Day one of this trek has been a little bit disorganized and late-starting, but has been wonderfully beautiful nonetheless. The day started slowly, with my van pickup only coming late, then, after a much longer drive than I expected, we stopped for breakfast in a small village called Urubamba for 40 minutes. By the time we finally got to the trail, it was after 11am.
We started 5km back farther than usual because of repairs being made to the dirt road, so our hike of substance was only from km 77 to km 82. After lunching and setting up camp we had some time to chill. Our group included an Argentinean couple, an Argentinean mother and daughter, a French couple, 3 east Indian friends, 3 Brazilian cousins, and me.
After the break our two guides led us from our camp 5km to a small Inca ruin on the other side of the river from the trial. There, they shared small theories on how Macchu Picchu was hidden from the Spanish (it was only discovered again in 1911). They also explained the significance of the style of architecture of the ruins, including the significance of the number of windows featured in temples.
Upon returning to the camp, I was again I couldn't help but notice the beauty of the place we were in. A fertile valley, with a rocky, rolling river cutting down the center. On both sides, the landscape climbs steeply into sharp peaks, and, in places, are capped with snow that looks close enough to touch. The rolling clouds that threatened rain, but never delivered, allowed just a sliver of sunlight to filter through, highlighting the hillsides and creating a surreal effect.
Still being 46km away from that ancient city, I already am experiencing the satisfaction and wonder of being in such a spectacular place. Tomorrow should be the toughest day of hiking, as we will cover 24km, including a harrowing 9km ascent to 4200m, a place called Dead Women's Pass. In order to achieve this, we'll all rise at 4:30am tomorrow morning, drink our ordered cups of coca tea, and get on our way.
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