The six amigas were actually eager to get up at 4:00 a.m. because at long last we were starting our journey to Machu Picchu. San Dennis picked us up and we were relieved to see a new driver, Mr. Wilbur. Now Mr. Wilbur is a very serious man and we would be very thankful for that quality. On the way to Soriypampa, we picked up our cook, Demetrio, and assistant cook, Marcelino. About 7:00 we stopped for breakfast and our three Highlanders promptly ordered beef and rice. Not being able to stomach a huge breakfast that early in the morning, we had the other option - a white bun with honey. The diffused Peruvian coffee certainly woke us up.
The Andes were towering on both sides of the road and we started up the mountain leading to the stunningly beautiful Salkantay Glacier. The ride to Soriypampa was definitely a white-knuckle ride, even with our serious Mr. Wilbur. The switchbacks zigzagged up the mountainside and Mr. Wilbur manoeuvered us along the pot-holed road, our van teetering precariously on the edge of nothing. Some of us were able to enjoy the spectacular views and some of us kept our eyes glued to the mud walls of the Andes to maintain sanity.
At the end of the road, we met up with our two horsemen, one emergency horse and five donkeys. What an amazing scene - the sun beaming down, the Salkantay Glacier beckoning, the blue sky framing the Andes, the donkeys and crew already trodding up the narrow, dusty path, and the ascent to the Salkantay Pass looming before the six chicas. In five kilometres we had to ascend from 3800 metres to 4600 metres. As we started up this formidable climb, we began to wonder why we had signed up for this trip and I am sure our guide began to wonder as well.
Within the first 100 metres, our hearts were pounding and we were struggling for air. Altitude was still a problem. San Dennis told us the secret to hiking the Andes was to pick a slow pace and just keep going. I tried to focus on his words but I had never experienced such heavy legs and I could hardly lift them off the ground. Each step took all my concentration: one foot in front of the other, up, up, up. We tried to set small goals as motivators - 20 steps before stopping, make it to the next curve, go until absolutely out of breath. Even though we were throwing up and suffering from headaches and exhaustion, we realized there was no turning back. We finally arrived at the highest altitude of our journey - 4600 metres! Here we celebrated in the traditional way, by communally creating a small stone monument, similar to an Inukshuk.
That first day we hiked 14 kilometres in 7 1/2 hours. We did not get lunch until 6:00 p.m. (we were certainly wishing by then that we had taken the full meal option at breakfast as the white bun and snack were long gone). Kathy and Carrie, overcome by the exertion could not even eat lunch. Dinner was then served at 7:30 and everyone quickly gobbled down Demetrio´s tasty dishes.
Because we had not reached our final destination for the day, we had to set up emergency camp in the Highlands, where it was quite cold. We were fairly warm, although it took several layers of clothing to make this happen - Janet wore long johns and three pairs of pants! Our two-women tents were cozy and very comfortable, allowing us to drift off into a deep sleep.
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