Today was a big day, we left cusco in the morning for a 3 hour busride that was closer to 5 hours. Being on a large bus driving along a barely existent road that swerved over mountain cliffs did not make the time go any faster either. We then arrived at the town of Lares, our start point of our 3 day 2 night hiking trip on the Lares trail. Since we didn't book our trip far enough in advance and due to a backlog of tourists who had to reschedule due to the february flood, we didn't get permits for the Inca trail which actually leads into Machu Picchu. But we weren't alone, 10 of the 16 people on our tour were on the Lares trek with us...most of who we learnt were major outdoors people UNLIKE us.
The trek began nice and easy and we ate lunch at this little hot spring complex. No one on our trip opted to go into the hot pools, mostly because of the dark brown water but also because we had a different sort of entertainment from another tour group. This group seemed to be on some kind of yoga retreat. The leader was applying suntan lotion onto the women, helping them with poses all while remaining shirtless. Our entire trek was lined up watching and applauding the spectacle that looked a lot more sexual than yoga should be. Our friend Daniel said it best: "my mom took a yoga class once and I wouldn't be happy thinking her teacher touched her like this!"
Then it was time to get hiking. We started the hike at 2 pm and hiked for several hours. We only needed to carry day packs because were given duffle bags for the hike that we could fill with 6 kg worth of clothes and other junk. The duffles were carried by horses who were guided by several local porters. Luckily we carried small knapsacks packed with water and all the clothes required for the immediate and drastic temperature changes. We stopped a few times for pictures, snacks and to give gifts out to the local children.
Our first night we camped at a small village. When we arrived the porters had already set up our tents and had tea and snacks ready for us. Dinner was shortly after and we had a feast of soup, noodles, rice and trout. In our groups of porters we also had a chef and assistant chef responsible for the cooking. With the sun set, the temperature had dropped rapidly and there was only one nighttime activity option: bed. Although we rented sleeping bags in cusco that were supposed to be suitable for -20, we were definitely cold while attempting to sleep.
The next morning we were woken up at 630 am. The porters brought us warm water and soap to wash up with and then we retreated to the large food tent for some breakfast. We had pancakes, oatmeal, candied pears and toast. They don't do maple syrup in this country which takes some getting used to. We then finished packing up before beginning what became the hardest day of our trek. The guide also spent the morning teaching us and the other canadians a lesson by hiding out hiking poles that we had left outside our tent. This was a slightly frustrating way to start the morning and was indicative of what the next 6 hours would bring.
We spent most of the day at an altitude of _______. We climbed uphill for hours struggling to catch our breath that was affected by the rising altitude. It is a scary feeling being so out of breath. We tried to tell stories and sing to pass the time but this extra exertion only made the hike harder. We remained at the back of the group for the duration of the hike due to some unpleasant stomach issues. The assistant guide Christina stayed by our side for the day assuring us that we could go at our own pace. We grew pretty frustrated being in the back of a group that ranged in age from 20 to 50 but physically we could not keep their pace. We finally reached the hike's summit which was at ____ metres above sea level. We realized that our blog name was not in the least bit indicative of the actual highest point we would reach on this trip. The guide wanted us to get on the medical horse but we refused, settling instead by giving the horse our day packs. We were supposed to have lunch at the top but cold weather prevented us from doing so. This wasn't so bad since the rest of the trek was downhill. We had such a scenic few hours filled with ice glaciers, spooky forests, a blue lake and endless views of the Andes mountains. The horses had gone ahead with the porters so lunch could be prepared before our arrival. This also meant that our knapsacks went ahead too which was great until it started to drizzle and then rain and then pour AND THEN HAIL!
With our jackets stowed in our day packs there was no other option than to get soaking wet. We reached our second campsite which was isolated in a valley. We changed into dry clothes and snuggled up in our sleeping bags before lunch. We had a giant meal of soup, quinoa, noodles, stirfry, curry and of course tea. Once all stuffed up, we explored our surroundings which included a farmer's hut, a forest and a river. As the sun set, we made a great big bonfire which was an excellent way to warm us up and also dry our wet clothes. We had collected wood because fellow canadians Christina and Adam had brought ingredients for smores! Many of our trek members had never heard of them let alone try them! We roasted some marshmallows - the perfect appetizer. The sun sets so early that by 630 its pitch black and freezing. We huddled around the fire until dinner was ready. Yet again we were prepared a giant meal of chinese inspired food and some veggies. It did not take us long to get back to the fire where Lisa burnt her sock and Emily melted her glove slightly burning herself in the process. By then, the ground had frosted and bedtime was upon us (not that we could sleep in the cold.)
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