Journey to the Sacred Mountain

Day one: the ice Queen
Today was the start of my four day three night trekk to Match Picchu. I was with a group of twelve other people from all over the world, Ierland, Germany, Isreal, Columbia, South Kora and Spain. To kick off the trekk we started with a ” mountain biking portion.” This mountain biking consisted of riding a mountain bike down a road. Yes it was a big mountain and yes it was raining at the top. I didn’t think I had paid for mountain biking and for some reason was not the most excited about it but I decided to give it a try regardless. So I suited up in the elbow pads, knee pads, gloves and helmet. I can’t remember the last time I was so miserable. I tried to stay in the moment and to enjoy the new experience of ice water stabbing my eye blasts at a high speed, water falls of water draining from my legs into my boots and the sensation of not having hands but needing to pull the brakes… I quit. In a rather dramatic way, I told our guide in Spanish that I didn’t like it at all it was not enchanting! Hahah oh well. Once in the van again I joined the two guys from Israel whom help warm my frozen hands by sticking them in their arm pits ahhahaha, breaking boundaries.
The rest of the group made it down the mountain and though the rivers that where gushing over the roads and enjoyed themselfs. It’s been a while since I quit anything and it took a lot if emotional strength for my competitive ego to say enough is enough. One other German girl joined me after another five minutes. To be honest all that was going through my head while is was gritting my teeth was a risk vs. repercussion graph and how I would handle the situation if I was leading a group. On one hand some people in our group loved the challenge and others just gritted it out for the experience; if I was leading I would have said hell no, it was bad. I was ” that kid” in the group today, though it was a humbling experience. The group is really great; everyone is down to have a good time regardless of the weather. It’s be very fun to communicate and share cultures with this laughing group of individuals. We spent the rest of our rather leisurely day playing on a bridge, drinking beer, eating, and sharing chocolate. I ate too much today and didn’t get in any exercise. Feeling off I expressed this to my new Colombian friend. She informed me that body image is a HUGE deal in Colombia and that most girls receive boob jobs for their Quincinera!!!
Day two: Welcome to the Inca trail
Many thoughts raced through my head yesterday as we hiked through the sub tropical jungle. We passed and crossed three rivers that where ravenous enough to eat a bear; white water frothed under the brown mixture of topsoil and sand. The rivers and the streets feeding the rivers where vicious! Everyone in a while you could hear the thud of a boulder get dislodged and roll 2 or 3 times before finding a new resting place. The stories of past rain storms where told by the size of landslides blocking our path. Turns out summer time is rainy season here. Rainy season is also the most dangerous time to came hence why the trip was half priced, hehehe.
The hike was enjoyable. Every time I needed a break from the intense incline we conveniently made a stop a house with a monkey and a Señora selling fresh Chicha, fresh Maraculla juice and home made chocolate truffles. Um, yes please. The monkey at the first house was wearing a diper, on a leash and people where taunting it with food and cameras. It was interesting to see the monkey play with toys and enjoy Chicha and Coca leaves, however, I did not get a laugh out of the situation. The second house had a smaller monkey off leash and friendly. He jumped from shoulder to shoulder smiling for pictures and showing off his white mustache.
Our guide Carlos is very passionate about his Inca culture and holds their accomplishments in the highest regards; in higher regards than other ancient civilizations. He claims that the Incas brought corn, chocolate and potatoes into the world of agriculture… I didn’t want to argue. I bought a raw cacao and honey homemade and we headed of for the next portion the trail. Up and up we climbed until we reached a portion of the one of the many Incas trails, not to be confused with ” the” Inca trail because it is under maintenance. The path we traveled was cut into a cliff face and the rocks from the cliff where used as the structure of the trail. The group of us ooohed and awed at the beauty if the scenery and snapped photos of everything.
Landslides are a frequent happenstance around these parts. It’s a mind boggling to me that road constructors haven’t taken a hint from the inca and continue to quickly bulldoze roads along cliffs, anticipate landslides and just bulldoze again. No efforts, that I have seen, have been made to keep the errossion or mountain at bay. Efforts maybe useless, I don’t know. Regardless, it was exciting to clamber over the rocks and forge a new passage to the next destination.
The last walking portion of our journey took us along a road that was temporarily closed because of the season. The rocks here where packed with minerals and where oxidizing, giving the road a rainbow appearance! The site was so beautiful! Rust orange colors streaked across bronze red slate. The road lead to our last river crossing of the day and the most adventurous at that! The crossing was not over a bridge, rather it was in a basket and Lully system about 200 feet above the river! The basket consisted of an open wire structure with wooden planks for a floor. This contraption hung on a secure wire and was operated by our guide and a local Peruvian on the other side pulling the cord attached to the basket. The river below as all the others was raging. Terrifying? Yes. Once in a life time experience? Duh.
After safe passage we soaked our bodies at Aguascalientes, a local Hot Spot. Three naturally heated mineral pools, one hot fall and one cold dunk composed this magical place. It was the best way to finish the days trekk. I taught the group the elementary steps to Watsu that I had been shown my a good friend named Sunshine in Hawaii.
The evening was finished up with dinner and drinks. A small group continued drinking then went out dancing, but I went to bed after dinner. I did not join the group 1. Because I was exhausted and 2. Because it seemed to me the town was pretty impacted by rambunctious tourists; the locals where all grumpy.
Day three: The longest day and the first sitting
Today was the longest day of walking mixed in with a morning sessional zip lining. I originally wasn’t going to zip but for 30$ I couldn’t beat the price. It was a fun experience but it wasn’t challenging. The longest zip was over one kilometer about 1/4 mile over a river valley. Pretty amazing. The last zip I flew upside down for half the time and then got repelled down from a sky platform like bat woman, also hanging upside down.
The walk wasn’t so strenuous as it was long. I tried to talk a bit of what if philosophy ( what if the agriculture exemplified by the Inca community was used today, where would we be) but my audience was not so queen on the topic. Poo foo. I think it was more a matter of my one person audience not wanting to talk philosophy or what if more than anything else, aka not wanting to talk to me, I hope ha. I have come to realize through talks with other wordly members here in Peru that issues that California/the USA struggles with in education, food and leadership are shared with many other countries. I have also come into a deeper appreciation of the US and the efforts it makes, however minimal they may be compared to countries like Germany, in the Green Movement and environmental awareness. For a raw example, I am thank full that there are waste systems in the US as well as recycle systems. In Peru it is commonly accepted to dump your trash, wash your close, use the toilet and drink from the same water system. Traveling puts things in perspective.
Another young fellow from the group and I had a wonderful discussion about life together. He is an intelligent man from Germany working towards his PHD in physical chemistry in an effort t work in the world of renewable energy! An intellectual conversation for sure, as well he speaks four languages. Our topic was spirituality and the church. It took us the whole four hours to the base of the Matchu Picchu mountain.
Our hike started at the back side of Matchu Picchu, glimpsing just a few terraces of the site. The rest of the hike we were teased by other glimpses of the terraces and stone structures that lay waiting for us to explore tomorrow. Matchu Picchu, representing the Male mountain and Wanapicchu, representing the Female mountain sandwich the temples and town of Match Picchu. The site was supposedly closed because of the mountains, male and female, the power of life and the balance of sexes.
Dinner was planned for late in the evening and my new Irish friend Carmela and I needed some food. The two of us ran into the Sapniards and headed for a bar. We bumped into a couple Carmela had met in Cusco and I graciously invited them not knowing they where the less rugged sort of travelers. The girl was from Tahoe! But with further investigation we knew non of the same people and she did. Not exactly share the love of out doors as many of my Tahoe friends do… Turns out she’s early not the Tahoe type at all and likes her life in Pheinix AZ, to all heir own. She spoke with a serious valley girl accent, even when speaking Spanish. After she had departed I asked the Sapniards in Spanish if I sounded like the girl when I spoke Spanish. I was extremely taken aback and abashed when they agreed I did. How embarrassing, but they agreed I spoke more clearly and more in general than they did. These days I am feeling more confident with my speaking and less confident with my understanding, all is a balance.
We headed to the market to pick up lunch for our pilgrimage tomorrow, bread, bananas, cheese, peanuts, mango, avocado, cookies and chocolate. Dinner was uncomfortable to say the least. For one it was way too late and everyone including our guide was a bit hangry. The food was just alright. The confusion came when Carlos started informing everyone about bus and train times. All but my information had been changed… People where not happy to find out that they where now on the late train when they had asked for the early train or that they couldn’t go to Wanapicchu mountain because of passport dilemmas. How I missed out on this confusion I’m not sure. I told everyone that it would all be well because tomorrow we go to Matchu Picchu!
Day four: the Pilgrimage
4 AM! Waking up was the easiest part of the morning. The bridge and main portal to Matchu Picchu opens at 5 AM and the walk to the bridge is about an hour. Carmel and I joined the masses of young persons making the epic pilgrimage up the mountain. It was a morning never to forget. The moon lite our way for the first hour, others had head lamps but it’s a pet peeve of mine to use a light when it’s not necessary. Regardless of the light my feet felt like they had magnets, glueing my foot to the stones with every step. The moon illuminated just enough of each stone step while mist clung to the center of the silhouetted mountains in the most mystical way. On the way up I matched my breath with my foot steps, allowing for an easy sink into meditation. I was surprised at how little I looked down, there was no need, my feet seemed to know the way; I had walked the some thousand steps up the mountain before. My feet knew the way and my breath carried me to the top with strength. No lies to be had it was a hell of a trio up the stairs to the entrance. A full on 50 minute stair masted butt burn on ancient Inca stones. The Sapniards made it up in 30 minutes. W joined them in line as four of the first thirty people to Matchu Picchu that morning. The lyrics to Trevor Halls “way upon a mountain” song flooded into my head and out my mouth. I was quite joyful, and that joy carried me through the whole day. Carlos didn’t really have anymore information of importance to share with us but he did show us some of the main structures of importance:
-the temple of he winter solstice with windows strategically placed to tell the day of the winter solstice and summer solstice. Below the temple is the watering hole, one pool that springs to 16 others.
– the cleansing room, my favorite structure! The room was for persons whom had just traveled the trail and needed to cleanse before entering the temples. Ritual ceremonies and jungle drug journeys where practiced here as well as sound therapy. Window like stone structures lined the walls where you could stick your head in and hum, or in my case Om. You had to hit the right tone at the correct head placement. When I figure out what my placement and tone was, bam, sound vibration cracked through my skull and tremored down my body! Incredible!
– the temple of the Sun, the main temple. Located at the top most point of the ruins and is composed of the peak rock that makes up the mountain the ruins sit upon. The large stone peak was reserved for sacrifices to Matchu Picchu mountain or father sun. A peculiar rock that exactly resembles the Matchuu Picchu ruins site and surrounding river valley lies untouched behind the alter. A neighboring rock also resembles the mountain range boarding Matchu Picchu on the other side of the Uribamba river. Strange. Very strange indeed.
Along with the Matchu Picchu ruins I got to make the climb up to Wynapicchu mountain. More stairs but the view was well worth the sweat. The top of Wynapicchu is said to be the area where the heavens connect to the Matchu Picchu. So I did what any sane person would do and connected my crown chakra, the area I use to connect with the heavens, to the top of the mountain in a head stand. Meditation on this mountain was Powerfull! I almost instantly felt my body swaying to the rhythm of the mountain. It was a bit tough at first to sink further with all e tourist walking about. I worked on centering my chakras. The colors that came to me where EXTREMELY vibe rant, almost electric. I must have been out a while because I was welcomed back by the group with “why, good morning!” Clarity, lunch, and a never ending series of group photos followed.
Before leaving I joined the South Koreans in prayer. I was very resistant to leave. I could have stayed , appreciated and contemplated and observed the ruins for many more hours. I prayed for gratitude, for respect to Pacha Mama and for blessing to my closest loved ones, yes you all reading this blog! As well I prayed that on my return home the people I love, the people I meet and my students can see a reflection of the greatness I have seen in Matchu Picchu. To be able to share a pice of the beauty with those I love. My prayer was the same as my prayer to Mother Kalalau in Kauai, to have the beauty of nature reflected and represented through my actions.
The stairs back down where killer and the rest of the evening went something like: hangry- chaos- happy hour – pizza deliciousness – train time mix ups – chorus
I got to bond with the Spanisrds while working through the South Koreans problem of missing their train. The South Koreans spoke to each other, then to me in their best English, then I translated in my best Spanish and we finally got them tickets on the next train at no cost. After they explained to me the I justice they face as Asian travelers. They speak English ok and Spanish bearly, a few words, because of this people do not give them the time of day the deserve or need. This is very unfortunate because they are some of the kindest, most gracious people I have ever met, and that their culture!
The terai ride back was uneventfull and of course there was a ranger I. The hostel when I got back, but nothing was going to stop me from sleep.