Well, it was a pretty messy start. I did not speak of it before this because I wanted to see how things 'panned out'. Even this morning, having been given a 5:45-6:15 pickup time from our hotel to drive to Huaran for the start of the walk, I was even wondering if the trek would happen when no-one turned up until 7 a.m. ... (it would have been VERY nice to have known we weren't to be picked up until 7 a.m. - a 'sleep-in' would have been great!!).
However, Alois - our guide - is a delight. Very Chechuan and into all things Inca; he has good English and a nice manner. There is Karen also as assistant guide but she is really 'along for the ride': she is from Chile, a guide herself but here to 'learn the ropes' locally.
We are sitting in a lovely spot next to a river. There are the 3 horses and Juvenal the mulateer/horseman and 'cooka' the cook - his name is something like Toreador but we've agreed on Torro ('for 'bull') much to the group's amusement. So the group is 6 including us 2 Pams - plus the 3 horses.
We eventually set off once the horses are loaded up. Electricity is coming to the valley! But the Government provides the poles and the locals have to carry them (!!) up the steep hills to be installed ... can't imagine workers carrying such huge poles in Australia ...
Juvenal and Torro (carrying a carton of eggs as well as guiding a fully-laden horse!) have gone on ahead and set up a tent to prepare lunch. We are told we are 40 minutes early so hopefully that means we are walking OK? The horses have been relieved of their loads and are happily munching the grass. This also means I can (unexpectedly) access my duffel bag for insect repellent as I have been swotting the little buggers every time we have stopped - which, out of necessity, have been very short stops for me as I had to stay on the move to keep the blighters away!
Alois (I hope I have that right) has been playing one of those wooden flutes we associate with Peruvian music. And I am catching up on my blog under a tree while lunch is prepared ... we have semolina soup with vegetables.
So, the rest of our start-of-trek story while we wait (before climbing what looks like a long way!) ...
... at our briefing on Saturday night it became clear we were up for a 2-day walk, not 3. Now, we might yet regret not sticking with just two days (!!) but it is not what was planned. Alex, the Setours guide in Cusco, did not answer his cell phone, so we rang the emergency number in Lima and passed the conversation over to Debra to work it out with the trek guide, Carlos. There was some pretty intense conversation in Spanish!
Anyway, the trek has been restored as per itinerary - and a different guide turned up this morning - Alois; so go figure!
After lunch we started to ascend more. We meet an 'old' woman (turns out she is 66 and looks much older) was shepherding a flock of sheep and llamas; Alois gave her a couple of handfuls of coca leaves and he chatted with her in Chechuan.
On we went (chewing coca leaves like the locals): kids going home from school pass by - a good long climb each day!
And at 2:30 p.m. we arrive at our camp site Cancha Cancha (3700 m). The tents went up very quickly on our small patch of dirt nestled between some local houses - and a pig house (the pig snores I can tell you!).
We went off for a wander through the village with Alois and Karen and we see the locals working the fields for potatoes. The sun has returned and it is a beautiful afternoon.
Meanwhile, the cook prepares our meal for tonight. He works hard! He walks the same walk as us: with a pack and 2 dozen eggs!; and helps set up camp - and cooks!! But the muleteer also doubles up as cook's assistant - as well as running after errant horses that seem to loosen their ropes and disappear off across the fields.
There is an almost full moon lighting up the landscape and as the sun sets, the snow-capped peaks light up golden.
We have popcorn and biscuits with tea before dinner which is soup and a lovely vegetable mix with, I suspect, left-over chicken from lunch.
Truly spectacular - amazing - we are experiencing tinges of jealousy mixed with delight for you both! - now we know what all that preparatory walking was about! - we are enjoying it with you both!
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