so, i ended up having to ride downhill through dust and rocks for nearly FOUR HOURS. my ass hurt, my hands hurt and my arms hurt. i wasn't to cry. i almost did. each time a car drove by, i was surrounded by a cloud of dust and couldn't see in any direction. it was even worse when two cars went in opposing directions at the same time. i was nearly knocked off of the road! and my contacts were caked in dirt, making my eyes hurt. the vegetation was covered in dust. it sucked.
eventually there were uphill bits to this journey. i threw my bike and screamed. each time i stopped, i became quickly covered in a thick layer of sand flies. the bitches bit holes into my skin and sucked my blood. so my arms and legs were dirty AND bloody. bullshit. i didn't think i was ever going to make it. i couldn't wait to reach the alleged town of santa maria, where we were told we could SLEEP.
after hours of riding and stopping and eventually walking, we finally made it to santa maria. we placed our dinner orders at a small restaurant and headed up to our hostel to clean up. the showers were freezing and i didn't have any soap. i used shampoo as soap, and a small hand towel to dry off. it was terrible.
i shared a room with three girls, and was very thankful to have a night away from my boyfriend, who had been driving me crazy. we had a bland dinner and fell asleep before 9pm. this was much deserved sleep, and we had to wake up at 7am the next morning to commence our all-day hike.
after a breakfast of omelets and bread, we started off on our hike. the coco tea, which is nothing like cocaine, was certainly no substitute for coffee. how i missed my coffee. we were tired and dragging. and i was fighting with my boyfriend.
the first segment was easy. it was flat and straightforward. we walked along a wide dirt road in small groups. i walked for about an hour with a german girl and an english girl. good conversation made time go by faster.
after about an hour, the guides stopped and told us we were about to embark on an official tier of the INCAN TRAIL or camino del inca. the next thing we knew, we were hiking through bushes, uphill, on a small, narrow, steep trail. this was even harder than the biking of the previous day.
i was pouring sweat and covered in dirt in a matter of minutes. i am in great shape, but i was having severe difficulty breathing and had to stop constantly. i believe this is due to an unfortunate condition i have: mitral-valve prolapse. yuck. but the mind is stronger than the body and i wanted nothing more than to complete my journey, so i ultimately prevailed.
we had several group rests throughout the morning. the first was a little stop where two young girls were selling overpriced liquids with their pet monkey tied to a tree. there was also a little tienda/shop with a woman selling freshly squeezed juices and candies and drinks. the bathroom located here was a mere hole in the ground. it was disgusting. i think it would have been cleaner to pee in a bush.
we had lunch around 1 or 2 and a "restaurant" high in the mountains. there were very few people living in these areas, as the only way to reach the remote locations was a great, long trek such as our own. everyone enjoyed his spaghetti and maize juice. we rested there for almost two hours before continuing to our destination town of santa teresa.
during the next hour, we saw coco plants and beautiful vistas. we were very very high above the lakes. "tengo mierdo!" we all agreed. it was scary. there were no guardrails or fences to keep us from falling hundreds of feet below. there were steep passages both up and down the mountains and they were extremely narrow. we often had to lean to the rocks for support. if nothing else, this part was humbling.
eventually we got back down to level ground. we had more or less climbed up to the mountain so that we could get to the other side. we were now walking on large rocks along the river. "fifty minutes," the tour guide said, "then we will be in the hot springs!" "en serio?!" i asked, completely elated and relieved. we had been hiking for a combined total of about six hours that day.
we came across an american family with two small boys who were also hiking. their energy made me feel lazy and pathetic. if they could walk this treacherous walk, so could i. and soon we came to a crossing at the river. what happened next was beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
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