27.06 - Day 8 - Cusco to Machu Picchu (I)

Cusco to Machu Picchu, Peru

Sunday 27th June 2010

We’re collected by Freddy and set off in a minibus: driver, Freddy, chef, assistant chef, Krish and I – one hour to Calco for a brief stop then two hours on a dirt track to Lares where there are hot springs in which we relax before sampling our first chef’s meal. 

I think we had expected bread, jam and coffee for breakfast, a sandwich and crisps for lunch and chicken and rice for dinner for the three days. Not to be. First up corn soup with garlic bread. Chicken in tomato sauce, rice, chips, tomato & cucumber salad for main course. There’s enough food for six people. Being polite we try to eat as much of it as possible – Freddy doing his part: “my grand father told me if I want to be tall and strong like an Inca King I should eat everything.” At this point I’m getting a headache and stomach ache – or altitude sickness as it’s officially known. 

From Lares we trek three hours up. Up and up. Can’t say how grateful we are that our bag is packed onto one of the three horses. Feel I should have plenty to write about for that first afternoon of the trek, but to be honest it passes in a haze. I remember stopping for a snack and being questioned by Freddy on our Inca knowledge (which doesn’t take long) at which point our horses, horseman, chef and chef’s assistant pass us. It was like having a really bad hangover or migraine and being told you have to walk up hill for three hours. We arrived at our campsite in someone’s garden on the edge of Huacahuasi.

Thankfully on this, the lazy man’s trek, our tent had been put up for us in time for our arrival. I passed out there and then. At 5pm. Woke up briefly at 7pm to try and drink something but no good. No dinner either. Took aspirin, altitude sickness pills and some aniseed smelling purple syrup concoction prepared by Freddy. All in all, I slept for 13 hours in the tent on a roll mat, not really bothering even with the sleeping bag.