Machu Picchu -- Gesundheit, God bless you.

I just came back from an exhausting trip to Peru. We visited Machu Picchu by making a four day trek along the Inca Trail. Essentially the Inca Trail is a 45km mountainous jungle hike leading to the sacred Inca city of Machu Picchu. The trek is rated moderate and any reasonably fit person should be able to cover the route.

At first glance, I thought the trek would be a breeze. How hard can making a 1500 meter climb be? The peak is only 4215m (13829 ft). True that it is higher than any peak in the Canadian Rockies, true that it is higher than any places I've ever been (Banff, Jasper, Heavenly Ski Resort of Lake Tahoe, Jay Peak Vermont, Mont Tremblant, Yosemite NP), but it should be easy. Haha at myself. I have to say the hike was quite difficult and taxing on the body. I think I am reasonably fit because I run twice a week for 8k total, but I didn't know that it would be difficult.

The scenery is just breathtaking.

Day 1. This was a warm up hike of 10km. Very scenic, easy hike. First night camping at Wayllabamba.
Day 2. This is the most challenging day for most hikers because of the elevation, steepness of the climb, and length. It is a 14km trek of ascending to Dead Woman's Pass (at 4215m) and descending to Pacaymayu valley (at 3600m) for the second night camping.
Day 3. For many hikers, this is the most challenging day because you descend 1000m to 2650m to camp at Winaywayna. It is a 15km trek of mostly descending the mountain. One thing I realized and came to hate is that the Incas loved steps. Steps to go up to small towns and villages, steps to their "rest areas", steps here, steps there. These are not tiny steps too. I had nightmares that no matter how far I walked or tried to run, there will always be more steps. Grrr! What was amazing was 80-90% of these steps were original Inca construction.
Day 4. A good 6km trek. First a few km trek to IntiPunku (aka the Sun Gate), where you could view Machu Picchu!!! What a sight! A tour of Machu Picchu was very fascinating too. I've learned so much about the Incas on this trip. Let me just jot down what I remember so that I won't forget, and what I've learned came from my local guide. The Incas were around for a few thousand years but their expansion didn't happen until around 1200 AD. For 300 years, they expanded along the Pacific Coast from some parts of Columbia to Ecuador to Peru to some parts of Bolivia and Argentina to the southern tip of Chile. As they expanded, they embraced and incorporated the technologies of the conquered people. That is why in a short 300 years, they were able to be excellent at architecture, astronomy, metallurgy, textile, etc... Have I bored you? I am bored too. Overall the trip is just fantastic.