Highs and Lows

I just came back from the four day, 43km long, Inca Trail which finishes at Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. Overall i was really happy with the experience...but the whole trek was filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The first 2.5 days of trekking were nothing but clouds, rain and fog. It was very frustrating to come up to vistas only to see nothing but white...also, rain, rain, and more rain gets to you after a while. We passed Inca ruins everyday and my only joy was the mysticism caused by all the fog around the ruins...actually the word "mystical" was a theme word used by optimists in my trekking group quite frequently. In the afternoon of the third day, the clouds opened to reveal a beautiful valley surrounded by snow capped mountains and a rainbow to boot. Big smiles from everyone, we were optimistic about the final day. Unfortunately, the weather turned again...and as i crossed the infamous Sun Gate (located on a mountain pass), the moment ive been waiting for for so long, 4 days of hiking, all i could see was clouds, rain and a faint machu picchu. Ive thought about it a bit, and i stand by the notion that this was the most disappointing moment of my life. Not my worst moment or most difficult moment, but most disappointing. Im pretty sure if there were any people contemplating suicide then the view would have pushed them off the edge. All is not so bad...a few hours later the weather turned again for the better and i had my long awaited time with machu picchu. I hiked up Huayna Picchu, which is the mountain you see behind Machu Picchu in all the photographs. I also met a crazy mexican guy named Alexandro, who had spent the last three weeks walking around Machu Piccu in his bare feet feeling "the energy" of the place. At one point be broke out into some Tai Chi, followed by hugging the walls for energy. In the end, i wouldnt have changed the trip one bit...working hard for a goal makes it so much more enjoyable when you reach it.


"Mystical"


Another inca ruin


Finally a view


Me & MP