Editor’s Note: This is the first post of four chronicling each day of the Inca Trail.
I groggily threw clothes into my duffel bag, pausing from time to time to reflect on whether I would need the item over the next 5 days. We would be leaving our cozy hostel in Cusco to start our trek on the 27-mile Inca Trail. Our hike would span 4 days, and we were planning on spending a 5th in the small Machu Picchu town, formerly called Aguas Calientes, just below the archaeological site. It was just before 4AM and I hadn’t slept much the night prior, despite being in bed around 10PM. A combination of excitement, eagerness, and anxiety that I would sleep through the alarm, despite sharing a room with two of my best friends, had kept me tossing and turning throughout the night. By the time the alarm rang, I was in zombie-mode.
I quickly snapped out of it as we stepped into the cold mountain air. Adrenaline kicked in as we boarded our small bus, or over-sized van depending on how you looked at it, and traveled the highway to our starting point. We stopped for a quick breakfast in the old town of Ollantaytambo; it was our first meal as a tour group. In total there were ten of us, plus our two tour guides and the entire crew who made our trek possible (carrying the loads, setting up and breaking down camp, cooking, etc.). An hour or so after breakfast, we arrived at the beginning of the trail.
After showing our tickets and passports, we crossed a river and began walking up hill. While there were some level parts, most of DAY 1 was an incline, some of it more challenging than I had anticipated. The stunningly clear blue sky helped me to forget that my thighs were burning though. The open fields, river view, and occasional Inca ruins also aided in creating a magical scene.
Apart from the stunning scenery, what stood out to me on DAY 1 were the many villages we passed throughout the day; villages which still rely on the Inca Trail as their main way to get from town to town. As time goes on, the populations in those towns dwindle. Children leave for school and don’t return, opting to seek better opportunities outside of their small, isolated homes. Often times, the nearest school is an hour walk away. The nearest hospital, further (with the exception of a small clinic). In order to bring goods into town, villagers often haul products by foot or use donkeys. Many depend on tourists to buy snacks, water, and other goodies along their way; but, mostly these villages farm.
Just before sunset, we reached our camp. The crew had rushed ahead of us and everything was set up; we just had to find our luggage from the pile and claim our tents. In the blink of an eye, dinner was served and I was falling asleep, exhausted from the day.
DAY 2 would include a greater incline; a more arduous and grueling task to complete.
Brittany McGee 