The Inca Trail Day 1

Ok guys,

So I havn´t been able to get to a computer that will upload pics so I´ve let this blog go a bit. But I think its important to put the Inca Trail down in words. If thats even possible. So begins day 1.

We had arrived in Cuzco city 2 days pior to acclimatize. We had joined a great group of aussies all at least 10 years older than me but a great group none the less and all eager to experience Peru. We also had with us our fabulous jungle buddies John and Pete. I hadnt been suffering too badly with the altitude just a little short of breath and a loss of appetite. No biggie.... Or so i thought..

Day 1 started out at around 6am i started to feel nautious. I knew it was anxiety and so ignored all the frantic races to the toilets and complete inability to eat. We took a couple of buses and stopped in a little town called Oylantytambo to get final supplies for the trip. You know.. the important stuff like chocolate, starbursts and anti-inflamatory gel....

We finally started walking around 1.30pm and all seemed to be going well. After all day 1 was the easy day right....¿ until we started going up hill anyways... So puffing and panting my way up the hill I watch as each member of the group passes me by and i huff and wheaze my way along stopping every few minutes to catch my breath. Grizlly stayed with me and thank god he did because about 4 hours in my ¨Í can´t do this´inner monologue got very vocal. ¨Fat chicks don´t climb mountains¨it said ÿou are not going to make it¨ÿou simply can´t do this¨said that nasty bastard and before i could realise anxiety had me in full choke and i was a wretching sobbing mess. But Grizzly was there urging me to just put one foot in front of the other and evetually we arrived at camp around 15 minutes after nightfall.

We were both a smidge (cough) annoyd to find that our camping arrangemnents had been changed and we were both to bunk up with strangers. Dad with Wayne and me with a lovely if not slightly mad, 55 year old psychologist called Dessa. Dessa and I agreed that there was no time or space for modesty in a 2 man tent in th middle of nowhere and commenced our routine of nightly wet-wipe showers and changing from sweat soaked hiking gear into long johns and thermals.

Dinner was served in a communal tent and though my tastebuds were delighted with the offerings my apetite was a victim of altitude and so I was only able to push my food around the plate and pass it on to a wondering dog. Everyone was very kind about pointing out that I was only a few minutes behiind them to arriuve at camp and spirits were generally high despite knowing that day 2 was the toughest day and only a few hours away. After the inital inconvienience of having to find a suitable peeing tree in the dark, it was off to bed for an early night.