In the Footsteps of the Incas: From Mountains to Jungle to Ancient Ruins About This Page:

[goofysdtr]

I'm so impressed with all of you on that hike! While I'd love to see the sights you saw, I just don't think I'd ever be able to handle it . . . . especially if I was having the problems you were!

[pamcarey]

Great update! Wonderful pictures!

I was a little confused by the options that they gave you. Was there ever a chance that you would NOT go to Machu Picchu?

[PrincessSharon]

Wow, Douglas, your trip was certainly full of adventure! And I realize now I watch too many horror films, because when I was reading about how it got dark before you got to camp, I got a nervous feeling in my stomach! I was happy to read that you made it there without being eaten by a giant anaconda or something! It's really fascinating to read, so hurry back!

[Mickey Mama]

Great update! I am amazed how well you are holding up, despite the intestinal troubles! I can't wait to hear about the hot springs.

[LLaffinPlace]

Douglas, you are da man!

You certainly soldiered on and enjoyed the hike despite your digestive issues.

Wonderful pictures and great experiences! Can't wait to read more.

[DouglasE]

Chezp - You and I are on the same page.

More wonderful updates Douglas - your hike is really turning out to be the most amazing adventure, a true once-in-a-lifetime thing.

When others ask about this trip I describe it as an adventure of a lifetime. I'm so glad that Craig and I got to share this amazing experience together.

Goofysdtr - You are definitely correct. This is NOT for everyone. You need to be in really good shape. Recently I visited Craig and he took me to a yoga class and I learned that I am in pretty decent shape. I had never taken a yoga class before and I was not sore at all afterwards, but Craig had sore hamstrings and calves and he regularly goes. Go figure!

pamcarey - I'm glad you were confused because so was I and I was there, LOL! No, we always were going to Machu Picchu. It was just how and when that would happen that had the potential to change.

PrincessSharon - Just wait! I do get eaten on this trip, just not by an anaconda. Stay tuned for the next installment. Btw, Craig and I will be in NYC the last weekend of March. Will you?

MickeyMama - All in all the g-i problems were literally a pain in the rear, but I was happy it was something I could persevere through. I can't imagine if I had something like H1N1 at the time.

LlaffinPlace - "soldiered on" is an excellent way to describe not just this trip but how I deal with life in general.

[DouglasE]

I thought for sure the ride to Santa Teresa would be uncomfortable. Surprisingly it was not. I sat next to a window that provided a nice breeze. It was great looking out my window and seeing a variety of landscapes including several banana plantations. The dirt roads were tiny. Frankly, I don’t know how we were able to share the road with vehicles going in the opposite direction. Somehow we did. Our group was divided into two different “buses”. They were called buses, but they were really vans. The two vans carried most of our equipment, all of the Llama Path crew, and my trek-mates.

Everything was going according to plan until we came to a halt. Apparently, there are times when vehicles really do have a problem sharing the road because one crashed into the other. Thankfully neither of our two vehicles were involved. However, the two vehicles involved totally blocked the roadway and we were not able to continue on our way. People from our vehicle got out to help. Other individuals went out to help and we were able to move the damaged vehicles out of the way so we could progress. I just stayed in my seat because there were plenty of people out trying to do something and basically doing nothing. We really didn’t need me doing nothing as well.

Eventually we are motoring our way on another little dirt road. We arrive at the hot springs only to discover that the cashier to the entrance does not have change. It is s/. 20 for the two of us and the smallest bill that either Craig or I have is s/. 50. Our coins do not add up to s/. 20 either. We let person after person enter the hot springs. Not only do we let other members of our group go ahead of us but complete strangers. Finally, we figure after all of these people paying she has enough cash to provide us with change. No. No change it turns out because she just does not give change at all. You need to have exact change. This is Peru and there is not a handy ATM available either. How crazy is this? You are a cashier who does not give change? Finally, one of our fellow trekkers, Predeep, took pity on us and lent us the money for admission.

Off of the main pool is a large grassy area where our tents are pitched and at least one other group has camped for the night. It turns out we also have to pay another few nuevo soles to have a tent on site. I was able to pay for our tent with the coins that I had on hand. I had completely forgotten about this part. I was not the only one. Others in our group were rather taken aback at having to pay for having a tent on site. But after talking with Craig I remembered the previous evening Marco had described how we had the option to set up camp a little outside of the springs for free and we would hike down to gain entry. I distinctly remember thinking the few Nuevo soles required to camp on site would be worth being right at the springs. It definitely was. Marco pulled me aside and asked my opinion on how things were being handled. I was honest and said I had forgotten about having to pay for camping on site but that Craig had remembered. I said that the previous evening we had been given a whole bunch of different options and I had a bit of trouble remembering it all. However, I said that Marco’s English was excellent and he did provide us with all of the options that were available to us and we were not misled. He was concerned about losing his job. He told us a story about how another guide had gotten fired over a similar situation. I told him I would back him up if need be.


Santa Teresa is a wonderful respite. The hot spring comes flowing out of the rocks like a waterfall. There are three different pools. Flowers abound throughout the resort. As we get our stuff sorted out nightfall descends. I had packed a bathing suit and changed into that. Craig just wore some shorts.

Santa Teresa was not just a paradise for the trekkers. It was a paradise for flesh eating insects as well. The fly all around and land on your skin to take a significant bite of flesh. No matter how much insect repellent you wear, no matter how strong it is, no one was immune to the flying tiny pests. There was an easy escape from the ever present flying chiggers (That’s what they reminded me of. They were like the chiggers that hide in the grass except these buggers can fly!) The escape was to immerse yourself in the water. Ah heavenly water. There was a little area where the warm water flowed like a shower in your home. That’s where I started out with some soap to get myself nice and clean. How long has it been since I’ve had a bath or shower? “Heaven!” Next, I wandered around and found some of my fellow travelers in the main pool. It was so nice and warm. It was a giant pool. I didn’t have my glasses on and it is now night time. Looking around in the dark made it difficult to find Craig. He was around the pool somewhere my travelers assured me because he was with them only a few moments ago. I swim away and soon discover his head bobbing above the water. He’s wearing his glasses because his eyesight is far worse than mine without them. We have a wonderful time romping around in the warm, warm water. I so wished I could be more affectionate with him in public. It would have been nice to be able to hold hands or hug. However, this is Peru and we know that that would not be welcome (sigh). This place is gorgeous and in the evening it definitely is a playground for adults.

Eventually, it is time for dinner and we have a wonderful meal courtesy of our incredible chef who creates three course meals with what is a glorified Bunsen burner. Before dinner some of our fellow hikers ask Craig and I how we trained for the hike because we were handling it with apparent ease. It was nice to get acknowledgement of how well we were doing. It feels really good to meet a challenge like this. After dinner Craig and I enjoy more time in the different pools of Santa Teresa for a small bit of time basically just staying still and enjoying the feel of the water. Soon we feel it is time to enjoy a night’s sleep. Most of our fellow hikers enjoy the local Peruvian beer at the bar. They buy Marco and Eddison beer as a thank you for this great idea. Marco has said that he has never taken a group to this place before. Other groups have always opted to continue hiking in the hopes of possibly getting a glimpse of Machu Picchu. More fools them! This was an incredible, wonderful option!

[DouglasE]

Our wonderful breakfast cake!



Friday, October 16, 2009

We still needed to wake up early because the Llama Path crew have to pack up all of our stuff and get it to our next destination. We have the luxury of being able to enjoy Santa Teresa until 11 am. Our amazing chef has baked what looks like birthday cakes for breakfast. How crazy is that!?! I had Marco ask the chef how he was able to do that without an oven. Somehow he finagled a way. Unfortunately, they have drained out the main pool in the wee hours of the morning and do some maintenance this morning. The good news is that several other pools are still being fed by the hot springs.

Santa Teresa Hot Springs
















Before I take the time to enjoy the springs, I take advantage of having a shower. While the shower water was cold, I still felt like I was being pampered because of the fact that I actually could take a shower. Today was the first day in how many days that I could shave? I was one of the first people up and out this morning. It allowed me to be able to take as much time as I wanted in the shower and I had a mirror all to myself. “Oh to feel clean again!”

After taking this time to get cleaned up and dressed I did not want to have to go through all of that again. So instead of immersing myself in the waters, I just dangled my feet in a pool while I wrote in my journal. Craig found a little personal hot tub carved out of the rocks and did a similar thing as he worked on learning music for an upcoming production of the Wildhorn musical, “The Civil War”. Since I was not immersed in water the flying, biting, insects basically tormented me and I ignored them as much as possible. I also took this time to wander around and take pictures of this incredible oasis in the mountains.

Part of our group relaxing in the hot springs



Craig going over his music



Catching up on my journaling. I hardly took enough notes on this trip.





Eventually, it is time for us to journey on and we all load up into the vans to continue our journey. Our vehicles drop us off at a hydroelectric plant which is also an immigration check point. We all have to show our passports and sign a book. I think they just want to monitor exactly how many people are going in and out of this area. We have an easy little hike following along railroad tracks. Marco takes us to a little restaurant with long wooden picnic tables and benches. This is where we have our lunch. Instead of buying our lunch at the restaurant our chef prepares our meal for us. Once again it is so yummy! I munch out thinking the worst of my digestive problems is over.



We resume our hike thinking all we have to do is follow the train tracks. But no! We actually start climbing again through the jungle. Ugh! Today we hike for seven hours covering 14 kilometers. Minutes after hiking I realize that I need to make a pit stop. “Oh my!” So much for thinking that my gastrointestinal toubles are easing up! Thankfully, I am able to take care of business in a matter of a few minutes and catch up to the rest of the group. Our hike twists and turns and goes up and up. We take a break and Marco talks about the Inca civilization while I make another pit stop. “Oy vey!” Soon we find another set of railroad tracks and follow them. For most of the day we follow these train tracks. Sometimes I hike beside them. Sometimes I walk along the rails. Often stones and rocks cover the tracks. We come to a red bridge that traverses a gorge. I start out on the bridge only to discover I can feel the movement of the bridge caused by the hikers ahead of me. This movement unnerves me. I take my time crossing the bridge. I just feel uneasy because my backpack has my weight distributed differently and I feel off balance.






Marco leads the way to lunch








Our gear is getting ready to travel without us. We just keep hiking along.








The peak that I'm pointing towards is where we are headed. Right behind that peak is Machu Picchu!






In the bottom left-hand corner you can see a portion of the red bridge that I crossed. This is the view looking off to the right of the bridge.






For much of the beginning of this afternoon I am at the back of the pack because of the pit stops that I needed to take. I am not concerned because I am a speedy hiker and can catch up with the others quite easily. I just took the time to hang out at the back and got to get to know my fellow hikers, Seth and his wife Toya. They are really good people and I was happy to use their camera to take pictures of them along the way. At one point during the day Seth remarked at how impressed he was with my ability to find really great pit stop locations. We had a good laugh over my skill at discovering hidden little areas along the path.

Eventually we catch up to Marco and the others at a rest stop. After this point I end up leading the group and I’m at the head of the pack for most of the day. Several times we pass or are passed by another group that we had encountered on the previous day. At the end of the day we reach Puentes Ruinas. It is here we see the Hiram Bingham train. This train is run by the Orient Express. It is a five star way to get to Machu Picchu. You receive elegant meals, top-notch guiding and live entertainment on the return journey. The Pullman-style is quite expensive. I think a seat on this train will set you back about $500 if memory serves me right. At Puentes Ruinas we pass a Peruvian campground. I think some of the other Llama Path treks camp at this location.

[DouglasE]

Encountering the Hiram Bingham train as we hike along the train tracks








NEXT: Civilization!!

[chezp]

Wonderful, wonderful updates Douglas - the hot springs looked so beautiful.

[Colexis Mom]

More great updates! The springs sound divine! Sorry your tummy problems came back!

[pamcarey]

Wow! Fabulous updates! The hot springs sound heavenly! If memory serves me, I think Samantha Brown may have taken that train to Machu Picchu.

[LLaffinPlace]

Great update! The hot springs sound and look wonderful--what an amazing site, too.

Glad to hear things are going relatively well--it does sound like you are soldiering on and kudos on being able to take all the hiking in stride so to speak!

[Grammy Grumpy]

Great update! Your pictures are amazing and the hot springs really was a great option and glad you all voted to take it! Loved hearing about the trip in person too, hope you are coming back to my area soon so we can get together again.

[PrincessSharon]

Originally Posted by DouglasE

PrincessSharon - Just wait! I do get eaten on this trip, just not by an anaconda. Stay tuned for the next installment. Btw, Craig and I will be in NYC the last weekend of March. Will you?

Yes! We'll have to get together! I have to say your time at the springs sounds heavenly (well except for the blood thirsty insects ). Sorry your tummy troubles are still with you, but I love how you're not letting it slow you down!