June 7 - Sunday - First day of the Inca Trail!

Claudette beats Bruce up the mountain! This has never, ever happened before on our travels!

Ninos Hotel - Ate a light breakfast, enjoying the local elderberry jam with our rolls.
We were picked up by our head guide, Cesar at 6:45 a.m. All the group was together on the bus, and we drove for 1.5 hours to our first checkpoint, then drove another hour to km 82 - the beginning of the Inca Trail. It was now 10:00 a.m.

Scary thoughts are filling my brain. Can we do this? It´s too late to back down, and the group we are with are pretty upbeat, so hopefully, Bruce & I will not have bitten off more than we can chew...

We walked and climbed, right up to 4:30 p.m. Light backpacks on our back, with the porters carrying 10 kg of weight for each person. (Sleeping Bags, mats and extra clothing.) Backpacks became heavier as the day wore on, but we were able to manage. We travelled mostly uphill, descended some parts, came across steep steps; this trail is quike rocky. Bruce and I, being the élders´were also the tailgaters, followed by our assistant guide Wilson.

The Andes Mountains are stunning - skies are blue, hummingbirds are everywhere, the flora and greenery is abundant, and bromeliads grow up the mountainsides. We see hanging glaciers, thrushes, cows, donkeys, horses, and many other hiking groups.

Many villages have farm plots, and the women sell Gatorade, drinks and snacks to the trekkers. Homesteads are pretty basic, but one can tell that the people are managing well with the basics. Cobs of corn of all colours and sizes, black, orange, yellow, & spotted, are drying on the flat rooftops of homes. Delightful stuff!

Bruce found the climb hard today, due to the thin air - the lack of oxygen. We are both huffing and puffing quite a bit. I´m a titch concerned because he is finding this climb really difficult. He says his legs feel like rubber... Tomorrow´s climb will be worse, as we hit the highest peak of our walk. I´m hoping and praying he will be okay... (Honestly, I really am not out to kill him just yet!!!)

Food is great. Meals will be kept light for us, as we do not eat a lot at these heights. Lunch was chicken and veggies, all set up in a camp tent, all this managed by the cook and his staff - and they will do this every day! Dinner is trout, and miraculously enough, it was delicious. (Trout was caught from the streams around us.)

At afternoon tea, everyone introduced themselves, which was such a nice thing to do. We´re starting to bond with our group - such a good feeling.
Cesar, our head guide, truly is a leader. He´s knowledgeable, caring, helpful and concerned about his ´people´. He is Quechua in origin and is extremely proud about his background. He frequently shared his knowledge and history of the land and the people with us, so that our experience would also be cultural, rather than just the ´physical´ challenge we all planned on. What a great teacher!
Wilson, our assistant guide, also Quechua, proud of his Peruvian ancestry, kind, patient, supportive and knowledgeable, especially about the plants in the area. His support meant so much to me, for he followed me as I descended every mountain, making sure I did not injure my knees. I learned so much from him.
Ann & Bob , from Florida. Wonderful couple, full of travel stories, wise, humble, and just a delight to have with us.
Ryan & Lauren, from Toronto. (Mid-20´s) Ryan really showed care and concern for Bruce, and this couple was such an added bonus to our life on the mountain.
Maria & Fatima, Brazilian friends, who were supportive of one another, and us, and just delightful to be around. I look forward to visiting them in Brazil some day soon!
Kim, Anita, & Laurie - Californians, whose personalities also enriched our group. Kim was the phtotgrapher extraordinaire, and she entertained us with her funny stories. Kim was a huge support to us too. (God, but we were lucky!) Anita has a medical background, and Laurie runs her own daycare. Great, energetic ladies!
Mother & Daughter - Japanese couple. Such a delight, although they were pretty quiet, and did not speak English all that well. They were still an important part of our group.
Sisters from Chicago - Enthusiastic walkers! They, along with Ryan and Lauren were always first up the mountain! We wished we were as young as they!

Slept in tents at Wayllabamba - 2980 metres high. Everyone went to bed early. Slept well!