Hiking the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu - Day 1

"Today, I set off on my trek to find the Lost City of Gold. I carried all my kit, clothes, and machete. I soon hit my first hill though the pace didn't slow." This is what I imagine an extract from Hiram Bingham's diary would have been on the way to 'discover' Machu Picchu. I say 'discover' because Hiram Bingham did not really discover Machu Picchu. But more about that in a bit.

Back to reality now and to our own trek to Machu Picchu. I am sure you will not be surprised to hear that I finally convinced Dan and Ioanna for our family to do the 4-days trek on the Inca trail so we can visit Machu Picchu. I have been thinking about it for more than a year, and today is the day. Our first day! We have done many treks on our trip, but for me, this is the one! But, although we are hiking the same trek as Hiram Bingham, there is a teeny, tiny difference between us and Mr HB: we aren’t carrying everything, we certainly aren’t archaeologists – and also Mr HB did the trek the other way around, back from Machu Picchu. 

But we are still embarking upon a great adventure. We started early in the morning as a group of ten tourists, two guides and twenty-two porters, helpers, and cooks from what is known as Kilometre 82. There was something special, almost magical, about Kilometre 82. The bustle of the daily 500 people preparing for the trek (yes, you read this correctly: every single day, there are 500 allowed – tourists, porters and guides all included – on the trek!), the excitement in the air, and I think a bit of nervousness (mainly coming from Ioanna of course 😊). I was (obviously) like, LET’S DO THIS! LET’S JUST START!

The start of the trek was dusty with cacti here and there, and it was hot, extremely hot. As we walked along the Sacred Valley of the Incas (named this way for the many important archaeological sites along the way), we soon hit our first hill and although the pace slowed down, we did not stop. 

A while before lunch, we stopped at our first Inca site of the day: Patallaqta. Patallaqta is a town at a fork along the Inca trail, where the religious trail leaves the work trail. It was also a tambo (a kind of Inca inn/hostel) and a control point to make sure everyone takes the correct trail to Machu Picchu.

From there, we took the religious trail (or the Qhapaq Nan, the royal Inca Road) where only pilgrims and royalty used to be able to walk during the Inca times – the commercial road follows the valley below. The moment I started walking on the Qhapaq Nan, with every step I took, energy surged into me like Pachamama herself was urging me on! This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.

But soon, we hit our first big challenge. Unfortunately, just before lunch, one person from our group twisted his knee. It was so painful that he couldn't continue so decided to go back to Cusco :( I think, at that moment, the reality of how difficult the trek actually is hit us all. 

For the rest of the hike, I chatted with other members of our group and our two guides, Tony, and Jean Pierre (JP). But, as we left the dusty trail and entered a greener, beautiful forest into a valley between giant hills, I also spent some time walking by myself, away from the group, and meditated amongst nature thinking how lucky we are to be doing this trek.

When we finally reached our campsite, our industrious porters had already got there and set up all our tents. The campsite was beautifully positioned nestling on a flat part of the hill with stunning views of the valley, made even more beautiful by the magnificent sunset. 

After dinner, the stars had risen into the sky, and we were all awed by the beauty and magnificence of them. Have I told you how much I love to brush my teeth when we are camping? This is the reason why I love it so much!

We've got a long day tomorrow, I think the hardest day of the trek, and a very early start so I'd better go and get some sleep.