SF Scribe // Writing Truth to Power

Sunday is traditionally a day for rest and reflection in South America. That sounds pretty good to me after an active and eventful three days in Cusco, Peru. But I also have to do some packing and psyching myself up for my five-day trek to Machu Picchu that begins at 4 a.m. tomorrow.

The hike over Salkantaya will include 10 hours of high-altitude hiking on Tuesday, followed by cold camping at the snow line. Three nights in a tent will be followed Thursday night by a hostel stay in Aquas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu, and another 4:30 a.m. start time to catch dawn at the legendary lost Inca city in the clouds. Then we catch the train back and should be back in Cusco by 9 p.m. Friday.

Yesterday, after dancing until dawn at Mama Africa on Plaza de las Armas, I hiked to the four Inca ruins closest to town with Marc from Belgium. The most impressive was the closest, a huge fortification pronounced like ¨Sexy Woman.¨It was a massive and mind-blowing, with huge carved pieces stacked using just the manual labor of the 1400s.

I was exhausted by the time we finally reached Tambomachay (maybe it´s good to get more than a few hours sleep before trekking almost 10 miles) and crashed hard once i got back to my homey hostel (thanks for todo, Jose and Nancy). I might have just kept sleeping if I didn´t have dinner plans with a group of vacationing Limeñas that have adopted me. 

I somehow managed to stay out until after 1:30 again that night, but I really need to praise the Inca sun god or whatever divine power created the day of rest. I may just have to conjure up a few more of my own before my vacation ends on the 16th. Adios, amigos. Escribo mas en Sabado.