Adventures of a Wandering Thirtysomething

Despite our excitement to finally reach the archaeological site, it was also an emotional one as it was our final day of camping in the mountains and being with our porters. After breakfast, we got to say our goodbyes – learning a bit about the lives of each of the porters and telling them know how much we appreciated them and all their hard work to make our trip so special. We had a few laughs too. One of the porters – Roberto – was in his role as server for the very first time. Abe hollered ‘Roberto!’ so many times during our meals if something was forgotten or arriving late, that we already knew his name. When it was Roberto’s turn to introduce himself, before he could speak, we both shouted ‘Roberto!’ then jokingly apologized that he was so relentlessly abused on our behalf. Matt and I both were holding back tears as we said our thank yous and goodbyes and handed out tips.

The hike to Machu Picchu was a relatively easy one compared to some of our other days. Mostly downhill and mostly in the shade. Despite its relative ease, Matt insisted that I try coca leaves since we were nearing the end. I grabbed a wad of leaves, rolled and chewed them, and let my wad of coca start working its magic. After about 10 minutes, I wondered why I hadn’t been chewing them all along. I began speeding up my pace and, when we reached the extremely steep steps called the “gringo killer,” I ran up them and was so energized I was tempted to run back down and do it again. Matt was less than thrilled with “coca wifey” – I had already been hiking too fast for the trip, now I was hiking even faster and tackling the challenging sections like they were flat trail. I’m now a big fan of the Inca Powerbar, as our guide jokingly called coca leaves.

In the early afternoon, after trekking more than 26 miles from the start of the trail, we climbed the final steps up to the sun gate – the original entrance of the nobles when they made their pilgrimage to Machu Picchu. Feelings of accomplishment and excitement washed over us. We had our first view of the site and it was spectacular. Massive compared to the many smaller sites along the Inca Trail, and amazing in its uniquely protected and beautiful location completely encircled by emerald mountains and snow-capped peaks of the Andes.

After our obligatory photo to capture the moment of entering the site, we dashed down the trail to check out the Inca Bridge before it closed for the afternoon. The bridge, part of the commoner’s trail to Machu Picchu, and an extremely treacherous section – essentially a two-foot wide trail clinging to the edge of a cliff. The bones of hundreds of Incans were found at the base of the cliff below. It’s believed that the commoners who finished their seasonal work, were pushed off the trail while traveling home to protect the secret of Machu Picchu.

Following the Inca Bridge and a quick snack break, we made our way more deeply into the site. The afternoon was cool and the crowds had dispersed, allowing us to photograph and walk around the site completely unobstructed and enjoy some of the most famous parts without anyone else around. From the king and queen’s rooms to the temple of the sun, every piece of the site helped tell a fascinating story about what life would have been like in the Incan city.

As we headed out for the day and took the bus to the touristy town outside the site, we were filled with overwhelming gratitude for having experienced the site the way the Incans would have. Visitors who only drive up to it on the bus not only miss out on the beautiful views of the trail, but also the deep meaning behind following the pilgrimage trail, the rich history and many sites along that way that all point to the final destination of Machu Picchu, and the sense of satisfaction in seeing it for the first time the very same way the Incans did after days of hiking and exhaustion.

It was truly an exhilarating and emotional experience, and will remain one of the most unique and awe-inspiring travel experiences we’ve ever had.