I was recently going through a bunch of old boxes, mainly to clear things out and I came across some old travel journals I had as well as a letter I wrote to family and friends from Peru in 2001, right after I hiked the Inca trail with my dad.
Reading the letter reminded me of how awesome it is to get away sometimes and how traveling and wandering is just so much fun. Life slows down and “opens up” in such a good way. You are not a “cog” in the wheel of society. You are wandering, open and free. Your perspective changes and an appreciation for people, food, sounds around you are so much better absorbed. You have the “room” to let them in. To soak them up. To enjoy the moment.
Here is the letter I found that I wrote back in 2001:
So, for those of you that I have not yet been in contact with me since I left, I arrived safely and happily in Peru last week. Everything until now has really been incredible and every day I am amazed by the beauty around me. Lots of nature, music and wonderful people – a combination that you all know I love.
I am now in a town called Aguas Calientes (Hot Water), a town located at the foot of Machu Pichu that can only be reached by foot, train or helicopter, there are no roads. My dad and I just finished the 4 day Inca Trail through the Andean mountains and are staying the night in an awesome rustic lodge so we can enjoy the hot springs and relax.
Our trip started at 3:45am on Tuesday morning, when 6 of us crammed into a rickety van in a town called Olyontambo to begin our journey to Kilometer 82, the starting point of the Inca Trail. We needed to leave this early because apparently there was some national strike to protest against the government’s plan to privatize the country’s electricity network. When I got into the van, I did not realize that we would be dodging protesters and driving through fire blockades to get to our destination. It was quite the experience.
The hike was overall an absolutely phenomenal adventure that presented new challenges and opportunities every day. Throughout our journey, we crossed paths with wild pigs, chickens, turkeys, deer, lamas, alpacas, tarantulas, millipedes and many rare birds. It was spectacular. Our guide was also great and he constantly gave us history, ecology and Peruvian cooking lessons. To this day, whenever I eat quinoa, I think of him – as back in 2001, he was the first one to introduce me to this yummy super grain.
The second day of the trip was the most challenging. We hiked for approximately 8 hours climbing to approximately 4200 meters (14,000 feet) to a peak called Dead Woman’s Pass (as you can imagine, this name scared me right away). Due to the altitude and resulting lack of oxygen, every 5 steps, felt like you were running a lap around a track. I couldn’t believe my dad, who was in his 60s, was one of the strongest climbers in the group. I was so proud. You needed both physical and mental endurance, as you really had to concentrate on monitoring both your breathing and your heart rate in addition to hiking the trail. It was a wonderful feeling though, once we arrived at the top. I felt very happy, free and lucky to be there and to have experienced the climb with my dad.
That night a woman staying at our campsite go really sick from the altitude. Porters and guide were running around all night trying to find oxygen tanks and decide whether they should carry her throughout the night on a stretcher to the nearest town or call for a helicopter. The woman reacted badly to the altitude and had apparently popped a blood vessel in her brain. It was scary and I still do not know if she survived, as a helicopter came in the morning to bring her to a hospital.
On the fourth day, Acientos, the group’s cook, woke us up at 4am with some “Coca” tea. He claimed it was supposed to alleviate the altitude systems. We woke up early that day to catch the run rise at Machu Pichu, the finale of our 4 day trip and a 2 hour trek from the location of our current campsite. As the sun had not yet risen, we hiked for the first hour in complete darkness. The batteries on my flashlight had died, so I found myself mimicking the steps of the guide in front of me. As the sun began to rise, a bright shade of pink began to illuminate the sky and provide the most unbelievable backdrop for the last leg of our hike. I felt on so many occasions throughout the day that I was in some sort of fairy tale – Everything was surreal and magnificent.
Our path then ended at a set of stairs, that I am not joking, were constructed on a 90 degree angle. We had to climb up on all fours. Upon our arrival at the top and walking through the Sun Gate (the first view of Machu Pichu) all the challenges and obstacles we had endured made sense. It was breathtaking. They were all worth it. A city built on the ridge of a mountain, nestled amongst the most beautiful mountain peaks and river valleys I had never even dreamed of seeing. It was great and we had accomplished our mission of reaching the lost Inca city of Machu Pichu.
Shiri