A Classic Trek in my Classic Crocs
Can you guess where this picture was taken?
Where in the World?
To get there I had to go up and down thousands of stone steps and cross two passes that were over 12,000 feet. I had to travel 27.5 miles through ancient villages, mossy woods, rock tunnels, abandoned ceremonial baths, and exotic flowers. Then, finally, I passed through Intipunku, the Sun Gate. And there before me was the grandeur of… Did you guess? Machu Picchu!
Pisco Sour and Giant Corn Nuts - A Peruvian Tradition
On August 13 my friends Anne-Marie, Janet, and I took off for Peru. When we arrived, we met 24 fellow travelers and Devy Reinstein, a seasoned ultrarunner and native of Peru. Devy’s Andes Adventures travel company offers runners and trekkers the chance to explore the beauty, history, and culture of Peru the way the ancient Incans did – on foot! Speaking of feet, as part of our nine day adventure we would be running The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 27.5 Mile Marathon. The route follows the original pilgrimage trail that leads into the religious capital of the Inca Empire, the legendary “Lost city of the Incas” – Machu Picchu. You can imagine how excited we were to get on that plane in LA and step off in Peru!
Colorful Children in Cusco
Our adventure started in Cusco, the historic capital of the Incas which is located at 11,200 feet. The city was alive with color and we enjoyed touring the town, slowly, as we acclimated to the thin air. In the days that followed we acclimated more and more as we visited ancient temples, abandoned villages, archeological sites, and ran a bit each day. We were invited into local homes to see demonstrations of traditional weaving processes, cuy (guinea pig) breeding, and chicha (corn beverage) production.
Relaxing at Camp in Our Crocs
On the fifth day of our Peruvian adventure we traveled by bus to Piscacucho, km 82 of the Inca Trail. We now had to run 10 km to our camp in the archeological site of Llactapata where we would spend the night. The next day we’d start Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Marathon!
My Beautiful Hand-Made Finishers Medal
The marathon was beautiful beyond words. From our camp in the river valley we climbed into the shadow of snow-capped peaks and slowly made our way over the ominously named “Pass of the Dead Woman” at 13, 779 feet. Devy has a description of the route on his website that is much better than anything I can write in the space of this blog. But he does fail to mention one thing. Yes it’s beautiful, but boy was it TOUGH! The air is thin and the steps are never-ending – up and down without relief. I felt like I was in an M.C. Escher painting! Sadly, my camera battery died in camp the night before so I was left without a way to record my journey. Except of course for that great finish line photo of my Crocs that I used at the top of this page. It was taken by my fellow adventurer Carol Clark, the first woman to finish the marathon. It was so nice of her to hang around and cheer us in! Other pictures of the Inca Trail abound on the web and in books and my memories will always be there. And I do have my finishers’ medal to hang on my wall!
Me and My Peeps at Machu Picchu
You know what shoes I wore during this entire vacation, right? My Classic Crocs clogs of course. I shared the love too. Devy always asks participants to bring clothes and shoes for the porters who work for him. These are the folks who get all our stuff into camp so we only have to carry a water bottle. Talk about fit individuals! They run carrying HUGE loads on their backs, talking effortlessly the entire way. They wear sandals, regular old sneakers, or whatever fits. My box of Crocs was overflowing so I brought a duffle bag full. If you ever find yourself hiking the Inca Trail, don’t be surprised if you see the porters running along in brightly colored Crocs!
