Life is a journey

We made it! An amazing view and a great accomplishment – but the adventure's not over yet. Jan. 9, 2019 Well, we did it! We've boarded our train to Ollantaytambo, where we will then get a mini-bus to Cusco. Today was hard, but are we ever proud of ourselves. After another damp night of fitful sleep, we were roused at 3:30 a.m. to clear our tents by 4. The rain, thankfully (Thank you, Pachamama!) stopped at about the exact moment we stepped out of our tents. All of us were tired, cold and in bad moods. There was bickering and complaining and impatience all around. We had to wait till 5:30 to start our hike (the Chasquis had to leave earlier, which is why we had to get up in the dark) so we sat on benches and found creative ways to bandage Mia's blistered feet (maxi pads have so many uses!) by iPhone light while we gathered the courage for one last trip to the stinking hole-in-the-ground referred to as a bathroom. Mia felt really sick, in pa...

Today was the most beautiful day, full of scenes like this one that looked straight out of a fantasy film. January 8, 2019 Lunch time. Notwithstanding some foot pain, burning quads and a mild headache, today has not been so bad. The weather is changeable – light rain, mist (clouds, actually) and sun in constant rotation – but not extreme. We've gone hundreds of steps up, to visit Inca sites, then hundreds of steps down and it's hard, but it's nothing compared to yesterday. There have even been some stretches where we could walk more than a half-dozen steps on flat ground. The flora has changed since we passed over the dead woman mountain yesterday. Gone are the cacti; now it's lush greenery and pretty, brightly coloured flowers. We even passed an area – magical looking – overhung by tree branches and leaves that was apparently either the setting or the inspiration for the movie Avatar. I think we are very lucky to have Marco as our guide. Not only is he prof...

Hard to convey what it feels like to wake up looking down on mountains and clouds. January 7, 2019 It's 6 a.m. and we are in the clouds. Literally. Mist all around us, and above and below, allows us only to see the mountains' silhouettes. It's magical. Yes, I'm sticky and dizzy (probably from the altitude, now, all of a sudden) and my breathing feels tight, but here we are just sitting in the middle of Andes mountains eating a delicious breakfast cooked, incredibly, on a camp stove, preparing to hike to 4,215 metres! Today we will reach the highest point of the trek, Warmyhuañusca in Quechua , or Dead woman's pass ,   at 4,215 metres. • 5 p.m. Today was basically Hell. A more than 1,000 metre ascent in the baking sun, then another 600 metre descent in the cold rain on wet, slippery rocks. We are soaked and the bathrooms are holes in the floor. I'm going to try to sleep. • 3:40 a.m. Again I've been up forever. It's painful...

First stop: breakfast. Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019 Our guide, Marcos, and cook picked us up at 6:10 this morning. What do you know: We are getting a private tour just for the four of us. We didn't ask for it; that's just the way the cards fell. We loaded the mini-bus, piled in and headed for the hills. OK, mountains. Actually, we were already in the mountains as Cusco sits at 3,399 metres (11,152 feet) above sea level and is surrounded by mountains. In any case, off we went, winding and bouncing through the Andes to the soundtrack of both Andean flute ( quena or zampoña ) music and chicha, the Peruvian equivalent of cumbia. There really could be no better music to drive through South America to and no better setting in which to listen to that music. We were off to a good start. About an hour later we reached our first stop: a restaurant and general store just outside Ollantaytambo where we could buy breakfast (the only meal not included in the price of the trekking pac...

View of Cusco from our bedroom window. The city, which sits in the heart of the country and the mountains, is the jumping-off point for all trips to Machu Picchu. Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 We've arrived in Cusco, elevation 3,399 metres. The taxi ride from the airport was entertaining. First, as we exited and were confronted by the usual swarm of aggressive taxi drivers, Shane decided to turn the tables, suggesting "What if I just call out 'Taxi!'?" He did just that, and instantly an enthusiastic little man with quick reflexes zoomed around the rest of the throng faster than Speedy Gonzalez to take us and our bags to his car. We're quite sure he overcharged us, but he was friendly and informative, pointing out interesting landmarks along the ride. As the radio played Andean flute music we drove through dusty streets lined with vendors selling sacks of potatoes (Peru is home of the potato, of which they say there are more than 4,000 varieties), soft drin...

New Year's Eve in Arequipa means fireworks. They are set off by anyone and everyone, all over the city,  beginning a couple of hours before midnight and continuing beyond. It's an impressive – and noisy – spectacle! Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019 A new year. Last night, the whole city was lit up with fireworks. We were all too tired to go out anywhere to celebrate, so we just went out on the balcony … and it was amazing! Non-stop fireworks just everywhere. Mia, especially, was amazed. "I love this!" she exclaimed, eyes wide as the sky continually lit up all around and above us with lights and colours. Sandra and Coqui's dogs – two gorgeous huskies – were not so thrilled. Bush, whom we met and loved on previous visits, is 14, slowing down in his old age and was pretty much unfazed. Maya is 11 – like our Gidz back home – and much more attention-seeking. The incessant whistle-pop-boom of the New Year's pyrotechnics was really stressing her out. As for us h...