Journey Return

Thursday, May 15
Start: Cusco, San Blas
Stop: Cusco, San Blas
11,384 feet
Acclimated to 3,281′
2.61 miles walking tour
293′ ascent
277′ descent

Despite falling asleep by 9:45 pm and not waking until 7:25 am, my Garmin watch tells me that my sleep was not restorative. My body stress levels are still high after all my travel. Even though I slept long enough, it did not bring down my overall fatigue. I force myself out of bed and shower. About an hour later, I very slowly plod up the stairs to the top floor for breakfast.

As I start to inspect the buffet breakfast, I am asked my room number and informed that they have a special breakfast for me. Thanks to my amazing tour guide Elizabeth of Mountain Gods Peru and our food conversation the day before, she has communicated to the hotel staff about my dietary challenges. In addition to the standard scrambled eggs of the buffet, they have prepared plain carrots and potatoes. Also provided are gluten free cookies and corn crackers. Add in coffee with chocolate, coca tea and fresh fruit. I’m in heaven and feel so well taken care of. I luxuriate over breakfast while I enjoy the beautiful view looking over Cuzco.

I meet Elizabeth in the hotel lobby at 10 am for what I think is our briefing. Turns out I misunderstood and she’s ready to head out for a little walking tour. After I pay the balance for my trip in cash, I change clothes before heading out into San Blas with Elizabeth.

Inca construction and history is all around me. Did they just stack these stones up willy-nilly without thought? Definitely not! Can you find the serpent? The puma? If you have traveled to this region you know that the Condor, Puma and Snake are central to the beliefs of Inca civilization and Quechua people.

The Quechua people are an indigenous group that inhabit the high Andes and are the direct descendants of the Inca civilization. The Quechua language, one of the oldest in the world, is still spoken by millions of people in South America. Having the opportunity to listen to this language for several weeks, I am astounded by how unique it is to my ear. Obviously, it is so different and distinct from Spanish. And yet, Peruvians fluently and effortlessly switch between the two. It is not uncommon for people deep in the jungle or high in the mountains to only speak Quechua. Like the Incas, Quechua culture is rooted in honoring Pachamama (mother Earth) and our connection to all things. While Catholicism is very prevalent, the majority of Quechua reject that colonialism. The mountains are revered as gods to which sacrifices and offerings are made. Mountain gods? Yes please!

The Plaza Mayor, also called La Plaza de Armas is the historic center of Cusco. There is actually a lot of debate about what should be the real and historical name. Nonetheless, it is Pachacuti who stands tall and watches over. Pachacuti “the turn of the world” is considered to be one of the first emperors of the Incas and It is speculated that Machupicchu was built for him. We meet chef Joel and review my dietary restrictions again. Elizabeth hands him some money so that he can prep for our 5 day trek.

Elizabeth leads me through and around all the cobble pathways. She points out botanical wonders like Peru’s national flower Cantua before we turn into a local market area. We pass under the Condor guardians and find vendors selling gigantic blocks of cheese, herbs, salt, potatoes, chocolate, corn, quinoa and so so much more. We stroll past one vendor and Elizabeth points out the bags for offerings. I ask her if we need to do such an offering for our trip. She proceeds to purchase an offering “packet” and some coca leaves for ritual.

Elizabeth helps me locate an atm before we part ways. She asks if I need help getting back to my hotel but I insist that I’m up to the challenge of finding my way back. After a long wait at the bank to break bills into smaller denominations, I hit the streets. It’s actually a fairly straight shot back to Muru Homely Hotel. I get back at almost 1:30 pm and fix myself another round of oatmeal before resting a bit. After being in Cuzco one full day, I am already acclimated to 3,281 feet.

Elizabeth and I meet again at 5 pm for a trip briefing in the hotel lobby. She delivers the duffel where I will pack the things that I will not carry. We talk through the trip itinerary all the details and I ask my questions. After more oatmeal, peanut butter and sharp cheese dinner I put together my gear for the next 6 days. I also filter water for tonight and tomorrow. It seems like most people buy bottled water. It takes a bit of work balancing my Sawyer squeeze on top of my bottles but it’s way better than having to spend money on water.

In my Mountain Gods Peru duffel are things like my sleeping bag and my base layer sleep clothes. Luxury items include down slippers, a t-shirt, bra and thin joggers for aguas calientes, extra pairs of underwear, a few toiletries, and necessary external batteries and charging cables. My ZPacks backpack is way bigger than necessary but its comfort and weight outweigh caring something smaller. In my backpack are items like rain gear, warm layers, umbrella, gloves, foot and first aide, small battery and charging cables, extra camera battery, sunglasses, snacks, water, passport, journal. I also have to ready my luggage to be stored with the hotel while I’m gone trekking. Luckily, I know what gear I need and the decisions are not tough. It’s just a matter of going through everything. It seems late but I do manage to get to bed by 9:30 pm.