Lares

I rise early before everyone else, feeling great this morning hallelujah 🙌 🙏. It was a really cold night and i ended up sleeping in my fleece and hat despite wearing thermals but I still slep well. I'm super excited for the day ahead and glad I'm feeling more like myself. May aswell get dressed and pack up my sleeping bag and belongings so I'm ready to go.

Francisco does the rounds waking everyone up and gives out Coca tea which helps with altitude and is made with coca leaves, it doesn't make you high of course, and the taste is mild, so drinkable, but it helps get the oxygen flowing around your bloodstream, just don't drink before bedtime or you'll never sleep! 😆.
We sort out our gear and have breakfast, which is yummy and I feel ravenous, so I pretty much polish off everything in sight. Pancakes and fruit, so good. We fill up our camel packs with water prepared and head out for our trek to Ollantaytambo . Today is the hardest day of the trek, we hike up to 4,600mtrs at highest point. We pass many agricultural fields, greenhouses which serve several families in the valleys who all share what they have with each other. There are stone built houses with thatched straw roofs all darted around along the way. The children run down to meet us throughout our journey to receive sweets from us which luckily Francisco has plenty. I wish I had known before setting out as I would have brought extra with me to hand out. It surprises me that they are only wearing sandals with there bare feet poking out, it's cold up here and they walk for miles just to get to school and any major supplies they need. One child lost his father recently and runs down to meet us, handing Francisco potatoes as they have known each other since he was a small child, they appear bonded for life, it's a touching moment, and Francisco explains that he will be setting up a charity to help these families with essential items they need. I will definitely help where I can, as they live a very hard life, although seem happy in themselves.
We walk for many hours till we reach the peak of the mountain. I am first to reach it after Francisco and feeling exhililirated, especially as yesterday I was so slow and not great. Today more than makes up for that. The views of snow capped mountains and lakes, beautiful sweeping valleys, just breathtaking. I can see why this Trek is Francisco's favourite, you don't see any other tourists unlike the Inca Trail. You get a real sense of mountain life.
It's super windy at the top so we sit a tiny bit lower down to rest whilst Francisco plays a special Andian Flute. I can tell its not easy playing as the wind is really strong, but it's enjoyable to hear traditional music. We try to have a go as it's passed around, but it's not my forte clearly, only one person gets a note out of it!
It's tradition to make an offering of three perfect coca leaves to Pacha Mama (mother nature) to thank her for crops in harvest, sun, rain, whatever the person feels grateful for, even fertility. Francisco shows us what to do and so we get down on one knee, facing each mountain as we copy what he says and then place our coca leaves under a rock of our choosing and say what we are thankful for. I feel blessed and honoured to be a part of this sacred ceremony practiced by the Incas centuries ago and still practiced today by the Andean people.
We start our descent down towards the next main village which takes a few hours, but the hardest part is over.
Many children descend upon us once there and unfortunately we dont have many sweets left.

Our lunch spot is on someone's land more of a back garden but at least there is a proper toilet, no nature ones here!
It's a welcome break and once again food is plentiful.
We take a minibus from here to Ollantaytambo about an hours drive.
Arriving in Ollantaytambo we grab some beers and head to camp. The town itself is very pretty and full of Inca buildings and a large market and pretty square. Cobbled streets and pretty stoned side streets line this town, with some mountains flanking the town and the train to Machupicchu leaves from here.
Our campsite is about 10 minutes walk from the main square and has a proper toilet. We hang out under a canopy, no stars visible tonight and in the background you hear the constant sound of the train bellowing out its horn every time one passes. I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight.

Most of the group are going to Machupicchu the next day early so we say our goodbyes after dinner and hand out tips collected for our helpers. Only three of the girls are staying the next day till after lunch where they will join up with the others. I'll be heading back to Cusco after lunch.Read more