getting ready for the Inca Trail

It was quite the business packing tonight. Ah, the joys of organizing by ziploc. I piled everything on the floor and it didnt look possible to get everything in under 6kg. However my first attempt came in at 5kg so I borrowed the scale, went back to my room and threw more stuff in to peak at 5.8kg. It felt awfully heavy to me. TG at the end, the porters take the sleeping bags and thermarest back with them so I don´t have a huge pile on the train coming back. My day pack, the one I have to carry, is already heavy enough but a lot of the things like food and hand warmers will be gone by the end.

We leave tomorrow at 6am. This will doubtlessly be the one morning I sleep past 5 and then through the alarm, in true BR fashion. I am excited to finally meet the other people in our group.

I went to get a pasta at Chez Maggys and befriended the waiter with my love of soccer. We moaned and ooooed together watching Peru play Argentina on the tv. Soccer: the universal language! I wish I had caught a live game. The Cusco team played yesterday but in another town :( My pasta turned out not to be pasta with chicken and avocado but rather avocado with chopped potato inside, and it was expensive for what it was. I may have to run out for another steak sandwich!

The laundry service opened late today as it was Sunday. My clothes came back ironed and folded very neatly - I think they were in shock!

Well I guess that´s it for a few days. Hopefully I can find an internet cafe in Aqua Calienetes, which is the small expensive tourist town below Machu Picchu and from where we catch the train back to Cusco on Thursday late afternoon. If not, it may be Friday before I can check in again.

Thanks for reading. It makes me feel just a little closer to home.

last day in Cusco

This morning I was up at 5 as usual and no hot water as usual. So I went for breakfast. When I came back, several young men were pounding on another door trying to rouse their friend. It took about 5 minutes of yelling and kicking to open the door. What a din! I had to laugh though - Just get his shoes on and bullocks (several times) were two things I could make out. Then they carried him off to the front lobby - he was still drunk and had a silly grin on his face. I bet he got a pretty good "bullocking" later.

Hot water returned at 7am - every time I think I have figured out the pattern, it goes woolly on me.

I got back from Pisac at about 12:30pm and thought I would try a new restaurant, Moni Cafe, the vegetarian one that had been highly recommended and which claimed to have the cleanest toilets in Cusco. It was locked up tighter than a safe. I keep forgetting it is Sunday. So then I tried another one in the same area - closed until September 15. Bah!

On my way back downhill, a car turned the corner very fast and almost hit a small child who was crossing without looking. The driver went up onto the sidewalk (sidewalks are about 10 inches higher than the road), scraped his side against the wall for a full 5 seconds and then continued onward without stopping. The child didn´t pause either. I did stop as I was shaking - it happened about 10 feet away from me. An impressive example of German engineering :) - the car was a VW bug.

I bought a steak sandwich (about $1.50) from the same place I been to every day and as it is my last day, bought an Inka Cola to sample along with it. Trouble was when I returned to my room, I realized I didn´t have any way to open the bottle. Typical! I shall wander down the street and ask a storeowner to open it for me. Inka Cola is a yellow pop that is only available in Peru and it is very popular. Tonight is my last night before the trek so I´m having pasta at Chez Maggie´s. I tried to get some yesterday but the cook wasn´t in until 6pm and I was starving.

I have found in Cusco I need to drink water almost continually. It is hot, yes, but very dry and my throat is often parched. The sun is much stronger and I keep forgetting to put on lotion. Today I am quite tired too and preoccupied with packing. While we are away on the Trail, the hotel stores our suitcases for the 4 days we are gone, and then we get a new room for the last night. I also have to figure out what can fit in the 6kg bag and what I have to carry. They lend out a small scale at the front desk so I can play around a bit.

Hard to believe it is my last day in Cusco. We return from Machu Picchu quite late and then the next day I am early off to fly to Lima. I must say I am ready to go, though I will miss my Trotimundo´s coffee and internet access. It has provided me with a little home away from home. Four days was great to acclimatize and get my bearings in a different culture, to see the sights and do a little shopping. Churches and museums are not what turns my crank and I think I have visited almost every shop in this area. I want to see more of the scenery I´ve seen from the bus, the car and the plane.

Pisac

At 8am, I confirmed the bus station address with the front desk and they advised against hailing a cab in the street so called me an "official" one (taxis anywhere in Cusco (with the exception of the airport) cost the same - 3 soles (about $1) and no tip is expected. When I got to the bus station (I really wish I´d remembered to take a photo), I wasn´t sure I was in the right place - just a rough courtyard with more broken-down walls - but there were several men outside directing pedestrian traffic and they quickly took charge of me. I asked the collectivo driver again just to be sure. The bus was almost full (I thought) but I got a window seat at the very back without a problem. At first I was the only tourista but then we were five. Then more people piled on and starting filling the aisles. A young man helped people pile bikes on the roof and big parcels in the trunk. Then we were off. About 5 minutes later, we stopped again and more people squeezed in. It took about 1 hour to get to Pisac. The bus stopped about 5 times to let people off and take on more. It was market day in several communities along the way. I saw a lot of people working even though it is Sunday - women and children out with llamas and sheep, farmers ploughing fields with oxen, men ankle-deep in mud making clay bricks, storekeepers open as per usual. How I wished I could have asked the bus to stop for photos - there were some great shots to be had. But how to take them in a respectful way?

Pisac is located in the Sacred Valley so there were spectacular views along the way of the mountains sloping down to the Urubamba river. On the way back it was less crowded so I tried to take some photos. The road had a very steep drop off the side, not as bad as along the Amalfi Coast, thank goodness, but it was a bit nervous-making.

The vendors were just setting up when we arrived so it was a good time to walk through and get a sense of what was available without too much hassle. Prices were better than Cusco and it was worth it to go. I spent about 2 1/2 hours there and I am quite sure I did not bargain hard enough but was happy with what I got. The torusit buses started flowing in about 10am and then it got a bit busier. At one point I went around a corner and came upon the food market - I looked everywhere for guinea pigs but was unsuccessful. When researching the trip, I found some photos of guinea pigs at the market living in fancy wooden houses, much like doll houses, right next to the cooking pot. Actually I am kind of glad I didn´t - I´m not sure how I would have got them all back to Canada. I also met a cat who was very affectionate and who did not want me to put her down, but I had to go.

I saw a bano and of course, I have to check out every town´s facilities. If you want toilet paper, you have to pay for it before going in. Hmmm. Let´s just say I almost didn´t sit down. After I came out, the old caretaker came in with a hose and showered the floor. Then I had to pay him 50 centavos.

On the way out I came across a festival in the main square. There were several groups of young people dressed in different Inkan clothing enacting certain dances. It seems every day there is a festival or band playing on the town square.

There were a few taxis waiting at the bus stop looking for tourists to drive to the top of the mountain where there are beautiful ruins. If you go, I have heard it is important to direct the driver to take you to the second parking lot, the higher of the two so you can fully enjoy the ruins. The cab driver will return to pick you up. I think one full day in Pisac would be good. Most of the bus tours from Cusco let you off at the market for about 45 minutes and then rush up to the ruins for another 30 minutes and then onto about 3 other places, rather like the old bus tours, See 5 European countries in 8 days.

When we pulled in the Cusco bus "station", there was a man urinating into a stone pool directly in front of us. He didn´t seem bothered by us pulling up right by him. Then another man from our bus went there and proceeded to do the same. It was completely visible from the street.

I had to hail a cab this time as I had no one to call one for me. I got in one and he asked me to get out as he didn´t want to go my way. But another one saw me right away and took me back to the main square, which is two blocks from my hotel.

wonderful cat-sitters

I don´t want to forget my two cat-sitters; one sends me reports on how the gatos are doing. Here´s a quote which made me laugh out loud and the fellow next to me snuck a glance to see what was so funny:

"I was in your appt yacking away to the cats for about 15 minutes.. when John´s daughter came up, introduced herself and let me know John had a baby monitor set up (and on!) on your kitchen table to make sure all was fine in your appt. Oops, I hope Ï didn't say too much!"

My poor neighbour stresses about the cats more than I do when I am away. I asked him to check my messages and when I told him it was because someone would hopefully call if one was hit by a car - he was completely horrified at the thought. He said he sits on the floor very still every day until he sees each one. I am scooping out booze to take back as a gift. The local national drink is the Pisco - 34% alcohol. He complains that Guiness is a girly drink so I think that will be manly enough for him.

Cusco - day 3

Today was a saint´s day, the patron saint of police. They closed off the streets around the main square and there was a huge procession of police officers carrying the Virgin Mary statue from the Cathedral, straining under the weight. Many people were there in their Sunday best. There was music and dancing by people dressed in traditional costume.

I rode the Tranvia today (about $6 for 1 1/4 hours) and it was a lot of fun. I love old trams and have taken them in many different countries. This one was bult in 1912 and strained to get up the hill to Sacsayhuamán, the ruins above the city. A young smartly-dressed guide spoke very quickly into a microphone- she had to, as she first gave the Spanish version and then the English as we drove past buildings. The route left from the Plaza de Armes, the main square, and meandered past all the various churches but also travelled through regular (ie no-tourist) Cusco past shops, schools and the university. Outside the university there was a stand selling textbooks.

On the Tranvia, I met a young woman, Mara, from Arequipa who was visiting Cusco for two days. She and I got into quite the conversation about life in Peru vs life in Canada. I am very lucky so many people speak at least a little English but it makes me feel ashamed that I am visiting their country and asking them to speak my language. I asked her about schools - parents pay directly even for public school. They can choose whether to send their children to girls-only and boys only schools or mixed is also available. There are also expensive private schools. She asked me about natural disasters and bicycles. I am not sure why she asked about natural disasters. I had trouble explaining that Canada was very big and there were different geological areas. Try doing charades with the word "earthquake" and you´ll get a sense of how unsuccessful I was! I had more success with the bike conversation. Apparently bikes are not common in Peru as the streets are only wide enough for cars and the sidewalks are too narrow as it is. We both agreed that given the high price of gasoline, it would be a good thing if they could somehow make room for bikes.

The Sacsayhuamán ruins looked interesting but the Tranvia did not allow one to get off one tram and pick up a later one at the same spot. We had 7 minutes at the top to take pictures. The view of the city below was amazing.

When I got back to town I rushed about trying to find t-shirts and postcards, soroche tablets, an ATM, a rain poncho and any other last minute Cusco souvenirs. I also decided to pamper myself and have my dirty laundry "done", which will cost me 10 soles (about $3.50).

I saw my first cats today and was very happy to be able to pet one, though he was completely disinterested. He was sleeping on a pile of wool tapestries.

I haven´t really been trying many restaurants, which is regrettable. There is a great variety of them here, like one that serves fantastic South African food. Last night I got Chinese take-out - I had a craving for some vegetables and ginger after eating nothing but bread and meat - and asked for cutlery - all they had was two tiny plastic coffee spoons so I borrowed cutlery from the hotel breakfast room. The restaurant was a blend of Chinese and Peru - a large poster of Christ next to a Chinese figurine is just one example. Anyway, the Chinese food was tasty but a mistake. No further comment needed.

Tomorrow I am taking a taxi to the bus station and then hopefully hopping on the right collectivo (bus) for Pisac, one of South America´s largest outdoor markets, one hour´s drive from Cusco. I decided not to go to the ruins there as well as I want to rest up for the trek which starts the day after.

further impressions of Cusco

I have been surprised by a few things here and intrigued by others. The streets are devoid of litter although there are few garbage cans, all which seem to located in the squares. There is also hardly any sign of dog poop which is surprising as there are countless scruffy dogs wandering the streets. (Missing the cats, I made friends with one yesterday). This morning I was up early and saw men walking the streets sweeping the sidewalks and picking up any rare litter. Shop owners were washing their portion of the public sidewalk, much like storeowners shovelling snow back home. It seems only tourists smoke so there are few butts lying around like in Toronto.

Most locals wear fleece, sweaters and sometimes down jackets all the time. That is surprising to me as the temperature ranges from about 3 at night to 23 in the day. I peel off my sweater at about 10am and throw it back on around 4. The temperature drops quickly after that and it is generally dark by 5:30/6pm.

Driving is stereotypically chaotic but I imagine there must be a system. I have not seen an accident or close call. Inside the touristy part of Cusco where I am there are few lane markers except around the main square and traffic lights are almost non-existent. The roads are paved with flat stone blocks - larger than cobblestones but as bumpy and quite narrow. Every pedestrian is playing dodge the car. Cars pass each other on two lane, two way streets and honk when someone stops to pick up a passenger. At corners, I think they decide who has right of way by look. Yesterday our driver played chicken with a few cars that had to back up along to the extra space created for pulling over as we were in the more precarious position (ie on the steeper part of a cliff road). Drivers honk to warn of their oncoming when they believe the person or dog or sheep may step into their path. The guide told us gas was very expensive - about $2US a litre. Most of the cars here are small station wagons or hatchbacks with room to cram a few friends in the back. I have seen cars go by so full that faces are squashed against the window sideways!

I think most of the people who work in Cusco live on the outskirts and walk or take the bus in. It is quite steep heading out of Cusco, even in certain areas of downtown. I asked the guide yesterday if it was possible to buy a house and he said no, there were none available. There was no more room. People bus in and board with families or rent shared accomodation. Ellie and Thomas told me there had been a demonstration outside the Cathedral - students protesting the raise in bus fare.

Last night when I was coming here, it seemed the entire Cusco police force had turned up for some kind of drill outside the Cathedral. They all looked very smart, standing 6 deep in their uniforms. Some had long guns with bayonets attached, which I thought was unusual and hoped they were for ceremonial purposes only! A band was playing in the Square and then there was a loud bang - fireworks.

massage

I really rushed around yesterday, booking the tour and then a massage. Today I reaped the benefits - an Inkan massage (her description, not mine) for $16 for one hour.

On every corner it seems there are young women asking senorita, massage for you? I found Hampi Wasy through, I think, Frommer´s and as she is a local woman who started her own business, I wanted to give her the money. Her office is located, like so many businesses here, above another with a shared entrance. I walked through a completely separate and stepped over two small children to get to the stairs. I´m getting used to this slowly.

Anyway, I have to go find something to eat and get back to the hotel. It is dark out and they advise us to take care. Tomorrow I finally get to ride the Tram! An easy day in Cusco.

Moray/ Salineras

This morning at 9:15am, I was picked up in a small car. I had expected a tour bus like one of the multitudes going by picking tourists up from their hotels, but no, I lucked out and ended up with one driver who spoke very good English and two young honeymooners from England. So we weren´t rushed about, which was nice. There was only one problem - the tour agency that had hired his services had not paid him my admision fee for Moray and not collected admission from the couple at all. So he paid out his pocket, which later I realized left him skint for lunch - we offered him our extra sandwiches when we saw he wasn´t eating but it wasn´t until later I clicked a rueful damm. Of course, Ellie and Thomas paid him but he was very hestitant in asking, like we would be angry with him instead of the travel agency. One amusing part was along the way he stopped the car by the side of the road and stuffed a friend into the back of the hatchback to give him a lift.

Both places are located about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours outside of Cusco and at a lower altitude. I didn´t really notice a difference except for my headache being gone. On the way back, Ellie offered me a cocoa candy - finally this afternoon I bought some of my own!

Of the two, I preferred Salineras, the salt pools. They were simply stunning with the contrast of the Andes and the valley below. Moray was also very beautiful and comes with a fascinating Inca history. I took a lot of photos but think the postcards make them both look better than I could ever get.

In driving out of the city, we saw a lot of farmers living in and around smaller communities. There were cows, sheep, chickens running all over the place. A few times we had to stop and honk to get them off the road. I haven´t seen a llama yet (or a guinea pig, you naughty people!) except for the woman who dresses up anmd comes into downtown Cusco with her llama to pose for photos (1 sole each).

Inca Trail meeting

Last night my guide came to go over the trek to make sure I knew of the supplies I needed and how our days will look. There are only 7 of us - not sure if they know each other or what but I ended up with my own tent! That is a good thing in some ways but if it´s as cold on night 2 up in the clouds as I imagine it will be, I may be missing the extra body. He advised me to get some altitude sickness pills and I think I will heed his advice. I am not suffering too much but we will be going about 1000 metres higher and exerting ourselves.

We leave on Monday at 6am. I have arranged a sleeping bag and thermarest rental through the hotel and have a small duffle bag to stuff those in as well as anything else I would like NOT to carry myself. The total weight has to be under 6kg. Apparently they now weigh the porters´loads at the entry point and cause a ruckus if someone is over. That, I think, is a good thing.

The guide - I must get his name again and brand it on my head or something - also let me know that Aqua Calientes, the town under Machu Picchu, is very expensive. That makes sense but I am glad he mentioned it as I was working out how much money to take.

Cusco - day one

The flight in was short (about 1 hour 10 minutes), bouncey and packed. Beautiful views of the Andes on the left side of the plane. I wasn´t given any opportunity to choose my seat. I was placed next to two women - I offered them Mentos; in exchange, one gave me a candy to suck made of coca. It tasted pretty good and I think got me through the first stages of the attitude change. After collecting my suitcase, I looked for the GAP rep and couldn´t find him - walked outside and there were all the agents holding signs. By this time, I was almost silly with exhaustion but eager to look out the window on the way into the downtown area. Everywhere dogs running loose, women cooking in large pots by the side of the road, quite a bit of dust.

At the hotel, I was very early for check-in but they scrambled to find me a room. While I was waiting, they served me coca tea. The room is small but adequate and yeah, there is hot water. Coca tea is free 24 hours a day by the reception. I may have to request a change as it is right on the main floor where everyone passes by, but I´ll wait to see. There is a security box at the front desk - I deposited half my cash, my visa and my passport. My iPod is small enough to just travel with me, and of coure I won´t let my friend´s camera out of my sight. The hotel is very close to the main square. I haven´t gotten lost yet but expect to. No worries. I did ask where the "dangerous" section of town was so won´t be heading in that direction.

After sitting for a few minutes to catch my breath, I suddenly felt very dizzy and light-headed. It was then I realized it had been about 25 hours since I slept. I pulled a pillow over my head and crashed for 3 1/2 hours.

The one thing about many of the restaurants here is that they are on the second floor and big signs like we have in Canada are nowhere to be found. I am glad I wrote down some addresses, like this place opposite the cathedral on the main square, Trotamundos. You have to walk through another store to reach the stairs. It has a beautiful view across the sqaure - I ate an avocado sandwich and had a good North American coffee sin leche on the balcony (aprox. $3 if I remember correctly) - faster internet connection, and clean washrooms.

After lunch I visited the South American Explorers Club for advice on the bus to Pisac (apparently easy), to ask for recommneded tour guides for Moray. The trip to Moray has turned into a frustration as the tour agency they recommended wanted a minimum of 4 people and I was unable to find LlamaPath, the one I had planned to go with. I will have to try one of the travel "hawkers" as I want to go tomorrow. I was hoping to book for the morning and have a massage in the afternoon.

I had heard stories about really pushy sellers here but so far no one has been super persistent. I found they were far more aggressive in Puerto Vallarta.

Anyway I still want to try to arrange this tour, so I´m going to sign off now and get back on the hunt.

transport to the airport

I took the TTC after finding out it would cost $45-48 plus tip for a taxi. It was remarkably easy. The bus runs from Kipling every 10-20 minutes depending on the time of day and is covered by the one TTC ticket just like any other transfer. The ride is 20 minutes.

finally off

Right now I am sitting in Lima airport, which is a lot more modern than I expected. The flight left a bit late and took just over 8 hours. The plane was only about half full and I was able to secure a middle three seater to myself and dozed for a while. There was quite a bit of turbulence and one loud bang which had me sit up and start crossing myself, even though I am not Catholic. Just as I was all excited that I only had three hours in between flights, the captain announced the local time (time difference: -1 from Toronto).

Lima airport has an internet cafe, massage, shops and restaurants, as well as ATMs and Money exchangers (exchange rate at those is dismal). I took some soles out (you can choose to withdraw soles or USD) and they came in large bills - oh dear - I have read it is hard to get change and certainly I emptied out the internet kiosk`s till paying 7 soles for one hour of access with a 50 sole bill. There seem to be a few of us camped out here for the night. It is very brightly lit and I do not feel unsafe.

I had a bit of a start when the computer could not find my reservation for the Cusco flight at 5:30am. However we tried another number and located it. Even though it is 4 hours in advance, I was able to check my suitcase, which is a relief. I still haven`t worked out a safe and reliable system for moving money from money belt to wallet and keep having to go into the bathroom! It will be easier once I get to Cusco.

I am lucky in that I can understand more Spanish than I speak but my rough attempts seem appreciated.

I`m so looking forward to arriving in Cusco and see how the altitude affects me and to having a (hopefully) hot shower and sleep.

the view ahead

Click on the pic below if you need bigger. Me, I find it intimidating enough at this size. Yikes!

It's a bit off, I think on the day 1 time. From what I've been reading, there's a three hour bus ride to km82 and then about a 5 hour hike.

departure thoughts

I sat outside last night watching the planes go by and thought "wow, in 48 hours, I'll be in an entirely different place with its own language and culture."

I still can't believe I'm going. It's funny how sometimes you think you're standing still but you are actually moving.

Ten years ago my IBS was bad; I stopped eating out completely, rarely went out to events, got extremely nervous going to an unfamiliar place. I could tell you where all the public washrooms were in the downtown core. If I was travelling, I wouldn't eat that whole day or the night before. My heart would start racing any time I found myself in a confined space - a car on a highway, a subway train, a plane, etc. IBS was always at the top of my mind.

Eight years ago my long-term relationship broke up. I stayed home and watched life from the sidelines even more.

About five years ago, I suddenly felt very impatient and restless. I started participating in a charity bike ride which involved rigorous physical training and the exercise seemed to help calm the IBS. I also met a group of strong and funny people who presented me with an alternate view on life. I was ready to hear it.

And now I am here, ready to head off, feeling rather terrified if I am honest. Terrified but determined. I just have to remember to breathe, to laugh, then breathe again.

Registration of Canadians Abroad

If I was travelling further and longer than just to Cusco and environs on my own, I would probably register myself with the Foreign Affairs deaprtment. Here's the link:
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/sos/rocapage-en.asp

Instead I have given a close friend a detailed itinerary of where I will be staying and what flights I'm taking. I also made note of how to use Canada Direct and how to call Foreign Affairs for help in case of an emergency.

money issues

"It's a good idea to call your bank and let them know where you'll be and when. First, you don't want to get stuck with a card that won't work because your bank is suspicious of the activity (your card being used in Peru will look a little weird and may raise some red flags)." GAP Watering Hole post

I called my VISA and they took down my travel dates. I'm doing the same with my bank for Interac later this week.

No need for Travellers' cheques as ATMs are readily available. Someone suggested only using swipe-type machines instead of the ones where you insert the full card, in case your card gets eaten. I'm also making sure I can use my VISA as an Interac card just in case!

"Bring in US $$ the amount that is required for "local payment" plus $100 - you'll give the local payment to your tour guide the first day. Otherwise, local currency will be the best currency to use wherever credit cards are not taken. Bring 2 Visa or Mastercards if you're afraid one might not work. (Though I have very rarely found that a card may not work in one ATM, but even if it doesn't in one, it'll almost always work in another).

1. At the airport hit an ATM and take out about $50-100 in Soles for taxi and food and peace of mind.

2. Hit another ATM downtown after you've dropped your luggage off at the hotel and get around $200-$300 more in Soles. If you're on a GAP tour, it should take awhile to burn through that much dough.

3. Anytime you dip near $50 in Soles and see an ATM, go for it. And make sure you use your coins as often as possible - if you don't use them, you WILL not get that money back - they'll just be pretty pieces of metal turned souvenirs. Be sure to use a money belt and put your credit cards, most of your money and your Passport in it for safe keeping when in cities, especially bigger ones. " GAP Watering hole post

Cusco restaurant reviews

How can one pass this up?

Moni Cafe... Pleasing oxygen starved customers since 2001

especially with the enticing phrase

We also use a natural disinfectant to ensure that our ingredients are completely safe for you.

and on another page:

Our toilet has often been described as the cleanest in Perú which we have chosen to take as a compliment.

I'll let you know.

Aquas Calientes

"You need to take at least 200 soles extra emergency money as there are no ATMs in Aguas Calientes and higher commission on Travellers Checks."

The "Hot" Springs cost 10 soles. Lunch won't be more than 30 even if I have a beer. A t-shirt costs about 15. That leaves a whole lot of extra soles. I have a weird picture of myself staggering up Dead Woman's Pass with a tire of small bills around my gut!

"When you pay your entrance fee you are given a receipt and on the back of receipt is listed all the minerals that are found in the water - interesting info. The springs offer locked lockers for 1 Sole each and they hand you a key on a metal bracelet. I also understand they rent towels too. There are separate men and women's changing rooms each with nice size private stalls with curtains." (more)

Good to know! I was wondering what I was going to do with my knapsack, sleeping bag and miscellanous shopping.

amusing bits

Of course, many people who do the Inca Trail are far younger than me. I am reminded of this when I research the Trail. Here is an example:

"Don't get drunk on the night before the walk to see sunrise at Machu Picchu and don't get drunk in Cusco before you start the trek!!! Don't take that Lonely Planet guide on the trail, you'll be too exhausted to read it..."

obsessing about fleece

I am someone who has a chill in her bones from November to April. Thus, watching the nightly temperature in Cusco hover about 0 and thinking the trail will be colder than that and I'll be in a tent, it's no wonder I am obsessing about fleece. Some say layers are best; others recommend a soft shell with a fleece lining. But then we have an 11 pound limit (including the sleeping bag and thermarest) to what we can ask our porter to carry -- the rest we have to carry. So here I am, with 2 weeks to go and at the height of summer when fleece selection is limited, madly trying to figure out what the lightest and warmest combination would be.

One tip I read on a forum: At night try to get some hot water from the porters to fill your drink bottle so you can have something hot at the foot of your sleeping bag.