca Succession. We learned that the 9th and greatest Sapa Inca who began the major annexing was Pachacutec (aka “Pikachu”). We also learned about Anan and Urin (upper and lower) sections of cities and how to recognize the various stonework.
That night, i crawled into my brand new sleeping bag for the first time and was thankful it was 0 deg C rated. My temperature was 100.6F. I sweat all night long and slept as poorly as the 2 dogs that kept sniffing around our tent. You see, Steph and I did not rank high enough to score one of those THATCHED ROOF COTTAGES, so our tent was unprotected for the sniffing dogs and sleepwalking horses.
Yes, sleepwalking horses. Sometime in the middle of the night (at least once) a horse decided to circle our tent several times. Steph and I were both awake– afraid the stupid thing was going to try to join us in our tent– when suddenly from just outside the tent the stupid horse SNORTED IN STEPH’S EAR. “Tsssk tsssk tssssk“, was the sound I made really quick as Steph put her heart back into her rib cage (“tsssk tsssk tsssk” is the Peruvian equivalent to “Shooo” that is used for animals….I had seen this being used in Ollantaytambo). It worked. The horse went away and I went back to sleep satisfied that I could speak Peruvian.
