dearest fabulous three kids, em, the tony, Mom, special gang, awesome friends and faithful followers,
time for a trip.. so here we go to Macchu Picchu!
i believe it was the first weekend in Cusco that i booked this trip with that old looking smaller version of Elvis who swept me away with his good english and organization skills .. anyway.. there are many trips that you can take to go to this awe inspiring world attraction and i didn´t really know the difference at this point but working with this body.. and words of encouragement from other tours... the sacred valley .. and elvis (real name is Caesar) who told me the "Jungle Trip" was downhill til the fourth day when you get to the bottom of the mountain and go up... first day on a bike... second day walking... 23 km.. or so.. hot springs....at sunset.. third day walking... and fourth day in Macchu Picchu..train home... so on his word (faith of the island nature) i thought if it is downhill i can absolutely do this...
if you do this trip prices vary from tour group to tour group and it is good to shop... i didn´t .. but it was 170.00us and compared to quotes of 450.00 on the internet it was good.. especially for four days...
the morning of the trip the bus didn´t pick us up... it is gavin, the army guy, on this trip together with me, and i am hoping that the walking that i have done is enough preparation for the event!! downhill should be no problem..... not like the grand canyon where that little guy told me straight up ... "it´s hard when you´re old".. anyway waiting at the Canasta , a local grocery store , we are ontime with a backpack each... water.. ready for our first day biking down a mountain en route to destination MP. we wait, and wait. finally we decide to call Caesar.. so gavin runs back to the house .. 5 blocks away and gets the card and then i attempt to figure out how to dial a Peruvian phone.. there are about 97 numbers in a row the receipt and i can´t figure it out.. so i ask a man at the grocery entrance if he would please dial it for me .. and he does... no answer..... on one line... a message on the other... ..okay. then gavin thinks he sees a bus heading for our street... races after it to learn that it isn´t our bus...
so we decide to grab a cab to the office ... at the office... number 42.. stone cobbled street.. no one is there. doors are locked and although the neighbours are open ...no Elvis.. finally one of the neighbouring vendors asks us who we are waiting for.. we tell him our story and he immediately calls Elvis.. who appears momentarily with solutions in hand... we grab a cab with him.. and hightailit to another area of the city where life spins into fast gear.... wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee... go to this van... bikes get loaded onto the back.. other travellors load into the backseat... a special guide who speaks only spanish joins us... it takes about half an hour.. we are probably a little over an hour late... we insist on the four day hike...and we are off...
the day is beautiful... we are in the front seat... an event going up mountain roads.. we are going up the mountain and on the outside of the road with the cliff beside us... there is no fear in these drivers.. the roads are familiar .. the sites are mind boggling... massive mountains fill the horizon with impressive black shadows in between... up up up we go... and into the clouds.. it is wet and the day becomes grey.. i am not sure how far up we are.. far..... at some point we begin going down the mountain on the other side...
there are stops along the way..people get off... it is raining and wet and colder.. the van stops.. this is it.. i am a little puzzled as we are along with the guia and have not hooked up with any other travellers from the bus..
gia and gavin get the bikes organized.. and i get prepared for the rain.. backpack .. helmet.. haven't been on a bike in a long time.. settled away we go.. gia in the lead.. rain pelting against my face.. the road is good.. paved.. small... but big enough for two cars.. similar those winding roads in england and scotland but with a mountain on one side and a cliff on the other..
it has rained and the roads are wet.. in places with deep hairpin curves next to the mountain rivers flow over the road...feet up.... water flies up my back and i am soaked... it is like being a kid again...í am not used to the gears so i stay in one gear... the road changes and becomes rougher... with sections that are smother to bike on and round stones in places.. it is somewhat jarring.... ahead there is a river again...i am glued to it.. the terrain before it.. and i smash into a heap on the road.. luckily i wound myself into a heap before i hit the ground and landed on my shoulder with hardly a bruise.. of no matter... the gia.. so awesome.. comes back organizes me again... gets the chain on...and away we go.. by this time i am in the groove of biking.. soaking wet... happy for the joy of it... it is breathtaking... and real...
i am not sure how far we biked but finally we came to a stop where the masses of the group we were supposed to be with had stopped and were eating... they had a van to carry their backpacks... all eating lunch.. i am thinking that we will join up with them . all young.. sort of sporty like world trekkers..... about eight guys and four girls.. maybe more guys than that.. anyway we don´t join them but go inside this eating place.. with coca cola posters from the fifty´s and sit to eat our lunches.. there are pots of food outside the open window ,now covered from the rain....a tv is on in the other space.. plastic sheets make walls..
the young group leave... i forget if we bike to the next stop, i think so, and are told that a bus will pick us up in an hour or so and take us to the destination for the night... ok... cannot really imagine that long of wait here so we decide, encourgaed by gavin.. to bike to the next town.. about a half an hour away or so... well not!! about an hour away... on riverbed roads.. by the time we get to the next town we are ready to load our bikes and us into any truck, van, car, whatever that we can find.. we do..
see pics.. i get the front seat.. take amazing videos of the journey around the moutain to the little town where we will begin the journey to the great mountain...
in the little town... km 00 i stay in a little hostel room with a white plastic ceiling.. there is a shower/bathroom and a pleasant host. we all walk to dinner in a quaint coloured restaurant with sections open to the sky.. dogs and children meander freely.. the table cloths are colourful and the food delicious.. my gia serves us and sets our table.. corn soup... chicken, rice.. oh i wish i remembered.. some version of a salsa.. cut tomatoes hot spices.. and pan.. tea..
purely great day! happy to be in this good of shape and no injuries.. looking forward to breakfast! more than hiking..
more later.. love mom, me...
ps it is sunday and i am just recovering from a bug. tackled me friday but got a doctors visit at the house saturday on Maximo´s insistance... and a thorough check..haven´t been this sick in forever... anyway feeling about 60/40 today and will get some meds into me.. taking tomorrow off as my energy is low.. don´t worry though..a little sleep and a chick flick and i will be just fine. i miss you all.. dreaming of home.
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