Day 76: Monday, 12th March: Inca Trail: Ollantaytambo to Wayllabamba Camp (Peru)

Day 3 of G-adventures Inca Trail

We get up at 6:30 am to enjoy a last hot shower, finalize everything. Rohody told us to be ready at 7:45 am. Breakfast shall be ready from 5 am on.

The hotel haqanabamba (piskakuchu)s amazing matresses and is very quiet. We wake up as the rooster starts to shout, get our last “hot” shower for 4 days and go for breakfast. It looks like the are awaiting a war. Everything is rationalized. You have to ask for bred, coffee you get a can, get reminded it is for two, fried eggs 4 soles extra, hairdryer 5 soles extra.

Anyway. At 8:00 am we leave with a minibus and go for less more than an hour.

12.03.2018 09:20 S 13°12.8344′ W 072°22.8550′ altitude: 2.808 masl @ Inca Trail pack station

We stop at the parking space at Inka trail entrance. All porters are there. We get a sback package for 4 days, sleeping bags and air matresses. We leave our duffle bags. The porters (22 for 12 guests !) Check the weight of the duffle bags, Pack everything together, waterproof it. We take the day packs and off we go.

We queue up at the entrance, take our passports, get a ticket from assistant CEO Joseph and start our hike of the inka trail.

12.03.2018 09:44 S 13°12.9214′ W 072°22.9129′ altitude: 2.782 masl @ entrance of inka trail

Straight up. We pass villages and houses where womans sell drinks, rain ponchos, bandanas. It is constantly raining, not raining, raining … we get used to poncho on, poncho off.

2.03.2018 10:41 S 13°13.2272′ W 072°23.3729′ altitude: 2.780 masl @ 1st break

Rohody explains in “his office” on a stone usage of koka leaves, blessings for walk in the moutains and how the inkas walked here.

12.03.2018 11:32 S 13°13.8847′ W 072°24.4077′ altidude: 2.751 masl @ 2nd break

We have to find a name. Rohodys “lesson” and “media lunar” (half circle) lets the girls suggest medio lunar. So it is. Further up.

12.03.2018 11:59 S 13°13.9888′ W 072°24.9816′ altitude: 2.823 masl @ qanabamba (piskakuchu)

Rohody explains inka architecture, messenger system and granarys. We taste kaktus fruit.

We hike from shelter to shelter with short breaks, in which Rohody explains history, nature or beliefs.

We reach Lactapata. Rohody explains the architecture of inka relay stations.

12.03.2018 12:45 S 13°14.1446′ W 072°25.2045′ altitude: 2.907 masl @ Llactapata

We continue and meet Felix, on of the porters and speechless further indicator of places of food or sleep. We stop at Tarayok and have lunch.

12.03.2018 15:39 S 13°15.4082′ W 072°26.5681′ altitude: 2.968 masl @ Tarayok Lunch Time

We continue walking up, always overtaken by the porters.

12.03.2018 16:56 S 13°15.7372′ W 072°27.1675′ altitude: 3.077 masl @ Wayllabamba campsite

The campsite is private, close to Wayllabamba campsite with a flushing toilet. If only it would flush. Not a hard first day. It is warmer than at the Lares Trek camps in the night and rains a lot. The path to the toilet is suicidal, if wet and dark. The tent is waterproof, but humidity is unstoppable as soon as you open the tent.

Before dinner Rohody introduces the crew. To know each other better, the crew anf the hikers each have 3 questions. Of course they want to know materimonial status. Rohody acts like a TV show host with lots of humour and laughter.