In the morning after our last night of camp, we awoke at 5am to a light drizzle that quickly turned into a steady rain. After having our usual breakfast of pan(bread), pankekes(pancakes), and tea, we set out for the last stretch of the Inca Trail, in the midst of an enveloping and ubiquitous fog.
Fortunately, our group decision the night before to set off 1 hour later than the other groups worked to our advantage. Despite sharing a campsite with the other groups for the first time, and despite the massive number of them, we didn't run into any other groups along our way there. The trail was as quiet, empty, and, seemingly, ours as it had been the entire 4 days.
The trek, while short, was still a bit of a challenge, not because of the terrain, but because all of us had extremely sore and tired muscles. The shortest climbs, or stairways downward were taken slowly and with extra caution. Nonetheless, the last challenge of the trail presented itself as a practically vertical set of twenty or so stairs to reach a small plateau. There we saw that we were close to our goal, as we had reached the Inca Puerta del Sol. (Doorway of the Sun.)
From that vantage point, we waited 20 minutes for the clouds to clear so that we could get a view down to the famed city of Macchu Picchu. But the weather did not cooperate. Disappointed, but heartened by our proximity, we began the final descent to the ruins. Knowing that the goal was close, I took a much slower stride than in days before an had a great conversation along the way with our guide Ernesto.
Finally, mid-descent, the clouds began to break and the sun squirted through, giving us the first glimpse of Macchu Picchu. While I had seen the setting in pictures a hundred times before, I was not prepared for the grand size of the entire city. In its day, Macchu Picchu not only housed over 2000 residents and was the location of the Inca royal "country palace," but it included several temples, astrological sites, a rock quarry, and acres upon acres of terraced farmland.
After taking more pictures than I can count, our guide took us on a tour of the complex, not only explaining the significance of the buildings, but also sharing a little bit about Inca religious beliefs and their evolution. After spending 3 and a half hours in the complex, I was exhausted, not only from the time walking around and listening to the commentary, but from the cumulative 4 days of unsurpassed physical effort. Also contributing to my exhaustion was the rapidly changing environment of the ruins, as trainload after trainload of tourists began to fill up the park. Frustration from the increased gridlock, and vastly different vibe they projected than our fellow hikers assured me that I had enjoyed as much as I was going to of the park that day.
That said, the first 2 hours at the park, between 8:30 and 10:30am were tranquil and perfect. In confirmed all of the suggestions I had received to do the hike in order to enjoy the park before the hordes of people arrived. Furthermore, the 4 days of hiking felt like a communion with nature, in mountainous settings that were breathtaking, traversing through vastly different climates. Day after day, the purity of the land and air, and the beauty of the landscape seemed to be magnified into an unforgettable experience. And pushing myself to the physical limit day after day is something I'll always remember.
In the afternoon, the group reunited in a small restaurant in the nearby town of Agua Caliente while we waited for our trains back to Cusco. It was good to see each other, and we traded stories from our day's experiences as well as our contact information for the future. Again, I was incredibly fortunate to be placed with this group of people who were mostly from South America. Observing the group dynamics and characteristics of many of the other groups, dominated by and catered to Western tourists who just wanted to party on the trail, I know that I would not have enjoyed my experience as much had I been with them.
For me, the Inca Trail was more than just a hike, it was a journey to understand something of Inca and Quechua culture, to respect and appreciate the uniqueness of the Andes, and it was a vehicle through which to test oneself and make a reflection of the soul. To those ends, my groupmates served as partners, and my experience was the richer for it.
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