Official Photo´s from the World´s Most Dangerous Road

The Road of Death!!!

The Road of Death!

I spent today mountain biking the World´s most dangerous road, but I survived! Statistically more people die on this road than any other in the world, this includes the streets of Baghdad. Okay, so I´ve built it up, are you impressed? Okay more facts, it´s a 64km ride, with a 3,650m descent. So on a mountain bikes that´s lots of fun. But the start is at an elevation of 4,760m, at 8.00 this morning it was really frosty and of course difficult to breath!


One of the many waterfalls on the road.

We rode through waterfalls, on loose rocks, a little pavement and through two large streams. I booked the tour with Gravity Assisted, they are one of the best outfits, expensive but I got to ride a full suspension bike and we ended the day at an animal sanctuary with great hot showers and a pool. At times it was easy to forget the 800m drop on the side of the road, other times it was really terrifying. There is a lot of loose rocks on the road and one guy had an accident, luckily he only scraped himself. We were all given really good protective clothing at the start of the day. The goggles came in handy too, as towards the bottom the climate is completely different, very hot and dry and the dust from the road clings to the air. They took photographs and video of all the riders, so at some point I´ll try and upload them here. Oh and to top it all I got a free t-shirt!


A parrot at the sanctuary.

Tomorrow night I´m of to the Salar de Uyuni (famous Salt Flats), it´s a 3 day tour that ends in San Pedro, Chile. I´m looking forward to being at a slightly lower altitude and somewhere warmer, well at least in the day.

Lake Titicaca

The Peruvian flag on Lake Titicaca.

After the Inca Trek, I caught the bug that had been making it´s way through the group. Unfortunately this meant I missed the night out we had planned in Cusco. I also don´t have anyone´s email address, it´s really frustrating.
After two days in the same hotel room, feeling sorry for myself I thought it was time to move on. I have a pretty tight schedule if I want to see as much as I´ve planned to see in South America. So I bought a bus ticket for Puno, Peru, it´s a port on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The Lake itself is the world´s largest high-altitude body of water, it´s 15 times the size of Lake Geneva.

Okay enough of the statistics. My reason for visiting Puno was to take a trip to the Uros Islands. They are floating islands made of reed that have been occupied by Uros Indians for over 500 years. Their original purpose was to hide from invading tribes. But in the mid-sixties (I guess realising there were no tribes left?) they showed themselves to the main-landers. The population has dwindled since to some 1000 people. They are not recognised by the current Peruvian government, so tourists and fishing are their only forms of income. Most of the islanders don´t speak Spanish, but the ancient language of the Inca´s Quechua.


Huts on the Uros Islands.

I took a guided tour to two of the islands, our guide Juan told us how the reed islands are made and how in some serious storms, islanders have woken up 3 hours away from where they went to sleep.


Me and the captain.

We also had a chance to meet one of the island chiefs and took a reed boat between the two islands. Although it was all very touristic, I really enjoyed being somewhere so peaceful, well while it lasted.


On the boat, to our second island.

When we arrived at the second island, we were greeted by a very unexpected sight. A group of Peruvian men in shiny red suits shooting a music video. And who gets dragged in to dance? Yeah that´s right the one tourist without rhythm, me. So if you ever see some dodgy looking South American music video with a very over-excited man in a shiny suit dancing with a woman who looks disturbed, let me know.


Dancing shiny suited men, going for the U2 on the roof pose.

My Inca Trail Post

It was a BIG effort to get to the top of Wayna Picchu for this photo.


Well I´m afraid my memory is a little sketchy from feeling so ill when I returned to Cusco, so it´s best I try to recall this now.
Well I was hoping for an unfit group so I could naturally take my "middle of the pack spot", unfortunately this didn´t happen. As Toucan travel didn´t have any other tourists wanting to hike that day I was put with a group from Toucan´s sister company, Budget Expeditions. The group of 14, were on an organised trip from La Paz to Lima. I was a little disappointed at first. The reason I´d booked the tour with an independent company was so I would have the chance to meet other travellers I could possible travel on with for sometime. It also meant the group wouldn´t be staying in the same hotel as me the night before the trek and when we all returned to Cusco after the trek. I put all this aside the night before the trek as Julio my guide came to my hotel to explain the route and what I should and should not pack. I was given a small duffle bag (limited to 5K) and took a day sack. I would carry the day sack, it contained water, first aid kit, toilet roll (very important), extra clothing, poncho, waterproof trousers, camera and snack pack provided by the chef each day. Our group had 19 porters, it sounds a lot but there is so much for them to carry. Before the trek everyone believed the weight limit of 5k for the duffel bags was to stop the porters carrying too much. Well they are strict at the checkpoints and weight the bags. But the porters carry all the camping and kitchen equipment and they have to walk ahead of us (most of time running) so they can set up camp, whether for lunch or for the night. I think it´s one of the most physically demanding jobs.
I met Julio (my guide) the first morning at 6am to take the bus two hours to Ollantaytambo, where the others had spent the night. I was quickly introduced to everyone, Julio said my name about 20 times and then would quiz me throughout the trip on who was who.


Julio, our guide and his assistant Monche.

The bus took an hour from Ollantaytambo to the 82k point of the Inca Trail. This is the most popular starting point for the 4 day hike. We posed for a group photo.


At the starting point of the Inca Trail.

We then set off on the trail. We all had bamboo walking sticks as Julio had advised. I was concerned how fit everyone looked, I think I was about the oldest in the group. It was mostly a mix of English and Aussies, with two French Canadian girls and a Polish woman from London. The pace of the first day was very easy to get us all used to the trail. Everyone was very friendly and I soon forgot any concerns about a group that already knew each other really well and wouldn´t be open to a newcomer. We stopped for lunch after only about an hour and a half of walking. No one could quite believe the lunch set up. There were two tents, one for the cook and one for us walkers. Outside our tent were small bowls of water, soaps and hand towels. Inside the tent we settled down to a delicious salad, followed by soup and a main course. All this was followed by a selection of herbal teas and hot chocolate.
After that everyone stumbled out of the tent and struggled to walk. Luckily we only had to walk a further two hours, relatively flat section, to make it to camp. Of course the porters had passed us on route, even the one carrying the oven...
Everyone felt very Western and very fat.
Thankfully the second day was a real challenge I felt we might deserve our pancake breakfast, our lunch, afternoon tea and evening meal. Oh but wait I forgot the snack pack for the day, heaven forbid we become hungry we also carried chocolate bars and fruit.
Everyone I have ever come across who has hiked the trail talks of the 2nd day and how difficult it is. This section of the Inca Trail involves an accent from camp (2650m or 8692ft) to 4200m. This is aptly named Dead Woman´s Pass. I´m grateful now I was so terrified of the the pass before the day began, it actually made it easier. I mean in my mind I was thinking Everest, an airlift, loss of fingers, documentary spin off, etc. Surprisingly it wasn´t like that. It was tough, the steps are huge, even for tall people, so my walking stick came in handy. But here I really have to give credit to our guide Julio, he is apparently one of the best guides on the trek (he´s been a guide for 21 years) and I can see why. The night before day 2, he explained the layout of the trail (as he would do each night), so we knew what to expect. The best advise being, go slow, walk in a zig zag, remember how to breath (sounds stupid but it´s amazing how quickly that jaw drops open when you are exhausted), let your walking stick take some of the strain from your legs, only stop for a minute long break and don´t sit down.
It was amazing to see the number of people from other groups doing the exact opposite and really struggling. I´m not saying it was easy for our group but it made a huge difference.
I found myself towards the front of the group, this always helps me to stay positive, but it also drove me slightly crazy as I constantly feared someone overtaking me. See I devised a game that if I could be the first woman, being English, this meant only one thing, I would win the Ashes back for England. You will all be pleased to know I succeeded, at the risk of my own mental health.




I ended up walking much of the time with Mika, an Australian girl. As we saw the top of Dead Woman´s pass we took out our camera´s, quite an effort as we had on our poncho´s to protect against the rain. I didn´t care that with a poncho and walking stick I looked like Yoda, I was having that photo taken. We took turns taking photo´s (don´t worry I made sure I got to the top just a few steps ahead of Mika), and then I decided to have a look around the corner and check out the descent to camp, some 400m. It was an awful sinking feeling when I realised we had another 30 minutes at least of steep uphill climbing. I left Mika behind (Australian remember?) and headed to the top. I was pleased to win the Ashes back, but it was too cold to bask in the glory, so I started the descent.
Many parts of the trail are difficult because of the amount of water on the steps, this is from all the high waterfalls in the Andes. The ascent was really difficult and I took it easy, while porters with gas canisters attached to their backs wearing flip flops ran past me. Victory is hollow people.
The campsite for the 2nd night was the most spectacular with views of a sweeping valley and snow capped mountains in the distance.


Our picturesque, if a little high campsite for the second night.42

As with each night on the trail there is little to do after the evening meal, the porters sleep in the dining tent (yes it was all very us and them) so each night we were all in our tents by 8pm.
On the third day we stayed together as a group and Julio stopped at a lot of Inca ruins to explain them. He is very passionate about his ancestors and loved to tell us as much as possible. The only downside is everyone is so tired it´s hard to keep all the infomation straight. I felt this on the final day too when we arrived at Machu Picchu. Julio suggested we wake at 3.45am, so we could be the first group at the final checkpoint. From the checkpoint it´s a 40 minute hike to the Sun Gate and our first view of Machu Picchu. The checkpoint didn´t actually open until 5.30am, but being the first group to arrive allowed us time to wait undercover. On the final night my tent mate, Lindsey was really sick. There had been a bug going around the group and it seemed to give everyone the runs and vomiting for about 4 hours and then pass. Poor Lindsey had this on the final night. She was okay to walk, but very weak so either Julio or his assistant Monche walked with her.



The final morning was cold and damp, it had been raining most of the night. Finally what felt like hours of waiting, the checkpoint was opened. It was a shame the last stage became such a frenzied race. Our group had the lead and we maintained it. The reason people do this is so they can see Machu Picchu first, yeah kind of silly hey. But once something becomes a race all my logic goes out the window and all I can think about is staying in front. So with hardly any breath left we arrived at the Sun Gate, to see a lovely covering of mist.
Yeah I know it´s not meant to go like this, but to be honest it didn´t really make a difference to me. The hike itself was a fantastic experience and learning how hard I can puch myself, regardless of whether I get to take a nice picture postcard photo at the end. In fact I did get to take plenty of photo´s during our free time to wander the site independently. This was after Julio first gave us a tour.
It was strange later on walking around Machu Picchu with so many tourists, by 10am there are so many day trippers, it kind of took away some of the magic. But I did feel an amazing sense of accomplishment and aches in my legs.
Julio challenged us all to make it to the top of Wayna Picchu, the mountain beside Machu Picchu that looms over it. At first I thought no way, but eventually I had the energy, again it gave an amazing view. But the ascent was really tough, there were a number of people who looked very uncomfortable, the only advise at the start is you should be fit and healthy. Of course fit and healthy in the West simply means you don´t need a stair lift yet. There were people who took to the climb that looked like they belonged in nursing homes!
The Inca trail for me was a fantastic experience, it gave me the chance to think and gaze at amazing scenery and win the Ashes back.

I am back, well kind of.....

No I have not forgotten this blog, the Inca Trail was brilliant and I have plenty of photographs. But unfortunately I have caught some kind of viral infection, it was going around the group, but I do feel a lot better now. But I still feel weak. I have arrived in Bolivia, via the floating Uros Islands, but I plan to take it easy for a day or two. No I did not leap over the islands, although from that sentence it is easy to wonder.
I was hoping to update the site from here in La Paz, but if this computer is anything to go by I may wait. You may have noticed I cannot use apostrophes, question marks, brackets and the space bar is temperamental.
Anyway that is all for now, will hopefully post about the Inca Trail soon.

No internet on the Inca Trail?

Can you believe it?

So I will be out of touch for awhile, did I hear a collective sigh of relief, "thank god I don´t have to read this damn blog or leave a comment"? Well don´t worry I´ll be back Sunday, with a full report of the hike and some photographs.
I´m a little apprehensive as I´m still struggling to catch my breath when I walk too fast around Cusco. Thankfully oxygen will be available, but I hope it doesn´t come to that.
I have a briefing tonight with the rest of the group, I´m hoping for a room full of seriously unfit people.

Hasta Luego,
Karen

On the move...again

When I first arrived in Cusco, the place I wanted to stay at was fully booked, so they sent me to another hostel. At first Hostel Loki seemed fine, a huge colonial building with amazing views and plenty on offer. But then it all changed and I blame the Irish.
Yes St Patricks day was celebrated at Loki as if it were the second coming. People began to arrive in droves just to celebrate in Cusco. The hostel became really full and very noisy. Normally I expect in a dorm room it´s not exactly going to be quiet but this was ridiculous. One girl (English unfortunately) came in so drunk one night she peed on the floor! When a group of 5 men arrived in the dorm all with guitars, I decided it was time to move out. I can´t imagine what the place was like on Saturday or if it still stands.
I moved to a small hotel and found a private room with en-suite for just a few dollars more. It was certainly quiet only about 8 rooms in the entire building, but God was it cold! I don´t understand why most hotels don´t have heating, it´s not as if the freezing temperatures at night take them by surprise! All the staff wore hats and scarfs, inside the hotel!
So this morning I moved to a really exclusive hotel, it´s actually part of the Inca package I booked back in the UK. I got my dates confused (no not the first time) and thought I was meant to check in today and start the 4 day hike tomorrow. But in fact I start the Inca Trail on Wednesday. I decided to pay for the extra night and stay somewhere warm, before I have to sleep out in a tent for 3 nights. Do you think the tents will have central heating?



This is the central terrace of my current residence.